Mottled Silkie with Blue/Green eggs Project.

[luckiestck1]

She finally started laying constantly a few weeks ago and has a dosen she has now started sitting on, 2 days ago.

Please let some are fertile. Please

 

[luckiestck1]

Just checked her eggs, 11/12 are fertile. Go adam the silkie rooster. Hes doing the job.

 

[luckiestck1]

This is the hen that will to be the base for my mottled silkies. Isn't she beautiful.

 

[luckiestck1]

Im thinking of trying to breed the mottled silkies to have more white on the feathers or should i try to keep the tip of white on there feathers?

 

[msiler]

Im thinking of trying to breed the mottled silkies to have more white on the feathers or should i try to keep the tip of white on there feathers?

Personally speaking, I wouldn't worry too much about the degree of mottling on your silkies until later. This is a very detailed project and there are a lot of other things that take presidence over the mottling on the feathers.
However in the future I would select birds that follow the standard for color on the mottled cochin.
I wish you luck! Continue to update!

 

[luckiestck1]

Thanks for the feedback. Just thinking about future plans.

 

[Cyprus]

I wouldn't try for that right now.
You're already setting yourself up with a challenge by focusing on multiple traits at once.

 

[luckiestck1]

I've been thinking about my breeding plan and came up with these 2 options.
Option 2 has more genetic diversity than option one. But I will have to wait longer before I can breed the two mottled silkie lines together. I'm also hoping when I get a few gens in that I might get some interest from other silkie breeders to help diversify the gen pool and quality.
Green is new unrelated blood.
Blue is siblings
Orange is mottled silkie.

 

[msiler]

I've been thinking about my breeding plan and came up with these 2 options.
Option 2 has more genetic diversity than option one. But I will have to wait longer before I can breed the two mottled silkie lines together. I'm also hoping when I get a few gens in that I might get some interest from other silkie breeders to help diversify the gen pool and quality.
Green is new unrelated blood.
Blue is siblings
Orange is mottled silkie.

I would go with option two, repeating the mottled silkie x black silkie cross as many times as necessary. It will take a while, yes, but one of the biggest issues with silkie projects is poor type and quality. Outcrossing to Silkies will always improve your type. You can finally start crossing mottled silkies together once you have two quality birds! You could get lucky and get them early on, or it could take years....
I'd agree though that crossing out to another breeders mottled silkies would be your best bet later on.

 

[luckiestck1]

Thats what i thought. I prefer option 2 as well. Also When should i start trying to find interest from other breeders, what gen you think?