Mixing EE and silkie questions new to mixing

[SilkiesRcool]

I have some EE chicks and I wanted to breed them to my silkie rooster whenever they got older. I wanted to know what color/egg size they would probably have like if the silkie egg will overpower and probably just be like a plain egg or if they would keep the EE egg color. I was also wondering about chick colors and how they would feather in. Lastly do a lot of people ever buy mixed breeds or EE and silkie mixes for that matter? (Here's a pic of the future dad) he's about 3 months old

 

[KarateHorse]

I have never seen an easter egger and silkie mix. But it sounds cool. I want to see the results.

 

[Blooie]

I know next to nothing about genetics, so answering your question directly is out of my league. But what I did want to remind you of is that Easter Eggers don't just lay one color of egg....you can get brown, blue, green, greenish blue, even pink. (And yes, I do have an Easter Egger that lays pinkish eggs.) So if you want to breed a Silkie to an Easter Egger but are concerned about the resulting egg color from the offspring, I'm afraid you might be disappointed. Even two EEs bred together can have chicks that lay eggs of a different color than the mother lays because EEs are already a mix.

 

[SilkiesRcool]

It's not really a big deal I was just wondering about how the chickens and eggs could look I have an EE roo but I won't be keeping him so all my chicks will be pure silkie or mixed with EE.

 

[Blooie]

I don't know, but I'll bet if you got a fluffy Easter Egger chick with Silkie texture it would be adorable!! The egg color? Well, as I said, that's up in the air!

 

[SilkiesRcool]

Ok it soundslike they'll be adorable

 

[donrae]

Feather color if the chicks is going to be a mixed bag. Your buff rooster will be partially dominant, buff is a strong color genetically but it's also very complex, so it can give some funky outcomes when you mix it with other colors. Your EE hens are already kind of a genetic mismash color wise, so it's going to be a surprise what you get.

Silkies have pretty strong dominant traits, except the silkie feathers themselves. You'll lose those in the first generation. But you'll likely get chicks with five toes,feathered legs, dark skin, partial crests and beards. They'll have funky looking mixed combs. They'll be smallish birds, but larger probably than the silkie father, depending on how large your hens are.

since the silkie's egg color is very pale, it should cross well with the color from the EE hen. If you have a blue egg laying hen, you may get blue egg laying pullet offspring. If you have a green egg laying mother, you may get green or shades of cream/brown in a pullet.

Sounds like a fun hatch, I'd sure give it a try.

In my area, my mixed breeds seem to sell just about as well as the pure breds. Especially if they have something unique, like colored eggs or five toes, etc. I think you may do well hatching and selling a few batches, if you're so inclined.

 

[Blooie]

Feather color if the chicks is going to be a mixed bag. Your buff rooster will be partially dominant, buff is a strong color genetically but it's also very complex, so it can give some funky outcomes when you mix it with other colors. Your EE hens are already kind of a genetic mismash color wise, so it's going to be a surprise what you get.

Silkies have pretty strong dominant traits, except the silkie feathers themselves. You'll lose those in the first generation. But you'll likely get chicks with five toes,feathered legs, dark skin, partial crests and beards. They'll have funky looking mixed combs. They'll be smallish birds, but larger probably than the silkie father, depending on how large your hens are.

since the silkie's egg color is very pale, it should cross well with the color from the EE hen. If you have a blue egg laying hen, you may get blue egg laying pullet offspring. If you have a green egg laying mother, you may get green or shades of cream/brown in a pullet.

Sounds like a fun hatch, I'd sure give it a try.

In my area, my mixed breeds seem to sell just about as well as the pure breds. Especially if they have something unique, like colored eggs or five toes, etc. I think you may do well hatching and selling a few batches, if you're so inclined.

How come no matter what I say, you say it more betterly?

 

[donrae]

How come no matter what I say, you say it more betterly?

Well, I always think the same about you. Mutual Admiration Society, I guess?

 

[Shelby41393]

How ironic..I just did my first hatch with some EE eggs of mine. I knew I had a chance of 3 different roosters that could breed my hens. One was a silkie, a lavender orp, ando our EE roo. After overlooking the chick again I noticed it had the silkies feet, skin color and some of their characteristics as chicks. I know it came from and EE Hens egg so it will be interesting to watch it grow.