Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[Sonoran Silkies]

I understand that there are just six APA recognized colors - black, white, blue, partridge, buff, and gray. A few questions on this:

Since Splash is a natural part of breeding blues, can splash be shown as an official color? Are they listed as blue or splash? If so, then why does the APA not include a description for splash?

Why does it seem like gray are so much less common than the other 5 colors? Are they harder to breed? Harder to find? Or just less desirable for some reason?

Thank you

Splash is recognized by both APA and ABA, and is listed in the standard (f you have an older edition, it might not be included).

There are eight APA recognized colours:
Bearded and non-bearded in
1) white
2) black
3) blue
4) partridge
5) grey
6) buff
and bearded in
7) splash
8) self-blue
for a total of 14 recognized varieties.

ABA recognizes all these 8 colours in both bearded and non-bearded, as well as bearded white naked necks (showgirls), for a total of 17 recognized varieties.

Popularity of different varieties comes and goes. Greys seem to be on the upswing, but just a few years ago were very difficult to find. I've seen partridge come from being fairly uncommon to popular and now seems to be waning in popularity. Buffs have come and gone. Self-blues have come and gone. Who knows which of hte currently recognized varieties will be on the upswing or downswing in five years? Whites and blacks will probably remain popular.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Go to the standard and read the standard for greys; note the differences between the standard for males and females. Then look up the standard for silver penciled (the proper name for what we often call silver partridge), and compare it to the standard for greys.

 

[thedragonlady]

Go to the standard and read the standard for greys; note the differences between the standard for males and females. Then look up the standard for silver penciled (the proper name for what we often call silver partridge), and compare it to the standard for greys.

One caution in looking up Grey color in Silkies in the ABA Standard. Make sure it says for Silkies. Grey Silkies are a different color than other breeds who are called Grey in color;.

 

[flocknfoal]

Go to the standard and read the standard for greys; note the differences between the standard for males and females. Then look up the standard for silver penciled (the proper name for what we often call silver partridge), and compare it to the standard for greys.

One caution in looking up Grey color in Silkies in the ABA Standard. Make sure it says for Silkies. Grey Silkies are a different color than other breeds who are called Grey in color;.

Sadly, I don't have a copy of the APA or ABA standards yet. I've been looking for a used copy in good condition, so I've only read the portions that I've found online. It's kind of expensive, so I was thinking of asking for it for mother's day or something.

Also, it seems like the standard for a lot of colors is at least slightly different between breeds (maybe I'm wrong on this?). Is there a specific breed that has grays and silver penciled where the specific descriptions listed would be relevant to how the differences would appear in Silkies?

I've read the ABA standard for gray (chinchilla gray, light gray with dark gray streaks, etc.). On the ABA site I've searched silver penciled and found only a couple of articles but nothing that helps me understand the difference between a Silkie that would meet the ABA standard for gray or on that someone might call "silver penciled" or whether a silver penciled silkie or silver partridge silkie could be shown as "gray", etc.

Anyhow, it's not really a big deal at the moment. I don't have any gray or silver penciled silkies that I'm currently trying to evaluate for a breeding program.

 

[flocknfoal]

Splash is recognized by both APA and ABA, and is listed in the standard (f you have an older edition, it might not be included).

There are eight APA recognized colours:
Bearded and non-bearded in
1) white
2) black
3) blue
4) partridge
5) grey
6) buff
and bearded in
7) splash
8) self-blue
for a total of 14 recognized varieties.

ABA recognizes all these 8 colours in both bearded and non-bearded, as well as bearded white naked necks (showgirls), for a total of 17 recognized varieties.

Popularity of different varieties comes and goes. Greys seem to be on the upswing, but just a few years ago were very difficult to find. I've seen partridge come from being fairly uncommon to popular and now seems to be waning in popularity. Buffs have come and gone. Self-blues have come and gone. Who knows which of hte currently recognized varieties will be on the upswing or downswing in five years? Whites and blacks will probably remain popular.

The idea of a particular colors gaining and declining in popularity hadn't really occurred to me. Makes sense though. Thanks.

 

[flocknfoal]

Can you tell anything about the quality of a Silkie based on the shape of the chick's body? I have a bunch of hatchery silkie chicks, and two white silkie chicks that are from a local breeder that does well in local shows. The two chicks from the SQ lines are so much rounder. They're so roundish they look like dandelion fluff balls with feet. My lavender chicks are much rounder too. The hatchery chicks are more oval shaped. Thoughts?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: The Bantam Standard is relatively inexpensive; unless you also have large fowl or waterfowl (other than bantam ducks), the Bantam Standard is all you really need. My 2011 edition is on loan, and the 2005 edition developed legs and walked *somewhere*, so I can't look up exactly, but the only other grey I recall for chickens is in dorkings? I will edit when the wayward standards find their way home.

 

[daphneysmamma]

totally new to silkies !! I just have my one hen that I am not sure im going to breed .. still researching and waiting out her feather issue to resolve ( I think she is molting idk) but I go to look at a black rooster tomorrow .. is there anything particular I should look for or definitely stay clear of for a dad to my future chicks ? I want him to breed quality chicks .. hes around 6 months just starting to crow if that helps at all

 

[flocknfoal]

I have a gray roo from quality lines and I think he has pretty good type but he has serious red leakage. Does that mean his offspring will (more than likely) have red leakage or could he produce a gray that has good show quality color?

 

[groundpecker]

I have a gray roo from quality lines and I think he has pretty good type but he has serious red leakage. Does that mean his offspring will (more than likely) have red leakage or could he produce a gray that has good show quality color?

Without going into a deep genetics debate. From my experience,"others may have their own opinion". i would not breed this roo if the leakage is serious as you say. depending on the hen(s) bred with him, they might produce offspring with or without the leakage. Breed him to one hen at a time and see what they produce, cull any offspring that have any sign of the leakage. I would not include that roo in my breeding program again. Breed the original hen to one of her best sons " no leakage at all" and see what happens. Keep on breeding the birds that show no sign of leakage, try to avoid brother/sister matings.