Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[Peeps4me]

Here are some more views of my 6 month old splash cockerel. I like him, and he has a wonderful personality, but I don't know if he is of a quality that I should use for breeding. This is so new to me.




This final picture shows my partridge cockerel that is the same age. It looks as if he is saying "why are you pointing that thing at our bums and not our handsome faces".

 

[heirloomorps]

Yes, the flash did wash him out. Photos just aren't accurate but you can see that the fluff is lighter than the outer feathering. I keep expecting to get a splash, but I'm not using him anymore as my better boy is doing his job (blue). I do have a blacker roo but didn't want to breed him to siblings and mom. I'm not sure I want to do a black pen. I just don't have room. I do have a totally awesome black pullet (really dark) but I'm using her in my self-blue pen right now. Here's her pic. Yes. Great! I want this book sooooo bad!!

If you don't want to do a black pen I'll take her!!! We are finding it so hard to find any decent quality blacks.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Hawkeye would you mind taking another picture of your black but this time under its belly or wings. Mine looks like the one you showed but when I looked under the belly and wings, it seemed lighter. However the dark blues I have look much more charcoal/ blue color.
When I read the SOP about the blue undercoat they mention " bluish slate" color and for the black they refer the undercoat as "dull black" color. To me those two colors are very similar. I am a bit confused here

Certainly! I can take another picture for you of her belly and under wings. I just got in and have a million things to do (which is why I'm on here procrastinating!!) LOL But tomorrow, I'll try to get it posted.

Thanks everyone for the great comments on my girl! By the way, she did come out of a BBS pen.

Then I need to have a chat with you!

Here are some more views of my 6 month old splash cockerel. I like him, and he has a wonderful personality, but I don't know if he is of a quality that I should use for breeding. This is so new to me.




This final picture shows my partridge cockerel that is the same age. It looks as if he is saying "why are you pointing that thing at our bums and not our handsome faces".

I like your splash boy. His comb looks like it's too red, so that would be a bit of an issue, but something you can certainly work with. Make sure you breed him to something that is very dark and perhaps you'll get the right color comb coming out of the offspring! His wings are dropped low, but if you could check to make sure his wings are fine-- no splits and they stack correctly, then even that can be worked with. I think he's a great potential boy. Have you checked his toes, eyes, and wings?? If he looks good in those areas, then I'd use him.

 

[Peeps4me]

I like your splash boy. His comb looks like it's too red, so that would be a bit of an issue, but something you can certainly work with. Make sure you breed him to something that is very dark and perhaps you'll get the right color comb coming out of the offspring! His wings are dropped low, but if you could check to make sure his wings are fine-- no splits and they stack correctly, then even that can be worked with. I think he's a great potential boy. Have you checked his toes, eyes, and wings?? If he looks good in those areas, then I'd use him.

Thanks Hawkeye for your input. I really appreciate it. His wings aren't split and his toe spacing and nails are perfect. What do I need to check concerning eyes? I know they are bright, clear and dark but what else should I look for? I only have 3 pullets, one is black, one gray and one partridge. Should I breed him to the black when the time is right? She is very dark and I think typy. His egg came from a BBS pen and hers from a Blk pen. There is so much to learn!

 

[peepblessed]

If you don't want to do a black pen I'll take her!!!

We are finding it so hard to find any decent quality blacks.

I do plan to breed her to my other black roo when I have all the black/lav splits I want. But just don't have a big pen for a real breeding program. Thanks for the great compliment!

Certainly! I can take another picture for you of her belly and under wings. I just got in and have a million things to do (which is why I'm on here procrastinating!!) LOL But tomorrow, I'll try to get it posted.


Then I need to have a chat with you!

Yes, we need a chat!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Thanks Hawkeye for your input. I really appreciate it. His wings aren't split and his toe spacing and nails are perfect. What do I need to check concerning eyes? I know they are bright, clear and dark but what else should I look for? I only have 3 pullets, one is black, one gray and one partridge. Should I breed him to the black when the time is right? She is very dark and I think typy. His egg came from a BBS pen and hers from a Blk pen. There is so much to learn!

Because of his red comb, sometimes you can have lighter eyes. If his eyes are nice and dark and round, then he's good to go! Really he's a pretty good looking boy, I don't think you have much to worry about. He has some faults, but with careful breeding, you can offset those! Yeah, he needs to go with either a blue or splash. But you can use black, too. You'll just get blues, is all. (if she throws some splash babies, then you know she's not a true black) But likely she is, since you know she came out of a black X black pen-- which means all blue babies. Blue X Splash will then give you BOTH blues and splash, so you'll get more colors. I wouldn't bother to breed him with grey or partridge, there just isn't any point in it. If grey and partridge is something you want to get into, I'd get a counterpart for them in the same color so you can work with them. Since this is a breeding and genetics thread, no one is going to be enthusiastic about anyone just mixing up colors.

I really do think you have a good start here. The only down side that might happen is that your all-blues could be VERY dark and look close to black. But those blues make the best birds to bring back color into a diluted splash, so they are worth something too.

okay-- I really need to get off here and get back at it! LOL

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Certainly! I can take another picture for you of her belly and under wings. I just got in and have a million things to do (which is why I'm on here procrastinating!!) LOL But tomorrow, I'll try to get it posted.

I gave a bath to my blue and supposed black and i could see the difference. I took some pictures of the black, let's see if you think the undercoat is black enough

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Yes, the flash did wash him out. Photos just aren't accurate but you can see that the fluff is lighter than the outer feathering. I keep expecting to get a splash, but I'm not using him anymore as my better boy is doing his job (blue). I do have a blacker roo but didn't want to breed him to siblings and mom. I'm not sure I want to do a black pen. I just don't have room. I do have a totally awesome black pullet (really dark) but I'm using her in my self-blue pen right now. Here's her pic.


Yes.
Great!
I want this book sooooo bad!!

She is so gorgeous! And coming from a BBS, wow she is stunning!

 

[peepblessed]

She is so gorgeous! And coming from a BBS, wow she is stunning!

Thank you! And thanks also to Catdance Silkies where I got the eggs!

 

[Peeps4me]

Because of his red comb, sometimes you can have lighter eyes. If his eyes are nice and dark and round, then he's good to go! Really he's a pretty good looking boy, I don't think you have much to worry about. He has some faults, but with careful breeding, you can offset those! Yeah, he needs to go with either a blue or splash. But you can use black, too. You'll just get blues, is all. (if she throws some splash babies, then you know she's not a true black) But likely she is, since you know she came out of a black X black pen-- which means all blue babies. Blue X Splash will then give you BOTH blues and splash, so you'll get more colors. I wouldn't bother to breed him with grey or partridge, there just isn't any point in it. If grey and partridge is something you want to get into, I'd get a counterpart for them in the same color so you can work with them. Since this is a breeding and genetics thread, no one is going to be enthusiastic about anyone just mixing up colors.

I really do think you have a good start here. The only down side that might happen is that your all-blues could be VERY dark and look close to black. But those blues make the best birds to bring back color into a diluted splash, so they are worth something too.

This is wonderful information and I sure do appreciate it all. I will look for a couple very nice quality blue or splash girls for my boy. I don't just want to breed indiscriminately so no I won't breed him to my other two girls. I do have a partridge cockerel that I could breed with my partridge pullet. I have enough room so I can keep them in separate breeding pens. Thanks again!