Need Suggestions on Silkie Color Variety - Pics

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

I was wanting to continue a project Ive been working on. I have a pair of silkies that come from the same flock. (I'm unsure if the father and mother of these birds are the same parents to both birds.) I noticed at first that this one chick I had that was buff, had a white tail at about 4 weeks old. As it got older it started getting some lavender with the white in the tail, and then white around the neck. I really liked how it looked so I kept the chick and a good pale buff hen in hopes that I could continue this variety. I was wondering if someone who knows about genetics better then me could give me some advise about what I should try to breed into this line to get it looking better. I want to go for a nice buff body with a white tail and neck. The less lavender in the tail the better. Here is some photos of my pair. They are still sort of young. Around 4 months old.

Rooster

Hen

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Looks to carry splash, which is the white and blue you're seeing in the tail. Both my buff boys are also splash.

Are you wanting pure white hackles and tail, or do you want the splash markings? If you like the splash. just keep breeding and select for the birds marked more to your preference. If you want to go for white, then you might cross with dominant white. One copy of the gene will replace plack pigment with white. Don't add two copies, though, or you'll get white birds.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

I was going for white. How would you tell which white birds are dominate? Im aware that white birds might hide some other color.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

Also, neither of the parents are splash. One is a buff and the other is Lavender. Would that matter any?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I'd stake money on both parents also being/carrying blue.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

Quote:
Wouldnt surprise me. Mike has been breeding blue and lavender into his buff silkies for some time. He reicently just switched over to lavender only and got rid of his blues.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

The problem with using lavender is that in two copies it will dilute the red pigment as well as the black, and in one copy it won;t do anything. I think, though, that you could turn a red to buff with lavender as the diluter rather than Di.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

Huh. I didn't know that. I will defiantly keep it in mind if I ever get me some Lavender Silkies. Right now I don't know anyone localy that has them or else I would so get me some. Think I'm gonna end up having to buy hatching eggs to get me some.

About the dominate whites. How do you pick the right white?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Unless you are really lucky and find a silkie known for carrying dominant white, you'll probably have to introduce it from a different breed.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

Quote:
Hmm I do have some white sultans. Maybe I should try to toss that in.