Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: All blacks can throw a blue IFF they are bred to a blue or splash bird

, but it is the blue or splash that brings in the gene.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: Hmm... I did not know that he opted for E^R over an E base. I don't think Silkies have had the E base before - I have only recently been seeing E based Silkie chicks - and my Silkies attacked the only E based chick I put in with them - they saw it as foreign and a threat.

Ooooh - now THAT is RED! Had to go out to a different breed to get it, but you got it - and that is really pretty.

So do the European Red Silkies imported have Mahogany? Is that where it can come from?

I have been really really REALLY tempted to put my PWB girl in for a breeding with my Partridge Silkies. It would take years to remove what she brings in (yellow skin, etc) but If I can't find the proper Mahogany in Silkies...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Here is what European reds look like: http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/10E03A15.pdf The red silkies are on page 2. I recently saw some darker buffs that I was old were European reds. Sigh...They might have had it in their background, but THEY certainly weren't.

Flaime was not really an attempt to bring in red, he was a Jr Hi school hatching project--the kids paired birds and predicted outcomes, then they hatched and saw what they actually got. At least that is how my friend described it to me. But I saw his stunning colours, and when my friend said "what should I do with him? cull him?" I said "NO!"

 

[ChickNmamma]

Here is what European reds look like: http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/10E03A15.pdf The red silkies are on page 2. I recently saw some darker buffs that I was old were European reds. Sigh...They might have had it in their background, but THEY certainly weren't.

Flaime was not really an attempt to bring in red, he was a Jr Hi school hatching project--the kids paired birds and predicted outcomes, then they hatched and saw what they actually got. At least that is how my friend described it to me. But I saw his stunning colours, and when my friend said "what should I do with him? cull him?" I said "NO!"

Oh wow - that is an amazing red. Really Heritage RIR RED! The dark buffs were in the US, right? Back to the same old - if it looks close call it that

Well I am glad you saved him, he has amazing colors. He certainly added to your nice dark Partridges. I have Silver/Golden Phoenix, but they don't have that red.. so it must have been a fluke - a GOOD fluke! I wonder if they were even close on their predictions...

This is what my Partridge rooster carries - on a smooth feathered daughter. Its what I suspect our Partridges REALLY look like with regular feathers:

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I'm not sure if I ever saw the phoenix parent. I did see at least one of her phoenix, and they didn't have that red either. And yes, I suspect that you are correct on the partridge pattern.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:

... Well I didn't think it would be easy, but I didn't realize we were that far OFF.....

That is the mixed up genetics found on Easter Eggers and other cross color/cross bred mutts. Mixed bases and a mixed geneics stewpot. Straightening that out will take real dedication. Good thing I love my Silkies!

Perhaps just getting darker patterns would work - richer colors - find some Mahogany somewhere and turn that gold to red, get rid of whatever is diluting and bleaching out the color ... ignore the fact that they have lacing, shafting, mossy and incomplete patterns... You cant see it on the Silkie feathers anyways... sigh....

 

[emvickrey]

Hmm... I did not know that he opted for E^R over an E base. I don't think Silkies have had the E base before - I have only recently been seeing E based Silkie chicks - and my Silkies attacked the only E based chick I put in with them - they saw it as foreign and a threat.

Ooooh - now THAT is RED! Had to go out to a different breed to get it, but you got it - and that is really pretty.

So do the European Red Silkies imported have Mahogany? Is that where it can come from?

I have been really really REALLY tempted to put my PWB girl in for a breeding with my Partridge Silkies. It would take years to remove what she brings in (yellow skin, etc) but If I can't find the proper Mahogany in Silkies...

I got this guy one year. He started out looking like the one chicknmomma posted when he was a chick and this is him at 4 months old. He came from my sizzle pen and I'm pretty sure his mother was a blue sizzle that was frizzled, he is smooth. The roo that was in the pen was a calico. This is about as close as red as I have ever gotten. I would love to create red sizzles but with my flock it would be hard to match up the right pair. The only hen I have that is even close to having any red is a partridge hen. I don't have any buffs. I do have a porcelain silkie roo. I have a customer that wants a red sizzle or that has red in it. Any suggestion as to what colors to put together to do this I don't have any red birds, No RIR's. I just have black orps, silkies and sizzles. I have a few partridge frizzled silkie chicks i'm growing out and do plan to keep depending on appearance.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:

... Well I didn't think it would be easy, but I didn't realize we were that far OFF.....

That is the mixed up genetics found on Easter Eggers and other cross color/cross bred mutts. Mixed bases and a mixed geneics stewpot. Straightening that out will take real dedication. Good thing I love my Silkies!

Perhaps just getting darker patterns would work - richer colors - find some Mahogany somewhere and turn that gold to red, get rid of whatever is diluting and bleaching out the color ... ignore the fact that they have lacing, shafting, mossy and incomplete patterns... You cant see it on the Silkie feathers anyways... sigh....
I've seen properly penciled sizzles. Breeding them back into the partridge silkies should help with the pattern.

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote: He is a very pretty boy.

I don't know if you can get to Red from what you have, but you have a darker red than most. Your boy is actually closer to what proper Partridge coloring is - if you could change that Gold into Red and stick a Pattern gene in there. I would pair him with the Partridges, and keep the ones with darkest reds. You won't be able to get completely Red as is correct for Red Silkies, but you will get some very pretty birds. I think the correct Red base is not the same as Partridge? You need Wheaten with Mahogany, Columbian and Blacktail. No clue where you would find that in Silkies - although the base is found in Buffs - which is probably why so many people call Dark Buffs "Red". But to really be "Red" you need to get rid of the Dilute gene and make sure you have Mahogany....

It would be so nice to have puzzle genetics we could just plug into an egg to add the genes we wanted - or even to be able to test and SEE if the chickens we have carry the correct genes. Still waiting for that portable chicken genetics color testing kit - $99.99 Limited Time Offer - call NOW, Operators are Standing By!

 

[Jharper]

Do y'all think she's lost her eye?