Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[thedragonlady]

The greys came out right in the first generation.The initial buff female, whatever she was...about three crest feathers, cochin shape and feathering, but good gold color, was culled after the first generation hatched. The buff males were culled for 4 generations, as were the 1-3 generation females after they had laid. In the 4th generation , I had showable females, but I kept no Buff males until the 5th generation. I was hatching maybe 12- 15 chicks in each generation.I kept a few White females in the 3rd generation, as they had super type, and snow white color.


The first White cross gave me 1K, and 4 females, all Buff, with light blue under fluff, from 10 eggs. The blue receded in each generation, as the buff got more intense. The type was great by the second generation. I think over the 5 generations I probably hatched no more than 75 -100 birds. I kept about 15 of them in the 5th generation, including the Whites. I always limited myself to no more than 10 grown birds in each color, so "Chicken Math" wouldn't take over. Having such a wonderful White cock bird as Lester, certainly helped keep the numbers down too.

Because I was able to use Lester on Whites, Blacks , Grey, Partridge, and Buffs, most of my colored birds, when bred to another bird of their color, would throw great Whites. None of these showed his hint of brass in the hackle in immature feathers, as they were all true recessive whites. Due to the excellent White type percentage of blood, they were all the same SHAPE too." Type makes the Breed. Color makes the Variety." cannot be repeated often enough.

 

[aoxa]

The greys came out right in the first generation.The initial buff  female, whatever she was...about three crest feathers, cochin shape and feathering, but good gold color, was culled after the first generation hatched. The buff males were culled for 4 generations, as were the 1-3 generation females after they had laid. In the 4th generation , I had showable females, but I kept no Buff males until the 5th generation. I was hatching maybe 12- 15 chicks in each generation.I kept a few White females in the 3rd generation, as they had super type, and snow white color. 


The first White cross gave me 1K, and 4 females, all Buff,  with light  blue under fluff, from 10 eggs. The blue receded in each generation, as the buff got more intense. The type was great by the second generation. I think over the 5 generations I probably hatched no more than 75 -100 birds. I kept about 15 of them in the 5th generation, including the Whites. I always limited myself to no more than 10 grown birds in each color, so "Chicken Math" wouldn't take over. Having such a wonderful White cock bird as Lester, certainly helped keep the numbers down too.

Because I was able to use Lester on Whites, Blacks , Grey, Partridge, and Buffs, most of my colored birds, when bred to another bird of their color, would throw great Whites. None of these showed his hint of brass in the hackle in immature feathers, as they were all true recessive whites. Due to the excellent White type percentage of blood, they were all the same SHAPE too." Type makes the Breed. Color makes the Variety." cannot be repeated often enough.

Wow! That's really interesting

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Hawkeye95]

wat do yall think of keeping a white cock to breed to lav cuckoos or mottleds would that ruin then and who has some lav cuckoos or mottleds

I don't know anyone working with mottleds except Sonoran, and I don't know what generation she is on. Why would you use a white? Just curious what you are wanting from the white bird?

Thank you.

Bear in mind that I never kept more than 10 birds of each color...40 birds total was the most I ever owned.It doesn't take an army, just a few good ones.

Very interesting. SO you never kept more than 10-- but how many chicks were you hatching from each pair?

I have a question about that little white that I posted pics of last week. She has a pink comb and a tiny black speck on her head. She is very nice and has great type. There is a sale this weekend and I am debating whether or not to sell her. I have some very nice youngsters in that pen that are coming along nicely, I am afraid I will do my pen a diservice by keeping her, especially with the possibility of having some paint genes there. What are your thoughts?

I just don't know enough about the paint genes to know what she'd throw or what could happen. Anymore, I find it is easier to just get rid of a bird than deal with problems. What color are you wanting from her? More whites? I guess it would be important to know what you were wanting to use her for and decide if she fits that plan.

Type makes the Breed. Color makes the Variety." cannot be repeated often enough.

Love that! Now, I have another question, and I'm not trying to annoy you, just honestly want to know what you were thinking. Why did you use a white bird over colored birds? What was the thought behind that? From everyone I've talked to, that seems to be one of the only things they won't do. Always white X white. Did you just not have any nice colored roosters to breed? For example, if you were only wanting to concentrate on a BBS pen... why would breeding a white to one of my BBS colors be better than breeding back into a BBS color? Same goes for all the other colors, I guess. I wouldn't want to end up with a buff when I was working for a blue...or anything else. I've accidentally gotten other colored eggs in my shipped eggs and I get rid of them. They don't fit in with my plan and I have nothing else to work with them, so they don't do me any good. Like you, I am trying to keep my numbers down, and I don't want to get into colors I'm not really interested in. Did you just work with anything that popped up, even though you didn't really want it? I guess, I'm just confused! LOL I'm not understanding what your plan was, I guess.

