Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[kabhyper1]

She is a mix. I bought some "silkies" from a local seller and they feathered out like this... I think they were mixed with polish, is what she said after I wrote her to tell her there were in fact not pure silkies!

She's from a chocolate project line from the breeder I got her from. She's something like 3 or 4 generations down from a choc orp/silkie breeding to start getting the color in. Her mom was 1 of six hatched in her brood. 3 smooth 3 silkied, 3 males 3 females, 3 chocolate 3 black. This little one is the first from her mother, so the first of the 4th generation I believe. Her father is a very lovely black silkie roo and her mother is everything silkie, except for the smooth feathering chocolate coloring. She is also the first one born half silkied half smooth. If she is a male she is split to chocolate, so he will produce chocolate offspring, female is just black since she would only carry a single gene.

Also the little stinker has decided it's more fun to use the out of the brooder bathroom. She is really funny.

 

[nayeli]

She's from a chocolate project line from the breeder I got her from. She's something like 3 or 4 generations down from a choc orp/silkie breeding to start getting the color in. Her mom was 1 of six hatched in her brood. 3 smooth 3 silkied, 3 males 3 females, 3 chocolate 3 black. This little one is the first from her mother, so the first of the 4th generation I believe. Her father is a very lovely black silkie roo and her mother is everything silkie, except for the smooth feathering chocolate coloring. She is also the first one born half silkied half smooth. If she is a male she is split to chocolate, so he will produce chocolate offspring, female is just black since she would only carry a single gene.

Also the little stinker has decided it's more fun to use the out of the brooder bathroom. She is really funny.

I hate it when they do that. Mine are really bad about jumping out now that they are getting older, than they will poop on the floor (smh)

 

[khawks]

On the topic of all these colors, could someone tell me what colors are able to be shown? I know the recognized silkie colors are black, blue, white, splash, partridge, buff, and gray (this is off the top of my head so sorry if I forgot any) But I have also been told you can show porcelain...? I have a porcelain rooster who is very handsome and I was wondering if I should bring him along to congress with me for my first big show, but I am not sure if that is allowed, please help! I was pretty certain only recognized colors could be shown..

You should post some pics of him!!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

You can certainly show your porcelain rooster, and any other variety that isn't recognized. You show them AOV (all other varieties). They can't win top honors like best of breed/show ect, but they can win in their own class.
Good luck if you decide to take him!

 

[Tammylr]

I don't know about in chickens but in dogs, cats and rats line breeding is breeding done in one line of a certain pair of animals such as sister to brother, mother to son, father to daughter. They are all line breeding as they are within the line. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Tammylr]

Paints don't breed true, so just because they came from a paint breeding, doesn't mean that they are a paint.  They will throw a lot of other colors.  AOV is "All Other Varieties".  Paint X Paint will not throw paint, that I'm aware of.  I do believe you must breed Paint X Black (pure black!) to get a Paint.  And even then, who knows what colors you might come up with in that breeding.  

How do you get a paint? Do you have to have one to get more or what?

 

[Troubadour05]

How do you get a paint? Do you have to have one to get more or what?

A paint is genetically a black bird that is heterozygous for the dominant white gene. Typically silkies are recessive white which is another white gene entirely so if you were to start from scratch to make paints you would have to introduce the dominant white gene from another breed. Any white gene is not JUST white. The white is a "mask" for whatever color is underneath. The bird will get 1 copy of each gene from each parent, so if the offspring are black with "ii" as their dominant white genotype, they do not have dominant white and will be black. If they do get a dominant white gene from each parent and have "II" they will be all white. If they only get one dominant white gene they have "Ii" and this is what is said to cause paint. Because they only have 1 dominant white gene the white "mask" isn't strong and gets holes in it, showing the black coloring underneath.
Another thing to consider is that dominant white only masks black pigments, not red. For example red Pyle is black breasted red with dominant white, it leaves the red but makes all the black areas white.
I know it's very confusing, hope this helps!

 

[Tammylr]

B/B- black dominant gene
c/c- white recessive gene that with two copies " turns off" the other colors
B/b- blue dominant gene, dilute of black
b/b- splash, double blue gene that over dilutes black to a dirty white
l/l- lavender recessive, needs two copies to show and dilutes black and red.

This is what I have so far, I still need to know about:

Partridge- dominant/ recessive
Buff- dominant recessive
Paint- dominant/recessive
Chocolate-dominant/recessive

And any other colors anyone can think of.

 

[Tammylr]

Awesome, that makes sense as both are dominant. Thanks. Trying to get all the current silkie colors and what you need to express them. So fascinating!

 

[Nikki816]

I just started a silkie hatch along for 2015 if anyone wants to check it out over in the hatch a long forum. Not sure how to post a link to it.