Mottled Silkies- Education needed- Please help!

[MrsChicky55]

So I'm new to silkies, just hatched out 13 chicks last week and was stumped on what color a couple of my chicks were (I've got 2 chicks with similar coloring & feathering from the same pen). I've been told they are Mottled Silkies (Frizzled of course). But I'd never heard of Mottled Silkies before. I haven't been able to find much info about them. The only info I've found is from people thinking about trying to breed them from scratch. So couple questions-

Are these Mottled Silkies?
What can I breed to them to continue the mottling gene?
(What is the mottling gene and how does it work?)
I'd love to see these as a Blue Mottled Silkie, how could I do that?

These could be really pretty in a Satin too! So excited to play with these, but afraid to screw it up! Originally I'd thought I'd breed these to a good black to loose the color holes, but now I'm not sure what to do, would black just cover up the mottling?
Thanks!

 

[Sneebsey]

I can't speak to whether or not they are mottled, but I can hopefully help you with breeding plans to cement the gene if they turn out to be. Hopefully this will help.

Mottling is recessive and requires two copies of the gene to express, so both parents would need to have or at least carry the mottling gene.

To create blue mottled, you will need to introduce the blue gene. I would suggest splitting these chicks into pens when they are of age, to increase the genetic diversity of your project, and breeding to nice, preferably unrelated (to each other) blues. From these groups you will hatch 50% black and 50% blue. None will be mottled, but all will carry it unseen (split). You can also breed to splash instead of blue for 100% blue offspring, with mottling carried unseen. These are your F1 generation.

In year 2, you will then need to backcross to the mottled parent for 50% mottled offspring and 50% split. If you select only blue F1s to breed from, your backcross (BC1) will be half blue and half black, again.

Then, in year 3, you will have several blue and black mottled chicks who are cousins. In the interests of genetic diversity, I would personally do another outcross to clean unrelated blues or blacks, resulting in another generation of splits. If you continue in this fashion over several years, you will eventually have birds who are blue and black mottled, and unrelated enough to be able to breed together for healthy offspring.

 

[MrsChicky55]

I can't speak to whether or not they are mottled, but I can hopefully help you with breeding plans to cement the gene if they turn out to be. Hopefully this will help.

Mottling is recessive and requires two copies of the gene to express, so both parents would need to have or at least carry the mottling gene.

To create blue mottled, you will need to introduce the blue gene. I would suggest splitting these chicks into pens when they are of age, to increase the genetic diversity of your project, and breeding to nice, preferably unrelated (to each other) blues. From these groups you will hatch 50% black and 50% blue. None will be mottled, but all will carry it unseen (split). You can also breed to splash instead of blue for 100% blue offspring, with mottling carried unseen. These are your F1 generation.

In year 2, you will then need to backcross to the mottled parent for 50% mottled offspring and 50% split. If you select only blue F1s to breed from, your backcross (BC1) will be half blue and half black, again.

Then, in year 3, you will have several blue and black mottled chicks who are cousins. In the interests of genetic diversity, I would personally do another outcross to clean unrelated blues or blacks, resulting in another generation of splits. If you continue in this fashion over several years, you will eventually have birds who are blue and black mottled, and unrelated enough to be able to breed together for healthy offspring.

That is exact what I needed. Thank you so much! Should be a fun project!

 

[Diana777]

That is exact what I needed. Thank you so much! Should be a fun project!

Did they turn out to be mottled? I have a baby chick that just hatched and I’m trying to figure out the color.

 

[The Moonshiner]

This thread is close to 8 years old and that member hasn't been active in 5 years so doubt you're gonna get the answer.

 

[Diana777]

This thread is close to 8 years old and that member hasn't been active in 5 years so doubt you're gonna get the answer.

I can see that, no lost in trying.