Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[thedragonlady]

Thanks. So you think the silver gene in a white doesn't necessarily have anything to do with whether or not they brass out? This is confusing! My white cock is silver based (if that is proper terminology) and even has some silver leakage and he has no brassing. But the white hen that my silver gened chicks came from has brassy hackles right now.

JUst keep the Silver chicks, and you are on your way.

 

[Caitlin_VT]

I have a pullet that has only 4 toes on one foot, but 5 on the other. If bred to a cockerel with "normal" feet, could I expect chicks with the expected number of toes? I thought that I read somewhere earlier in this thread that a bird with only one foot lacking a toe is sometimes due to incubation problems, not necessarily genetics. What do you think of her overall otherwise? I know her tail isn't perfect. Thanks!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Gold and wheaten are not mutually exclusive. Gold is a ground colour, not a base colour. Buff can be either e^b (brown, aka asiatic partridge) or E^Wh (wheaten) based. Buff is also gold (s+), as compared with silver (S). Salmon (as in faverolles) is genetically silver wheaten. There are some other dilution genes that go into making buff. Wheaten buffs tend to have lighter skin (lighter skin and combs on silkies), but clearer plumage colouring. Asiatic partridge buffs have correct skin and combs, but tend to have too much smut, and a darker undercolour. Buff orpingtons have been around for a very long time. Buff silkies are comparatively new; some day we'll consistently get properly coloured buff silkies. There are some very nice ones out there, but far too many that have a lot of faults that are being bred.

White silkies were used to set the type in most of the coloured varieties. That can be tricky because under the white they can be all over the place genetically, and you really only know what is there by breeding to a non-white and seeing what comes out.

Here is an interesting paper on buff: http://chickencolours.com/Genetics of Buff Brum&Holl.pdf

And you muddle along QUITE well, Dragon Lady!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I think there is more involved that just silver, although I think silver probably HELPS. My first grey hen stayed grey for most of her first year, then turned brassy: to almost look partridge. With a new molt she looked like a nice clean grey....and then in a shorter time turned brassy...and every year she stays clean less and less time...even if I keep her completely out of the sun. Last time I checked, she stays a clean grey about two weeks after her molt is complete.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I have a pullet that has only 4 toes on one foot, but 5 on the other. If bred to a cockerel with "normal" feet, could I expect chicks with the expected number of toes? I thought that I read somewhere earlier in this thread that a bird with only one foot lacking a toe is sometimes due to incubation problems, not necessarily genetics. What do you think of her overall otherwise? I know her tail isn't perfect. Thanks!

Five toes on either foot show that the genetics are present. You can also get four toes on each fot and have the genetics present. Polydactyly has a very wide range of expression, and low temperatures furing the first few days of incubation can prevent the fifth toes from expresing.

 

[Caitlin_VT]

Five toes on either foot show that the genetics are present. You can also get four toes on each fot and have the genetics present. Polydactyly has a very wide range of expression, and low temperatures furing the first few days of incubation can prevent the fifth toes from expresing.

Thanks!

 

[thedragonlady]

I have a pullet that has only 4 toes on one foot, but 5 on the other. If bred to a cockerel with "normal" feet, could I expect chicks with the expected number of toes? I thought that I read somewhere earlier in this thread that a bird with only one foot lacking a toe is sometimes due to incubation problems, not necessarily genetics. What do you think of her overall otherwise? I know her tail isn't perfect. Thanks!

She has nice type, but she has serious red leakage over her blue.

 

[Jharper]

She has nice type, but she has serious red leakage over her blue.

I think she's pretty!

 

[Caitlin_VT]

I think she's pretty!

Thank you!

She has nice type, but she has serious red leakage over her blue.

Thanks! Does anyone have a picture of a blue partridge without the red leakage? Or one that has good coloring?

 

[thedragonlady]

Thank you!


Thanks! Does anyone have a picture of a blue partridge without the red leakage? Or one that has good coloring?

The problem is that she is NOT a blue Partridge. A Blue Partridge would have blue partridge markings on all her feathers. She is a very nice,typey, Blue, with red leakage. You need to get a Standard to see the color patterns.