Rooster duty?

[tallnysun]

I have 2 beautiful silkie roosters-Steve and Emmett. I also have 3 silkie pullets, 5 barred rock pullets, a red sex-link pullet and a black sex-link pullet. My question is........what happens when/if my silkie roosters fertilize the other eggs? Can you have a cross?? This is my first experience with roosters, so be kind!!

My girls are just starting to lay-we are getting 1-3 eggs daily. Now, I don't want little chicks until next spring, so I am not leaving them in the coop. Any suggestions/ideas/thoughts would be GREAT!!!
Thanks!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure I fully understand your question. Silkie's are usually small compared to the other breeds you mentioned, but the roosters will probably be able to mate with them. Chickens will breed with any other chicken they physically can. The breed does not matter. Size comes into play with some of them when there is an extreme difference, but bantams and full sized mate all the time.

I've heard that the Silkie feather gene is not dominant. Your first generation from the Silkie rooster/regular chicken hens will not have silkie feathers. If you cross that offspring back with a Silkie or if you cross the offspring, some will have the Silkie feather.

Hope that helps.

 

[tallnysun]

Alright-I did not know that you could cross breeds of chickens!!! Thanks for clearing that up...appreciate it!! Oh, and my silkie rooster is kinda big (for a silkie) and is about as big as my barred rocks, so, guess we'll have little mutts this spring!!!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

If your roo is as big as you BR it may already be a mixed breed bird. Do you have pictures?

 

[tallnysun]

Alright-I don't know how to attach a picture of my rooster...know how??
ps-SO sorry i've taken forever to get back to you with that picture!!!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Info. on posting pics:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=504

Also, you won't necessarily have chicks in the spring unless one of your hens goes broody and some never do. Although with silkies there's a good chance they will.

 

[tallnysun]

THANK YOU!!!

So, as a reply to Knock Kneed Hen's request for a picture of Steve, my silkie rooster, here he is...