Self Blue (Lavender) Silkie Thread

[jen5680]

Quote:
Oh I only wish that I could be in the yard, without a shovel that is!!!
I can't wait to see him in person!! I mean in bird!! LOL!!
Come on temps!! Warm up a little!!!!!!
He is soooooooo pretty!!!!

 

[Darling Farms]

Wonderful Picture Jen!

Every once in a while we talk about moving a little further up north. Thanks for the reminder of why we are in Florida!

Ill show the picture to all of the silkies (except yours) and they will be grateful too! OUTSIDE IN THE GRASS ALL YEAR LONG! Hurray!

He will be so happy with you and your family... despite the cold. He is such a neat bird... so calm. The girl is such a NUT! Talk. Talk. Talk. Talk. Talk.

~Darling Farms

 

[Gordonhillfarm]

LOMAO !!!! Jen your snowman is awsome ! I'm in maine and can relate right now . Love
The. silkie pics tooooooo.

 

[Michele_Lynd]

Boy I just Love the pic's of the Silkies

 

[jen5680]

Quote:
Is my girl one of those in your picture???? They are all so pretty! I love the nice even color in your birds.
It was almost 5 out this morning! I did the chores really fast!
Oh I want to see some of the beautiful green grass sooooo bad!
So this morning I had a lav chick hatch and it looks black?? This is a first for me with lav to lav breeding.
Is this common??

 

[Darling Farms]

I think she is the 'poof' behind the other girls!

Our color has it's uneven issues. That is one thing that we have selected for this year. After careful marking we can tell now at hatch which ones will have a more even color and select from there.

The lavender to split black crosses have a greater % of smooth colored chicks... but its a 'take one loose the other' issue at this point. There is still such a varying level of quality!

I think that with any quality breeding program you can expect to get 10% AMAZING birds. Even from 'perfect' birds. I think with the lavenders at this point (when breeding lav/lav) the percentage is a little less.

At least that's what we are experiencing here at our farm. But this is a new color in silkies and I think IS TO BE EXPECTED!

In talking with experienced breeders this is normal for the first ten years or so! I love talking with older 'BREEDERS' of established breeds. It really puts things in perspective and changes my ideas of long term breeding goals.

We haven't gotten 'black' from our lav/lav... but we have gotten 'grey' (could have looked a bit black at hatch... I have a picture around somewhere), 'white' and 'something-of-another's'. We ONLY have a lavender rooster and these have come from LAVENDER hens. At first we thought that we must have made an egg mistake or were going crazy! But we tried it again and made sure there were NO errors... same result! Again, I think that it will just take some time and PATIENCE to work with this color. In for the LONG haul!

How fun

~ Darling Farms

 

[rilly10]

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What beautiful birds! I also love the beautiful green grass!!! LOL maybe someday we can see green grass again! SOOOO sick of the snow. BRRRRRRR!

 

[jen5680]

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Good to know!! The more this little one dries it doesn't look black anymore. I can't wait to see what it looks like.
It may be a gray one???

 

[TinyBirds]

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I think we dropped the ball at the show. We have to usually remind the judge to pick Champion AOV for the club. I think Deb and I were a bit worn down and didn't do a lot other than what we had to. LOL They do take ALL the AOV and lump them and pick from the BV of each variety. Some judges just don't understand silkie folks.

I had never seen that judge before and when he lit up a cigaret I was shocked! You'd think that would be a fire hazard too?

It was really a treat to meet so many in the flesh! Y'all probably know I have it all mixed up again now that I am back and just looking at your ids here. I can say, it won't happen again any time soon. Going in and out of 6 states was a bit much for all of us...birds included!

THANKS go out to all who supported the lavenders...shhhhh self blue, by breeding/showing or just giving us your well wishes as we have worked on this. One more show and hopefully we will have them IN!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/39064_100_1384.jpg

Here we are the first night getting our break for feed and water.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/39064_100_1388.jpg https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/39064_100_1383.jpg

I'm only on page 204 with my reading so far, but I just HAVE to point out on Bren's picture above, that when I first glanced at the pic and saw the white silkie, it looked like it had a black head! (like a black crested white polish)!!! Now I want to get that color! (imagine it w/ a naked neck option too)

 

[RioLindoAz]

One day, I'll be just as good photographers as some of you guys are...

One day...