Project: Silkied EE

[NagemTX]

That’s true - any other combo will only yield 50% chance of blue eggs I should probably do that and then test and keep birds that both have blue egg genes. However that will take the birds more towards the ameraucana bantam side, and not silkie. But maybe I should give it a try. If this black cockerel matures first, even though I don’t really need him, maybe I should just let him breed when he starts and hatch out those babies and only keep the very best ones.

You would then do your silkie roosters over the F2s to bring it back to the silkie body type. There will be many many crosses and cross backs to set what you want.

 

[Slothinc]

You would then do your silkie roosters over the F2s to bring it back to the silkie body type. There will be many many crosses and cross backs to set what you want.

Thanks so much - as you can tell, this is my first breeding project, so I am having a hard time grasping the best course of action. You have been so helpful!!!

 

[Delphene]

To cute!

 

[Cluck Cluck Farmer]

Thanks so much - as you can tell, this is my first breeding project, so I am having a hard time grasping the best course of action. You have been so helpful!!!

They are ALL beautiful... Especially the Frizzled! And thanks for all the photos, information and updates!
I was wondering if the Silkie x Bantam Ameraucana offspring's size is Silkie size, or more like the Bantam Am?
Also, are the mixed offspring's eggs Silkie or Bantam Am size?

 

[Slothinc]

They are ALL beautiful... Especially the Frizzled! And thanks for all the photos, information and updates!
I was wondering if the Silkie x Bantam Ameraucana offspring's size is Silkie size, or more like the Bantam Am?
Also, are the mixed offspring's eggs Silkie or Bantam Am size?

So far, the first gen crosses are closer to Am Bantam size and shape (which is smaller than a silkie), and the eggs are also smaller. I do have one boy though and he is quite large. I think he is at least the size of a silkie roo, or very close. But all the rest are girls and they are very petite.

However in the next generation bred back to silkies, I feel like they are starting to gain a little size back. I don’t think I have a second gen bird laying eggs yet but I will soon! I will post a couple of random recent pictures just for fun.

 

[Slothinc]

Okay, so I recently gave away my two cockerels. In my current living position, I have a hard time keeping them for very long. This will change, hopefully this year as we are building a house. But at the moment I don’t get to keep the boys for too long. So I put some eggs in the incubator that were fertilized by these boys.

Most of the eggs I put in were from the paint silkied boy. Regrettably, I never did the blue egg test for him, so I don’t know if he had the ability to pass that gene on (there was a 50/50 chance that he inherited that gene.) There was also a 50/50 chance that he inherited lavender, and I am almost certain that he did inherit that gene.

There were also a couple of eggs fertilized by the lavender F1 boy who does carry one copy of blue egg.

I ended up with an overwhelming number of paint chicks - in black, blue and lavender varieties, plus dominant whites, recessive whites, blacks, dark blue, and a few lavender chicks. Some of the chicks were hatched from pure silkies, and covered by the paint cockerel, they would be 7/8 silkie. They are super fluffy and look full silkie for the most part. It will be a waiting game to see how these babies grow out and if they lay different colored eggs.

The pullets hatched in Dec/Jan are just starting to lay, and today I found 4 blue/green pullet eggs!! So exciting! Of the 10 pullets I kept, 2 are silkies (and will lay a tan egg), 4 are F1 chicks that will lay a blue egg, and 4 are mixes that have a 50/50 chance of laying a blue egg. I know the project is a bit of a mess right now, but I am really enjoying it, and loving all of these blue/green pullet eggs! Attaching photo of the 4 eggs I found today and a few of the chicks that have hatched out in the past couple of weeks.

 

[Delphene]

To cute! Those cheeks are already so adorable!!!

 

[Slothinc]

To cute! Those cheeks are already so adorable!!!

Thank you so much!!! just found more pullet eggs and one is tan! Lol I really need to be watching closer so I can figure out who is laying which one!

 

[Slothinc]

An update! I kept 2 pullets that were F2 (3/4 silkie, 1/4 ameraucana bantam) from my hatch 6 months ago, and the first one started laying a couple weeks ago. Her name is Frenchie and she is darling but sadly, she lays a tan egg. The second one is Comet, and she just started laying a beautiful blue egg!!!! So she is 3/4 silkie and has one blue egg gene. That means that I can breed her to a silkie boy and each chick will be 7/8 silkie and have 50/50 chance at having the blue egg gene! Kind of exciting!

Comet’s egg is on the left in the pic of 3 eggs - it is a beautiful shade of blue!

 

[Slothinc]

Okay all! I just completed a hatch and got some fun chicks! I found out that my F2 white satin girl, Frenchie, carries both lavender and mottle (but not blue egg sadly.) I got several chicks that I will test for blue egg gene and keep if they carry it. And I lost my lavender silkie pullet so I have no hope for pure lavender silkies any time soon, however, some of the chicks are close to resembling lavender silkies right now - they are 7/8 silkie. (Of course some of those are Frenchie babies so they won’t carry blue egg.. but hopefully I can incorporate blue egg back in for them.) Here are a few pics of my keeper chicks.