Porcelain Project

[Fur N Feathers]

All of those babies are just so precious!!!

Well see, we must be two peas in a pod then! I thought I was the only one that had such bad luck. I thought I was the worst chicken momma ever!!!

Could it be black split, rather than blue split? I think she told me she had a black pen, and had black with lavender, but I don't think she had a blue split pen that I remember. Now I never got to see them in person like you did though, so a visual is much more important.

My paint girl out of that first hatch is the mother of all my paints. So I guess she would be my foundation paint.

 

[MumsyII]

All of those babies are just so precious!!!

Well see, we must be two peas in a pod then! I thought I was the only one that had such bad luck. I thought I was the worst chicken momma ever!!!

Could it be black split, rather than blue split? I think she told me she had a black pen, and had black with lavender, but I don't think she had a blue split pen that I remember. Now I never got to see them in person like you did though, so a visual is much more important.

My paint girl out of that first hatch is the mother of all my paints. So I guess she would be my foundation paint.

I'm glad we found each other! I was so depressed thinking I was the worse chicken momma!

I was really confused by the Blue chicks. I didn't understand what she told me about those pens. I took lots of pictures while there but it was so over whelming it was difficult for me to grasp all she was saying about all the variety and each pen. Her farm is HUGE. We walked through four big barns filled with individual breeding pens. Up until going there, I only had seen White and Black Silkies of quality over twenty years ago. The pens that jumped out at me the most were the Porcelain and Lavender pens. I had never and I mean NEVER seen such beautiful Silkies in my life. They were stunning to put it simply.
I hope to get back there again and look at the Paint pen more closely. We kind of breezed past it because it was kind of over my head when she talked about it. She is a wonderful woman and was very generous with her knowledge. It was so much to take in.

My Paint cock is the founding father of my Paints too! We should start a thread together about them!

Here are what the BlS chicks looked like at day old and then before they died.


They were both females. I wrote splash but you are probably right. Black Split makes more sense.

They were both beautiful females. I was nuts about them. The smallest chick was chipmunk dark and the last hatched with crooked toes. I straightened them with a band aid. She was always a weak chick and light weight. The larger chick was lovely but got the huge distended crop like the Buffs. I don't have any idea why that happened to those birds. None of my other flock got that.



I'm so bummed I didn't get a chance to breed this pullet to Lavender.

My breeding efforts with Catdance lines is set back a year but not over. I'm going to get more eggs and try again. My husband built me a new chick house to keep them separate from the adult flock next time. They were all mixed in with my adult white pen. I don't think they had enough time to build up immunities to anything.

 

[Fur N Feathers]

I'm glad we found each other! I was so depressed thinking I was the worse chicken momma! I was really confused by the Blue chicks. I didn't understand what she told me about those pens. I took lots of pictures while there but it was so over whelming it was difficult for me to grasp all she was saying about all the variety and each pen. Her farm is HUGE. We walked through four big barns filled with individual breeding pens. Up until going there, I only had seen White and Black Silkies of quality over twenty years ago. The pens that jumped out at me the most were the Porcelain and Lavender pens. I had never and I mean NEVER seen such beautiful Silkies in my life. They were stunning to put it simply. I hope to get back there again and look at the Paint pen more closely. We kind of breezed past it because it was kind of over my head when she talked about it. She is a wonderful woman and was very generous with her knowledge. It was so much to take in. My Paint cock is the founding father of my Paints too! We should start a thread together about them! I'm so bummed I didn't get a chance to breed this pullet to Lavender. My breeding efforts with Catdance lines is set back a year but not over. I'm going to get more eggs and try again. My husband built me a new chick house to keep them separate from the adult flock next time. They were all mixed in with my adult white pen. I don't think they had enough time to build up immunities to anything.

Me too! I wonder is she has a blue, black, splash pen? I don't remember her mentioning that but I bet she does. Those blue girls are quite beautiful!!! I'm sorry you didn't get to use them too. That last one looks so much like my partridge one it's remarkable. I'll post her picture later on at what I am guessing would be the approximate age. You know I keep getting set backs, but I can be bull headed and I just get sad, then I get mad and push my way back through. This is the first baby I lost. A little lavender female. If she had lived I would have had a pair of them. She seemed very week from day one and died at 3 days.

