Partridge Silkies - Nothing else

[Sonoran Silkies]

Thanks, that's very helpful! So, would chipmunk colored chicks who grow up to look different (blue, whatever) still carry the partridge gene? Or was there some other reason they looked chipmunkish as a chick? And does my top chick (the brown fluffy one) look chipmunk enough to be thought partridge or is the pattern too muted?

There's so much to learn about partridge!

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There really is not "A" partridge gene, unless you are referring to the e^b allele of extended black. Partridge is e^b Pg s; translate that as asiatic partridge or brown (e^b) + pattern gene (Pg) + gold (s).

e^b chicks show a chipmunk pattern on their backs. Without the pattern gene, and/or with additional melanizers, an e^b chick as an adult can be solid black or blue or lavender, or the same but with leakage. e^b can be the base for buff, and is the base for both partridge and grey. Many whites are e^b based.

 

[Country Chickens]

I'm glad to hear someone say it is--that gives me hope! All I've figured out so far is, if you have light females, breed them with dark males, and if you have light males, breed them with dark females. Also, it's helpful to have one pen from which you hope to get your correct females and a different pen from which you hope to get your correct males. And I'm not even sure I've got that right!


I'm excited to hear this chick looks like a grey--they carry the partridge gene but the color is...idk...turned off so it is all grey, right? Anyway, I think they're pretty and would love to have some. Please correct me anywhere and everywhere I get any of this wrong, as I really want to learn, and thanks so much for stopping in!

Partridge is actually pretty simple. The bottom chick looks more like a grey than a partridge.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I'm glad to hear someone say it is--that gives me hope! All I've figured out so far is, if you have light females, breed them with dark males, and if you have light males, breed them with dark females. Also, it's helpful to have one pen from which you hope to get your correct females and a different pen from which you hope to get your correct males. And I'm not even sure I've got that right!


I'm excited to hear this chick looks like a grey--they carry the partridge gene but the color is...idk...turned off so it is all grey, right? Anyway, I think they're pretty and would love to have some. Please correct me anywhere and everywhere I get any of this wrong, as I really want to learn, and thanks so much for stopping in!
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Partridge has gold ground; grey has silver ground. Ground colour is determined by the silver/gold gene. S=silver, s+=gold.

 

[peepblessed]

Hey! I just hatched my first partridge chick--I think s/he's adorable, and have named him Wicket after the Star War's Ewok. Still kinda intimidated by the partridge color--it seems complicated. But, excited to jump in and see where we go!


I also have a little chick I'm unsure of, but wondering if it is blue partridge? What do you think?



Thanks for looking!!!

Beautiful chicks!!

 

[peepblessed]

Okay, here is my partridge baby Katie Jr. I know she is partridge cuz she is clearly colored like a partridge with the two white lines on her back ect.. Now this is another baby that I am not sure if she is partridge or not what do you think? She doesn't have the little white stripes on her back. Here is a pic of both of them. Katie Jr. is at the top of the pic and noname is at the bottom next to my mix oegb/silkie. Do you think she is a partridge?

Adorable partridge!!

 

[Country Chickens]

Ookay, right, I think I head that somewhere before. And then the information got pushed out of my head as other new info was stuffed in. Am I correct that there is a partridge gene, and that both would have it? Just trying to make sure I heard that correctly and haven't misplaced my facts! I find that research before I get a chick and research after I have a chick in that color have a different sense of urgency.

Partridge has gold ground; grey has silver ground. Ground colour is determined by the silver/gold gene. S=silver, s+=gold.

ETA: thanks peepsblessed! Always so fun to see their cheery colors and cute little faces!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

No, there is not a partridge gene. Partridge is the combination of e^b, Pg & s+ If you lack any of those three genes, you will not have partridge.

 

[Country Chickens]

Ah, that explains part of my confusion. I was looking for the mystery gene and not finding it! lol

 

[flitter]

Just a two quick questions... No groaning allowed!

I have two grey/silver partridge hens. Do I need to find a silver part roo or can I breed to another color and produce more of the silver parts?

One of these hens is very small. She seems healthy, is active, a full year old, is a dedicated broody, lays small but normal eggs. Is being much smaller than normal size considered a fault... like don't breed?

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Just a two quick questions... No groaning allowed!

I have two grey/silver partridge hens. Do I need to find a silver part roo or can I breed to another color and produce more of the silver parts?

One of these hens is very small. She seems healthy, is active, a full year old, is a dedicated broody, lays small but normal eggs. Is being much smaller than normal size considered a fault... like don't breed?

Finding another gray rooster is your ideal choice to get more true gray offspring. You could breed to other colors but you'll have color bleeding, and a lot of off-colored (mutt colored) offspring I think. Gray breeds true, so its best to breed it to itself.

As for the small hen, if shes just a bit smaller, its not a big deal - if shes a lot smaller than the other hen, you may want to be cautious in breeding her. If you introduce her to a male think about the size comparison of him to her, because a male can and will do serious harm to a small delicate female. I've heard of roosters accidentally killing young pullets when people put them together too early and pullets are still small and growing so more delicate. If you want offpsring from her, you could consider AI'ing her from the male but never introducing him into the same pen with her. Just an idea.