Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[silkieloverz123]

CUTE! Are they both roos?
-SilkieLoverz123

 

[littlecritters]

CUTE! Are they both roos?
-SilkieLoverz123

Yes, we actually have two splash roos with similar wings and wing carriage, plus one black roo.

 

[silkieloverz123]

They are adorable!!
-SilkieLoverz123

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Most lavender/self blue breeders (all breeds, not just silkies) from all over the world recommend keeping them separate. A bird that is lav/lav and Bl/? looks more like blue or splash than like lavender, so what is the point of it carrying lavender? The phenotype is wrong for lavender, and I don't see any advantage to the blues. Indeed, lavender can bring in feathering issues.

I am just a bit confused with my birds right now lol.
The breeder sent me the wrong colors...
Here is the description of the birds:
One is a split lavender
One is a black lavender
One is a blue lavender
One is a split lavender blue.
So I guess they only have one copy of lavender, right?

 

[silkieloverz123]

Huh????????!!!!!!!! I am soooooooo confused!

-SilkieLoverz123

 

[daphers98]

Hi I'm in 4h and I have 3 silkies. This year when I showed my white silkie for showmanship she was really stubborn! I'm 14 and I was in a novice class because ethos was my first year, I ended up getting 1st but I would really like to keep moving up in classes! Do any of you have a suggestion of a good quality show hen that is friendly and good with being handled? I would really appreciate any knowledge you guys have!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Earlier I mentioned my partridge silky roo, about his comb getting bigger and bigger. Today I looked at it, again it does seem to be getting larger even more. Is that something I should be concerned with? I do not have the ability to take photos and put them on this forum. The size of it is about a quarter.. Also my husband was telling me that roosters and how the challenge humans. What you think about that?

Some do, but most silkies don't unless they think you are hurting their flock. I do like to see a rooster come running if I pick up a hen and she starts squawking--shows he knows his job. But he is supposed to see me and say, "Oh, that is our flock caretaker; silly hen didn't know what she was talking about."

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Split means one copy of a recessive gene. Can't see it, but know it is there from breeding records.

You cannot have a black lavender. (bl+/bl+ lav/lav) You can have black SPLIT to lavender (bl+/bl+ Lav+/lav), but black lavender is impossible. It means that the bird has two copies of lav, which means it IS lavender, and all black pigment is diluted to lavender.

Blue lavender (or lavender blue) would be Bl/bl+ lav/lav

Proper terminology of the last is blue split to lav. Bl/bl+ Lav+/lav

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Hi I'm in 4h and I have 3 silkies. This year when I showed my white silkie for showmanship she was really stubborn! I'm 14 and I was in a novice class because ethos was my first year, I ended up getting 1st but I would really like to keep moving up in classes! Do any of you have a suggestion of a good quality show hen that is friendly and good with being handled? I would really appreciate any knowledge you guys have!

You need to work with you bird and train it. However, not all birds make the best showmanship birds. I would say to get and work with several, and use whichever one responds best.

 

[stoopid]

X2. Alot of great birds just need to get used to being taken in and out of a show cage.
See if you can get ahold of one, or something similar, and work with her in and out of the cage.
When she gets more comfortable, she should relax a bit for you.
Good luck!