Ok, so that left me with five original babies. These are pictures as they got into that gawky stage, then a couple of weeks after that when they are becoming their mini adult selves:

The little porcelain girl, because she was a lone chick, I ran down to the feed store and bought a single chick to be her companion. You can just see the attitude all over her face! She just barely tolerated him. He was one ugly little boy, but he was lavender.

OK found one of the CatDance partridge right quick. That is the porcelain girl scratching so I don't get off topic.

I've got to go get stuff done, but will be back after while.

 

[MumsyII]

Me too!

I wonder is she has a blue, black, splash pen? I don't remember her mentioning that but I bet she does. Those blue girls are quite beautiful!!! I'm sorry you didn't get to use them too. That last one looks so much like my partridge one it's remarkable. I'll post her picture later on at what I am guessing would be the approximate age.

You know I keep getting set backs, but I can be bull headed and I just get sad, then I get mad and push my way back through.

This is the first baby I lost. A little lavender female. If she had lived I would have had a pair of them. She seemed very week from day one and died at 3 days.



Ok, so that left me with five original babies. These are pictures as they got into that gawky stage, then a couple of weeks after that when they are becoming their mini adult selves:











The little porcelain girl, because she was a lone chick, I ran down to the feed store and bought a single chick to be her companion. You can just see the attitude all over her face! She just barely tolerated him. He was one ugly little boy, but he was lavender.







OK found one of the CatDance partridge right quick. That is the porcelain girl scratching so I don't get off topic.



I've got to go get stuff done, but will be back after while.

We have SO much to talk about. I've got a lot to do today too. Husband is working from home so I won't get a lot of time on the computer to discuss our birds.

By the by...I used to breed Arabians back in the day. Bask x Egyptian Prince lines. Over twenty five years now. I miss them every day but raising four children was the trade off. No turning back the clock on that chapter.

 

[Fur N Feathers]

We have SO much to talk about. I've got a lot to do today too. Husband is working from home so I won't get a lot of time on the computer to discuss our birds. 

By the by...I used to breed Arabians back in the day. Bask x Egyptian Prince lines. Over twenty five years now. I miss them every day but raising four children was the trade off. No turning back the clock on that chapter.

Yes we do!!!

Do you have any pictures of your Arabians? Sanna just recently started a picture thread for them. I sure would like to see them if you do.

Go a head and start a paint thread. I have lots of pictures of my paints I can post too!

 

[MumsyII]

I have a lot of pic's of my horses but taken before digital cameras. None are scanned yet. It would take some time to find them and get them in a folder. One of these days I should do that.

I will put my Paint Project on a thread. I've posted about them here and there on other Silkie threads but no one has commented on them much. I don't know it that means Paint breeders think they are junk or most Silkie owners have no clue about Paints.

I sure am happy you comment. It's fun to share our joint efforts using the same foundation Catdance breeding for our F1 pens.

My F1 Porcelain are a month old today. They are looking more beautiful every day. I separated their mom this week. She is taking it harder than they are.

Besides color for this F1 hatch, I have noted a few things. They are feathering out faster than my Recessive White pens. They are more active and vigorous than any other Silkie hatch I've had in some years. A lot of mock fighting. Chest bumping. Long played out games of keep away. Really a fun group of chicks to watch develop. They free range every day separate from the adult flock. They are great foragers already. Sure wish I still had that Porcelain Cock. His first and only progeny done him proud.

 

[Fur N Feathers]

A quick way to get a printed picture to post, is to take a picture of it with your cell phone then email it to yourself. I did that with several of mine just to get them posted because my scanner is such a pain in the butt! I had two mares with Bask in their lines. I don't think I had any Egyptian Prince but I did have a lot of Egyptian or Egyptian related horses. I'll find the link to the thread for you:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/884607/arabian-horse-enthusiasts-photo-thread

I love watching my chickens, especially the babies. When one finds a tasty little bug, then the chase and keep away games begin. It is so relaxing for me.

Just let me know when you start it and I will subscribe. I am a very visual person, so I take a lot of pictures. I have found it very handy when I can't remember if a chick had feathering on all five toes for example. What the crest looked like in the gangly stage, etc.