 

[chickendales]

I have a question about that little white that I posted pics of last week. She has a pink comb and a tiny black speck on her head. She is very nice and has great type. There is a sale this weekend and I am debating whether or not to sell her. I have some very nice youngsters in that pen that are coming along nicely, I am afraid I will do my pen a diservice by keeping her, especially with the possibility of having some paint genes there. What are your thoughts?

i use her see what she produces there no such thing as perfect and if you dont have many white hen i use her one breeding season and cull for that trate

 

[thedragonlady]

I used a White cock bird as I was unable to find any colored Silkie males who had the type I wanted to make my Buffs.There simply were no true Buff Silkies at that time. I bought Lester specifically to make those Buffs, knowing that he came from a long line of very good whites.When I saw the type he was stamping, I tried him in small settings on the other colors.Lots of the older breeders used whites on their colored birds to keep TYPE. Breeding for BBS is a different genetic matter.. I had no desire to play with the blue gene, as I wanted real blacks to the roots. Too many blacks nowadays showing blue underfluff.

I never hatched more than about 10,or 15 eggs at a time in my other colors. When you get Whites from colored breedings, you clean out the yellow gene, and better the type. Your recessive white birds will not show yellow.Your colored birds will have better type.Simple enough for me.

 

[aoxa]

I used a White cock bird as I was unable to find any colored Silkie males who had the type I wanted to make my Buffs. I bought Lester specifically to make those Buffs, knowing that he came from a long line of very good whites.When I saw the type he was stamping, I tried him in small settings on the other colors.Lots of the older breeders used whites on their colored birds to keep TYPE. Breeding for BBS is a different genetic matter. I never hatched more than 10-15 eggs at a time from my colored birds. I had no desire to play with the blue gene, as I wanted real blacks to the roots.

This is what Jamie Carson said to me. He said his whites would help improve my type. Then I read here with everyone saying a completely different thing and vetoed the idea. Glad to know he's not the only one that thinks this.

 

[thedragonlady]

This is what Jamie Carson said to me. He said his whites would help improve my type. Then I read here with everyone saying a completely different thing and vetoed the idea. Glad to know he's not the only one that thinks this.

I guess my results sort of prove that he's right, don't they? TYPE, TYPE ,TYPE !!!

 

[Hawkeye95]

I used a White cock bird as I was unable to find any colored Silkie males who had the type I wanted to make my Buffs.There simply were no true Buff Silkies at that time. I bought Lester specifically to make those Buffs, knowing that he came from a long line of very good whites.When I saw the type he was stamping, I tried him in small settings on the other colors.Lots of the older breeders used whites on their colored birds to keep TYPE. Breeding for BBS is a different genetic matter.. I had no desire to play with the blue gene, as I wanted real blacks to the roots. Too many blacks nowadays showing blue underfluff.

I never hatched more than about 10,or 15 eggs at a time in my other colors. When you get Whites from colored breedings, you clean out the yellow gene, and better the type. Your recessive white birds will not show yellow.Your colored birds will have better type.Simple enough for me.

Wow, well, this is truly not something I had heard of before. Would this only work for buff? What colors would you try this with to improve type? (all colors, or just specific ones?) I am wanting to work with blacks soon-- (will be hatching soon)-- any advice for getting deeper/truer blacks? I'm most interested in what you have to say about black.

 

[aoxa]

 I guess my results sort of prove that he's right, don't they?[COLOR=FF0000]  TYPE, TYPE ,TYPE !!![/COLOR]

And that makes me want one of his white cockerels for my breeding come spring

Can't beat his type in our area. I'd love to give it a shot. Especially since you had such great results!

Just Whites now. But, you can use White to improve the quality of other colors. They will be priced according to quality... $25ea & up for males... $50ea & up for females.

JC

This is what he said to me when I asked if he had colours and not just whites.

 

[Adoravachick]

I used a White cock bird as I was unable to find any colored Silkie males who had the type I wanted to make my Buffs.There simply were no true Buff Silkies at that time. I bought Lester specifically to make those Buffs, knowing that he came from a long line of very good whites.When I saw the type he was stamping, I tried him in small settings on the other colors.Lots of the older breeders used whites on their colored birds to keep TYPE. Breeding for BBS is a different genetic matter.. I had no desire to play with the blue gene, as I wanted real blacks to the roots. Too many blacks nowadays showing blue underfluff.

I never hatched more than about 10,or 15 eggs at a time in my other colors. When you get Whites from colored breedings, you clean out the yellow gene, and better the type. Your recessive white birds will not show yellow.Your colored birds will have better type.Simple enough for me.

Thank you so much for this information. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As far as your chicks and juveniles go, at what age would you decide to cull?f