Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Yes.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Black won't provide "lacing" on a blue unless it happens to be carrying the lacing gene. Using black in a blue pen might increase the depth (darkness) of the blue and provide more black on the head/hackle. Hopefully, Sonoron will provide more information about how "lacing" works in blue Silkies.
On a silkie you will not see lacing as such, and even if you see a pattern, you really cannot tell quality lacing from poor lacing due to the shredded nature.of silkied feathers.

Lacing is not "a" gene. It is a combination of Pg, Ml and Co on an e^b or E^R base E^R lacing also requires Db. Although these are all dominant genes, if any are heterozygous rather than hom.ozygous, the lacing will not be correct. Pg and Ml are fairly closely linked, so they tend to inherit together. On a silkie I wouldn't even bother trying to get lacing in your blues; it is just not noticeable enough, and if the lacing is not correct may well assist in making the bird too dark. The blue gene itself will give darker male pattern areas to the boys and dark head and hackles to the girls. Breeding in Cha will increase the darkness of head and hackles.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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".

The only negatives I see are that his tail looks a bit pinched and his comb is lighter than I would prefer. But at 6 months he still has a ton f developing to do. That pinching may very well go away. Not likely to darken the comb though

My first thought at seeing the partridge I thought his tail was his breast and I was thinking "great colour! but something looks weird about the type."

 

[thedragonlady]

Okay so! At the hotel now, my birds were all judged. Nori got 1st and BV, Toulouse got 1st, but Ice I was a bit confused. She got 5th place, and written on her card was "Color" and two check marks. What does this mean??? She is a blue, but a lighter blue. The hen who was also a lighter blue also got written "color" but also was "very typey" and she got 3rd out of her group. and what do checkmarks mean? Some were "check-check- minus", "check-check-check", "check- minus", and "check-check"

By now I am sure everyone knows her, but here is her picture anyway



and this is the coop card

Read our standard and you will see that she is a self blue, not a blue. A Blue has a dark hackle and head.

 

[ChicksNherps]

Read our standard and you will see that she is a self blue, not a blue. A Blue has a dark hackle and head.

is that possible if she came from a bbs pen? how do you get self blue? I guess I will have to show her as self blue next time... no one ever told me she was a self blue

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Black won't provide "lacing" on a blue unless it happens to be carrying the lacing gene. Using black in a blue pen might increase the depth (darkness) of the blue and provide more black on the head/hackle. Hopefully, Sonoron will provide more information about how "lacing" works in blue Silkies.
On a silkie you will not see lacing as such, and even if you see a pattern, you really cannot tell quality lacing from poor lacing due to the shredded nature.of silkied feathers.

Lacing is not "a" gene. It is a combination of Pg, Ml and Co on an e^b or E^R base E^R lacing also requires Db. Although these are all dominant genes, if any are heterozygous rather than hom.ozygous, the lacing will not be correct. Pg and Ml are fairly closely linked, so they tend to inherit together. On a silkie I wouldn't even bother trying to get lacing in your blues; it is just not noticeable enough, and if the lacing is not correct may well assist in making the bird too dark. The blue gene itself will give darker male pattern areas to the boys and dark head and hackles to the girls. Breeding in Cha will increase the darkness of head and hackles.

Proper lacing (and black, for that matter) is tricky enough in a hard feathered Blue bird. I still have a TON of work to do with Silkies. I'm intriguiged by the idea of adding in Cha (charcoal, I believe).

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
"Self-blue" is the show name for lavender which requires two copies of the lav gene. Completely unrelated to anything from a B/B/S pen. A "Blue" is supposed to have a dark hackle and head but it doesn't always happen even with hard feathered birds. But that doesn't make it "self-blue".

 

[ChicksNherps]

"Self-blue" is the show name for lavender which requires two copies of the lav gene. Completely unrelated to anything from a B/B/S pen. A "Blue" is supposed to have a dark hackle and head but it doesn't always happen even with hard feathered birds. But that doesn't make it "self-blue".

but she does have a dark head and hackle.... now i'm just confuzzled

Do some judges just not like the lighter blue silkies? I didn't think she was THAT bad to have gotten last so I will have to ask him if he is still thee tomorrow. If not I will ask another judge their opinions. I just want to know what I need to do to get better.

 

[littlecritters]

On a silkie you will not see lacing as such, and even if you see a pattern, you really cannot tell quality lacing from poor lacing due to the shredded nature.of silkied feathers.

Lacing is not "a" gene.  It is a combination of Pg, Ml and Co on an e^b or E^R base  E^R lacing also requires Db.  Although these are all dominant genes, if any are heterozygous rather than hom.ozygous, the lacing will not be correct.  Pg and Ml are fairly closely linked, so they tend to inherit together.  On a silkie I wouldn't even bother trying to get lacing in your blues; it is just not noticeable enough, and if the lacing is not correct may well assist in making the bird too dark.  The blue gene itself will give darker male pattern areas to the boys and dark head and hackles to the girls.  Breeding in Cha will increase the darkness of head and hackles.

Thank you very much!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
There is SO much more to judging than just colour. In fact, colour is probably rather low on the list. Every judge has his or her own priorities. DO ask the judge for their opinion and make it clear that you really would like to learn so they feel free to give you an honest opinion but also, keep in mind, it is just THEIR opinion of the bird on that day. Next weekend, different day, different judge, might be a whole new ballgame.

I see the darker head and hackle on your bird. It definitely doesn't look like a "self-blue" (aka. lavender) to me. It's a blue bird. Blue is a tough colour. Don't take it personally. And keep learning!!!