 

[MumsyII]

I'll keep the Arabian thread in mind. Thank you. Truly.

Yes. Watching the flock and grow out chicks is better than any tv program ever. Relaxing for me as well. I have kept meticulous notes on my chickens since I started out with nothing but breeder quality. I haven't bought a hatchery/feed store chick since 1989. I cull heavily because my space is limited. I used to sell all culls now we process them for the stock pot, I give a few away as pets. Some go into the free range layer flock for bug and weed control. Mostly those that are favorite old hens that I'm no longer breeding. I've been a farmer all my life and do not get sentimental about live stock. I name breeders and rarely will use them for the table. If they are breeders, it's because they were chosen for superior quality for eggs, meat, or exhibition. The Silkies are my favorite exhibition breed and though I haven't shown in many years, I know how to breed and condition for showing and that is what is fun for me.
I put on mock shows for young pullets and cockerels to help me decide which to keep in the breeding program. Sometimes you can't see some details in type until you get them side by side and still pictures to study carefully. This is my set up for mock shows. I can be a pretend judge and train them for show cages at the same time. As well as get them used to being handled.


The larger table is new. There are two bantam cages on it with wire floor. The smaller table holds two LF cages. I use it to judge my Heritage RIR.

The Silkies love to rest in the shade under the tables.


This is how I was able to get a really good comparison on two of my big boys. The poster board in the back is a size grid. Helps me judge length and height at a glance. I wound up keeping both these cockerels. They get turns with the hen flock.

 

[MumsyII]

My understanding of genetics is limited but I'm learning more every day. This is what I understand so far.

Genotype (genes present) with phenotype (appearance). In other words, The genotype of an organism is the genetic code in its cells. This genetic constitution of an individual influences – but is not solely responsible for – many of its traits. The phenotype is the visible or expressed trait, such as feather color. The phenotype depends upon the genotype but can also be influenced by environmental factors. Such as corn in the diet or sun bleaching.

For my Porcelain project, it will not be finished until my strain of Porcelains breed true. Having the necessary genes present and the visible outcome a recognizable Porcelain Silkie. I'm not sure how a punnett square will help because my cross is a Porcelain bred by someone else and my Partridge hen as well. I don't know the genotype fully for either of them. Any punnett square I make would be cumbersome and incomplete. So test mating is all I can really do for now.

 

[Fur N Feathers]

I'll keep the Arabian thread in mind. Thank you. Truly. Yes. Watching the flock and grow out chicks is better than any tv program ever. Relaxing for me as well. I have kept meticulous notes on my chickens since I started out with nothing but breeder quality. I haven't bought a hatchery/feed store chick since 1989. I cull heavily because my space is limited. I used to sell all culls now we process them for the stock pot, I give a few away as pets. Some go into the free range layer flock for bug and weed control. Mostly those that are favorite old hens that I'm no longer breeding. I've been a farmer all my life and do not get sentimental about live stock. I name breeders and rarely will use them for the table. If they are breeders, it's because they were chosen for superior quality for eggs, meat, or exhibition. The Silkies are my favorite exhibition breed and though I haven't shown in many years, I know how to breed and condition for showing and that is what is fun for me. I put on mock shows for young pullets and cockerels to help me decide which to keep in the breeding program. Sometimes you can't see some details in type until you get them side by side and still pictures to study carefully. This is my set up for mock shows. I can be a pretend judge and train them for show cages at the same time. As well as get them used to being handled. The larger table is new. There are two bantam cages on it with wire floor. The smaller table holds two LF cages. I use it to judge my Heritage RIR. The Silkies love to rest in the shade under the tables. This is how I was able to get a really good comparison on two of my big boys. The poster board in the back is a size grid. Helps me judge length and height at a glance. I wound up keeping both these cockerels. They get turns with the hen flock.

This is a remarkable idea! I like it a lot and may have to steal it from you. I put my competitors in cages side by side, but not at judging height or anything. They do get handled often when I am in the conditioning mode. Here is an example:

I have them on the ground so they can snack on grass. They seem to enjoy the special attention they get at these times. My breeders are my show stock and my show stock are my breeders. I eat the eggs, but I haven't butchered any of the silkies. My Seramas and my bantam Ameraucanas are both exhibition stock as well. I don't have any meat birds.