Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[NNYchick]

I am very new to the silkie world and am very interested into how you breed good crested well featherd footed silkies... I've been showing silkies for 3 years now and I breed black and blue bearded silkies i need some help in my breeding program to improve the quality of my silkies. I have 2 breeding pens with 1 black cockerel and one blue hen.. I know that's a really bad mix of variety because you will only receive blue colored chicks. Do you have any advice on what to do with that pen? I also have another pen with 3 hens and 1 cock they are all black. I also have a couple hens in not breeding at the moment wich is a Show quality paint pullet witch is laying and a decent quality lavender hen. Thanks so much for helping!

To improve on quality of crest or foot feathering. Do either the said rooster and hen have good crest or foot feathering? If so breed them together. Grow out the chicks for 8-12 months keep the ones with the best quality your aiming for. Put the best boy with the mother and the best pullets with the father. Keep careful records so you can see who produced what. On the home page there is an article on improving your flock that describes how to keep records and the above.

 

[NNYchick]

Here is a link to the article. There is a handful of articles on the home page and you don’t have to be a member to read the articles https://americansilkiebantamclub.org/pages/improving-the-quality-of-your-silkie-flock

 

[NNYchick]

So I have a question about breeding for blue and splash. I can not seem to find a blue cockerel I am happy with. If I find the lighter color (not so dark he looks black) I like he either has poor type or gold leakage. I am not willing to go backwards in type. The pullets so far at 4 months old are turning out decent but they came from cackle so I’m sure they will need help from the rooster on type. I am thinking I should use my black rooster with silver leakage over my splash pullets. He has good type and has given me some beautiful chicks. My hesitation is that I was told when I bought him as a chick he came from paint/black breeding pen. Does that matter if he is black? My plan is to keep his best son to use back to the splash.

 

[The Moonshiner]

As far as the black goes it doesn't matter if he is from a paint line.
Paint uses dominate white so if he isn't showing white he is just an ordinary black. No hidden white or other genes to worry about.
The only issue from paint lines is that dominate white was added sometime from a different breed so they usually don't have as outstanding type as black bred silkies usually have.
If his type is good and he throws chicks with good type you shouldn't have any worries.
My concern would be the leakage but seems you're well aware of that.

 

[bgill1215]

I'm not new to silkies. But new to the show world. And breeding to the standard. I'm assuming I would want to keep the colors seperated for breeding, correct? I purchased eggs from a show breeder (Copperfield silkies on Facebook) she also had her colors seperated. So if I do this then won't I be breeding siblings?? I have eggs from another breeder coming I. June. But those are blue Splash. That breeder said Colors Include: Blue Splash, dark blue and light blue.

 

[casportpony]

Hey you guys and gals, make sure you check out the Calendar contest thread!
2021 BYC Calendar - We Need Your Pictures!

 

[BuckeyeFoodie]

Sorry, I'm new here and didn't have the time to read 735 pages to see if this has been talked about before -

I have a really lovely Cuckoo girl I hatched out from purchased eggs, and I would love to exhibit her. My question is: genetically, cuckoo coloring inhibits the dark skin gene, and this girl has pink body, a light beak, and barred skin on her feet. Whether that can be bred out, I don't know. If it can not, does that mean that cuckoo will be an automatic DQ?

 

[Hambug]

My current pair of silkies, Betty and Ruth. I would love to hear what y'all think of them. Im relatively new to silkies and the SOP. I also had to include a pic of their baby that just hatched because its dang cute!