Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[peepblessed]

Can we talk about blues?
Isabel, she is blue right? Is she too dark?

I would call her blue.

 

[littlecritters]

Can we talk about blues?
  Isabel, she is blue right?  Is she too dark?

In the bottom pic she looks blue to me.

Peep makes a good point about doing a test breeding. I had a respected breeder of pure black birds tell me that if i am unsure of whether a bird is black....I should breed it to a splash. If the hen is black, all the chicks will be blue. If the hen is actually a dark blue then the chicks will be 50% splash and 50% blue. Hope you had fun today!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I was told today that Isabel isn't blue, that she is black? I am a little confused as far as blues, she is a dark blue, but still a blue. I just don't know.
We came in 3 and 4th and boy did we just flat out get beat! Pretty stiff competition. It was a rainy and cold day, I did learn alot. I spoke with the judge afterwards and he did say all the the silkies, aside from the whites were on the larger side (not large as in heavy), their bodies were just wider and low to the ground. Apparently, he likes a smaller bodied bird. Maybe my peanut of a white will work out after all.

My blue, Isabel is on the left and Isadora is on the right.
Isadora, actually was beaten by a few crest feathers.

May I ask who was the judge? Silkies are supposed to be wide and low according to the standard. Weight IS size. Nothing else matters sizewise.

 

[Adoravachick]

May I ask who was the judge? Silkies are supposed to be wide and low according to the standard. Weight IS size. Nothing else matters sizewise.

Dwight Scott, he did give me some great information, but I did leaving feeling somewhat confused. He did tell me that he actually preferred the size and type of my Isabel, but her "black" coloring wasn't dark enough. She is on the smaller side, sleeker, more upright, and more compact than Isadora. They are both so different looking.
When I arrived at the show, I checked in and found my coops, one of the tags were marked incorrectly. Both were marked black instead of one blue and one black. I had someone come and check the tags and he commented "you should leave this one as black and show her as black, I'm a judge, and I wouldn't call that blue". He showed me the blues and their coloring looked like a light blue or dark lavender. The lighting wasn't the best, and I can say that my blue looked VERY dark under the lights. I didn't like that she was left mismarked as black and shown as black, I would have rather her been disqualified as a dark blue and marked correctly. I don't know, feeling pretty confused. Certainly not deflated, just confused.

The good news, my daughter was so happy that her birds were there at the show, but she was disappointed that we didn't win a ribbon. I had to tell her that her birds did very well because they behaved themselves and needed some practice to be good showbirds. She said "They might need more practice then." I need some practice too.

 

[Adoravachick]

In the bottom pic she looks blue to me.
Peep makes a good point about doing a test breeding. I had a respected breeder of pure black birds tell me that if i am unsure of whether a bird is black....I should breed it to a splash. If the hen is black, all the chicks will be blue. If the hen is actually a dark blue then the chicks will be 50% splash and 50% blue. Hope you had fun today!

I have a few of Isabels eggs in the incubator right now, due to hatch in the next couple days. I bred her to a blue roo though, so I guess that wouldn't help. I do have a little splash cockerel, he is still young though. I do have a couple of blue cockerels that are shaping up nicely. So Eli may be moving out. I am still looking for a SQ black roo and SQ black hen.

 

[aoxa]

I have a few of Isabels eggs in the incubator right now, due to hatch in the next couple days.  I bred her to a blue roo though, so I guess that wouldn't help.  I do have a little splash cockerel, he is still young though.  I do have a couple of blue cockerels that are shaping up nicely.  So Eli may be moving out.  I am still looking for a SQ black roo and SQ black hen.

She's blue, not black. Maybe it WAS the lighting that confused them? At our recent show, any birds that were close in type to another, they took it close to the door to see it under natural light to inspect for imperfections. Our judging lasted from 9 am - at least 4pm when I left. They still hadn't gone over the silkies.

There were 38 birds. Most white. My partridge won BV, but against Jamie Carson's whites, they had no chance lol. I did win Residential Continental with my mottled houdan male! There were many more in their class this show!

 

[aoxa]

My Phyllis (partridge) in show. I kind of rushed taking pictures. We were selling birds in the sale area as well, so it was distracting. I love that they have hand sanitizer right at the doors

 

[Adoravachick]

She's blue, not black. Maybe it WAS the lighting that confused them? At our recent show, any birds that were close in type to another, they took it close to the door to see it under natural light to inspect for imperfections. Our judging lasted from 9 am - at least 4pm when I left. They still hadn't gone over the silkies.
There were 38 birds. Most white. My partridge won BV, but against Jamie Carson's whites, they had no chance lol. I did win Residential Continental with my mottled houdan male! There were many more in their class this show!

It was a little frustrating because it was my first show and I certainly didn't see the need to make a big deal out of it my first time out. Honestly, I was a little surprised that the judge didn't question it and maybe say, HMMMM is this bird marked wrong. I do have to say, I did miss him judging the silkies. It was rainy and cold, so and I went to the car to warm up, and missed it. I was so upset with myself but I was so cold. In any case, I can't feel too hard on myself because my birds were judged with Kate Morreale's birds, which were STUNNING. The next time though, I will be bringing a few more birds. I wasn't sure about my young whites or my little splash pullets, but they would have done well. Maybe one of each color and see how they measure up.

I love phyllis, she is beautiful.

 

[ChicksNherps]

It was a little frustrating because it was my first show and I certainly didn't see the need to make a big deal out of it my first time out. Honestly, I was a little surprised that the judge didn't question it and maybe say, HMMMM is this bird marked wrong. I do have to say, I did miss him judging the silkies. It was rainy and cold, so and I went to the car to warm up, and missed it. I was so upset with myself but I was so cold. In any case, I can't feel too hard on myself because my birds were judged with Kate Morreale's birds, which were STUNNING. The next time though, I will be bringing a few more birds. I wasn't sure about my young whites or my little splash pullets, but they would have done well. Maybe one of each color and see how they measure up.

I love phyllis, she is beautiful.

I will be going to MY first show on the 14th, i'm really nervous! I don't even know if they got my entry form, I had to mail it and I don't think they send out a conformation. I also labeled one of my pullets as AOV "creamsicle" so I hope she doesn't get disqualified, I just didn't know how to put her down and this is how it was suggested. This show is also the more prestigious of the two they hold, the other one was at the deerfield fair this past weekend, this one coming up is all the big breeders so I don't know how my little girls will size up to those ones. ....

 

[chickendales]

Can we talk about blues?
Isabel, she is blue right? Is she too dark?

she blue