Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[PaintedFeathers]

Ice has this feather on her foot that is stiff and very long, it makes her look like she's wearing an elf shoe

What can I do about it? It just looks rediculous!

 

[peepblessed]

Ok, I have finally read this thread from the beginning. Some beautiful birds and really interesting discussions.

One thing which has been mentioned a couple of times but not in depth is not to cross bearded and non-bearded Silkies.

I am just starting out with Silkies, and I have 3 Silkie hens (1 Buff non-bearded, 2 Blue bearded), 2 Silkie crosses hens (Blue Frizzle non-bearded and black/gold mix bearded) and one Silkie rooster. (Black Partridge, non-bearded) I want to use what I have to create blue partridge non-bearded. I have had no luck finding them, so I guess I will make some myself! I know I will have a mish-mash of colors when I cross the Black Partridge non-bearded rooster to the Buff non-bearded female - but what happens when I cross him to the Blue bearded female?

I won't be using my original blue Silkie to breed, after seeing the beautiful birds on this thread I can see how terrible she really looks. No crest, long back, terrible foot feathering - she will remain a pet (and given eggs to brood when she feels like it). She was a hatchery bird, but her friendliness and great broody and mothering skills made me want more silkies.

Basically my question is: what happens when you cross bearded to non-bearded silkies? I imagine it is very bad if you are trying to get bearded birds because it reduces the beard gene and you could loose it, but what if I want non-bearded birds? I know in EEs you can loose the beards completely, so can this be done with Silkies too without loosing the nice crests from the bearded ones? Is there anything else that I could mess up by crossing them?

Thanks for any help with this.

Though I have not done it, my understanding of crossing bearded and non-bearded results in skimp beard so breeding back to dad or mom should head you in the right direction. It shouldn't affect the crest but possibly the muffs (cheeks). The black based partridge to buff will likely result in red partridge or very smutty buff. Have you visited the silkie partridge thread. It might help you. Partridge to blue will likely get you black or blue carrying partridge and probably gold hackle leakage. A blue with gold leakage could be helpful in your program.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
Thank you, that was exactly the information I was looking for. My Buff and my Partridge are very close to type, both have larger crests than I have seen in some non-bearded pictures so I want to use them. I was hoping to keep the good crest from them both and not loose it when breeding to the bearded one.

I have read the whole Silkie partridge thread too and it has lots of bearded Partridge (over which I drooled for the colorings), but I didn't see many non-bearded ones. Actually, I don't remember one. I think the closest was some Showgirls.

The blue I have has an average crest, but I want to loose that beard and possibly up the crest using the better crested non-bearded rooster.

From the chicken calculator I understand the first crossing to the Buff would be all smutty buff. It would be crossing back to the partridge rooster when I could possibly get some partridges (12%), as well as a whole bunch of other colors. These would be black partridge unless that Buff carries blue by some really odd chance. I am hoping the crossing to the blue will give me a few skimpy bearded blue leakage girls to cross back to the dad for the possibility of blue partridge non bearded. All girls will probably go in with my pet silkie for playing momma, the roosters.. well I guess I will have to find out if they really taste like chicken. From these crosses I do not want any to get out into the general population unless they are strictly pets. I am mixing genetics here - and I don't want that to mess anybody else up.

I realize this might take a few years, but I love that color and I really like the alertness of the non-bearded ones. I went to a show recently and all the Silkies I saw were bearded. Some looked like pure fluff balls. That is a bit too much for me - I like to see their faces, they are really alert looking black skinned birds with pretty blue ears, when you can SEE them.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Ice has this feather on her foot that is stiff and very long, it makes her look like she's wearing an elf shoe

What can I do about it? It just looks rediculous!

Has this bird always had that feather? Or did it just recently grow in? It looks like one feather didn't get the memo that it was supposed to be silkied..

Somewhere back in this thread somebody suggested to pull out an odd hard feather in hopes that it would grow back silkied. I don't recall if it was on the feet though, that might be harder to pull out.

Do feather footed birds molt their foot feathers?

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Has this bird always had that feather? Or did it just recently grow in? It looks like one feather didn't get the memo that it was supposed to be silkied..

Somewhere back in this thread somebody suggested to pull out an odd hard feather in hopes that it would grow back silkied. I don't recall if it was on the feet though, that might be harder to pull out.

Do feather footed birds molt their foot feathers?

Yes they do, this one just grew in after the feather before it molted, her feet are unevenly fluffy from molting

. I have plucked hard feathers before, but the tails are much easier than the feet

I have yet to be able to pull a foot feather!

 

[Sanna]

Went out and got some pictures for you

Nori cooperated nicely, but anytime she would flap or squawk Toulouse would let out this god awful screech

He was very worried about her!

Nice feet!

Ice has this feather on her foot that is stiff and very long, it makes her look like she's wearing an elf shoe

What can I do about it? It just looks rediculous!

And that's a funny foot.

I wouldn't know what to do with a feather like that. Pluck it?

Yes they do, this one just grew in after the feather before it molted, her feet are unevenly fluffy from molting

. I have plucked hard feathers before, but the tails are much easier than the feet

I have yet to be able to pull a foot feather!

I haven't plucked any foot feathers either, but I'm going to have to if I plan on showing my Cochin cockerel. I am so NOT looking forward to this attempt.

I feel bad for my boy already.

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Nice feet!


And that's a funny foot.

I wouldn't know what to do with a feather like that. Pluck it?


I haven't plucked any foot feathers either, but I'm going to have to if I plan on showing my Cochin cockerel. I am so NOT looking forward to this attempt.

I feel bad for my boy already.

I was afraid to pluck ice's tail feathers, but once I did it I felt better about it. As long as you do it fast and hard they barely feel it. Just hold the base of the feather and pull up swiftly

 

[PaintedFeathers]

Here is a chick with excellent feet, this is my friend's white.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Absolutely agree.

THIS is duckfoot. His feet actually look better with him on his back and gravity kind of flattens them out:










Unfortuntely, this bird has it on both feet. Otherwise he would be a decent (for a project bird) chocolate tailed red.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Porcelain SHOULD breed true. If it does not, one of the parents is not porcelain.