More color questions...post #8

[Thomas423]

I've been searching and following threads about coloring for silkies.
I do not understand the coloring codes or the language.
I need a coloring lesson for dummies.

So basically what would I get if I breed a.....

white to white?
white to black?
white to blue?
black to blue?
black to black?

and....I think I got the blue to blue....50% blue, 25%black and 25%splash. (am I right??)

And what about greys? How do they mix with white, black or blue?

Oh....I don't have any splashes but how do they mix with the colors. I know splash to splash is 100% splash (right again????)

 

[silkie freak 22]

well here is a chart of the blue breeding colors thats all i got sorry
http://www.freewebs.com/sassysilkies/blackbluesplash.htm

 

[Thomas423]

Quote:
Thank you:
Blue to blue = 50%blue, 25%black, 25%splash
Black to blue = 50%blue, 50%black
Black to splash = 100%blue
Blue to splash = 50%blue, 50%splash
Splash to splash = 100%splash

Sounds easy enough

Now what about the whites
and what do I get with black to black?

 

[silkie freak 22]

black to black is black but idk if i get a get a black out of blues if it breeds black
and whit to white is always white

 

[Chicky Mama]

Any answers on a buff to black mix?That;'s what we have and wondered what they would look like.

 

[Windchyme]

Quote:
You'd get a buff with ALOT of black mixed throughout.

I have one out in the pens, I'll have to grab a picture of it. It's really rather attractive.

 

[walkswithdog]

Black and white are MASKING colors. White is the worst offender - it can hide anything, anything at all and produce anything at all.

Chicken genes aren't crayons. What you see is NOT what is there. What you see can hide a multitude of colors, especially when a bird is white.

Most of the time - throw black in and you get black or something that is black and.

But white hides anything. So it's your heinz 57 color, no predicting unless you know the lines behind, and even then surprises happen. Partridge, gray, buff and others can all be behind a white bird. You have to breed the bird to find out what color it actually is under the white.

 

[Thomas423]

Ok, thanks all.....I'm starting to "get it" but not quite sure I understand the whites. They're pretty much pot luck unless bread white to white???
Is it possible to get splash or blue from a white roo and blue or black hen?

How do I tell the difference between greys and blues and what would the offspring be from a grey hen with a white or blue roo.

I'm trying to figure out which roo and hens to keep since I only have one pen for them.

I know this question gets asked often and I'm subscribed to many color topics but most are over my head so I appreciate all your help.

One more question please concerning beards. Will 2 bearded parents have only bearded offspring?

 

[tadkerson]

No, It depends on the genes the parents carry. If both parents only carry one gene for beards and muffs ( beards and muffs is dominant) then there is a chance of having chicks without beards and muffs. The chance is 1 in 4.

Tim

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
White is essentially an OFF switch, that turns OFF the appearance of any colours or patterns genetically present in the bird. So there is no way to tell what colours or patterns in a specific bird are turned OFF without a test breeding. So, by testing, you may determine that a particular white bird carries blue. However that does not mean that all whites carry blue--only that that particular bird does.

Blue feathers are essentially a solid colour: a slate colour, although the shade can vary considerably from nearly as dark as black to very pale. Head, hackes and saddle feathers are darker than the rest of the feathering.

Greys are a patterned bird: a silver partridge. The feathers are penciled (multiple laced) in shades of black and grey and silver.

You cannot get a splash from a black. Splash carries two copies of the blue gene: one must be inherited from each parent. Blacks carry two copies of the not-blue gene, and therefore cannot pass a blue gene to their offspring.