It was suggested by hipeatall (https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/24088/hipeatall) on the silkied Ameraucana thread ( https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/98335/whats-wrong-with-their-feathers/2110) that I start a new thread on these so that they aren't confused with the silkie-feathered Ameraucana. Of course, to start things out right, we *must* have pictures! F2 rooster: https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/image/view/album/6130103/id/4744047/sort/null F2 hens: https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/image/view/album/6130103/id/4743901/sort/null Chick wing: https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/image/view/album/6130103/id/4745809/sort/null
Cool! We have some green-egger silkie hens from DipsyDoodleDoo (Lisa), so you might see if she still has any to help with your project. Here is one of my hens with a bunch of babies she adopted last June: http://tinybirds-seramas.blogspot.com/2011/06/tale-of-blue-egger-silkie-mama.html
I think every breed should have a strain of blue laying chickens! Silkies are no exception! I want one
I will be working on that here on the farmstead over the next few years. The first project will be show type leghorns followed by phoenix and branching out from there. These sound like it will be a fun project, I know in AUS, many of their silkies lay blue eggs
More Pictures! It's been raining, so some of the chickens are bedraggled. Oh Two is the son of Oh One. The ladies have nice dark skin and legs. I'm choosing first for five toes, then for dark skin and silkie feathers, then for blue eggs. The culled roosters go to the auction and the culled hens go to Mom's laying pen. Silkie O, rooster = Oh One, and his Ladies Silkie O, rooster = Oh Two: Isabels and Porcelains, currently in with a buff Silkie roo and a partridge Silkie roo:
I love silkies, and I love Americana and EE egg colors, although I have none of the above. I've tried to convince my parents to let me get silkies (unsuccessfully) and a colored egg layer (also unsuccessful), Maybe one day I could offer both! This seems like an interesting project- I will follow the progress!
