Self Blue (Lavender) Silkie Thread

[rilly10]

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Hmmmmm...very interesting. I wasn't sure how to explain it but figured someone would correct me if I was not right. I will have to try to find the article where I read that. The link was not the same article I was thinking of. I think I read it on the OEGB forum/club site. I must have been confused.

My birds deff have the "Fret marks" or "transverse lines" as I had been calling them. More so on the roos especially in the hackles and tail. None of mine are blue lav, all lav lav. They breed like lavs look like lavs, etc.


In Sigrid'sVan Dort's new silkie book, "Silkies and Silkie Bantams" on page 80 it says: "You can tell lavender apart from blue by the small transverse pigment stripes on the feathers. If they are not present, the bird is blue or a mix from blue and lavender but those are much lighter than a pure lavender."

Maybe we should go by that rather than the feather shafts when trying to distinguish blue lav from pure lavenders?

ETA: It is also mentioned with more pictures in Sigrid's other book "Genetics of Chicken Colours" on page 74 if anyone wants to look up the "transverse stripes" and have that book.

 

[brenTx]

Those lavender stripes in the feathers are not just associated with lavender silkies but the lavender gene. Mine are all truly lavender and some have them and some don't...well not at this point. I see it more on the older birds and the roos. You really need to take the birds out into the sunlight to see this.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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I'd like to reiterate that colour genes for silkies are no different than colour genes for all chickens. Due to the nature of silkie feathering, the appearance can be a bit different on silkied feathers (specifically in reference to patterns on individual feathers). Some people believe that genes work differently in silkies, and that simply is not correct. Indications in the down of specific genes occur not just in silkies, but in all breeds of chickens.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

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Wow, pity I can't bid for those! They are beautiful birds.
I have a little Silkie chick from my pot luck eggs that I think may be Lav. I'll have to get a pic in the morning and post it, it sure is cute!

 

[ultasol]

Mine aren't perfect yet, but the growouts from winter hatches are looking good and the splits I have are looking good,. I'm considering making some splits with blue in order to help lighten the lavender color- this was recommended to me by a breeder working with the lav gene in another breed (orpingtons, Korfus).

After the shows I think I am going to do just this.

 

[Smokin Silkies]

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I thought that was a HUGE no no to breed Blue into Lav??? It just screws up knowing which is which because of the very similiar color...?

 

[jen5680]

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I thought that was a HUGE no no to breed Blue into Lav??? It just screws up knowing which is which because of the very similiar color...?

X 2 !! ??

 

[ultasol]

If you take the blue split to lav and then breed them back to lav... not to another blue bird nor another blue lav split.. you would keep the lavs from that cross. If that is what it takes to get clearer lavs then I will give it a try.

 

[Smokin Silkies]

But then they wouldn't be 100% pure Lav? How would you know the difference? I don't mean any disrespect or anything but I'm just a little confused. I was just told to stay away from anything with other colors except Black to avoid confusion. In the end, if you use Blue...for whatever reason...you won't have 100% Pure Lav color.

 

[ultasol]

If the cock is lav, and the split is bluexlav,..

But regardless you should be able to tell once they are mature. Since I toe punch and will know which splashes carry lav and will be eliminated from the breeding program.