Silkie breeding, genetics & showing

[Me & Jack]

I just found this website, it's awesome! It's called www.befunky.com. Here is what I did:

This one is my favorite. Very cool site.

 

[chisNchickens]

I have been able to collect up to twice a day-- but you have to wait several hours-- do morning and evening. I haven't really had the best of luck with twice a day, either. You might get nothing on that 2nd try. But you never know-- they are all different. Best results are once a day. I just use a plastic spoon. I sit on a stool, put his head down and hold his feet up--- not super high, but enough so I can stroke his back with my left hand, and hold his legs with my right and I keep the spoon in my right hand too. It takes some coordination, but you'll get there. I put his head on my left side. If you are right handed, that will work best.
I know how to do it, my boy is a gem no problems there. I know that THEY breed more often than once a day so I assumed from that that more than once
would be feasible. Make sense? Anyway the most I have done thus far is twice.

Congrats to you and Cody!! Very exciting that you all have done so well this season! Great birds you have! I'd love to see a picture of the whites you loved.


This is a blue. However, if it starts to develop very dark spots on it... then it's a splash.

I thought I saw some darker spots, and I have never seen a blue that light....

This is one of my Splash girls. Lots of very dark spots all over the bird.

Holy cow that looks like a male minus the streamers. Leggy girl! But pretty!

Agree, I like that color of blue as well!



BarnGoddess--- GREAT pic of that hawk!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Yep, the blues do get that light, for sure. Your blue has some other darker color in there, and some of that is typical and some just aren't a nice even color as they should be. The color on the body SHOULD be even. Just because it's not even does not make it a splash. The darker color in the hackles is usually what pops up first for boys. Blues and splash get really dark through there. The Splash I posted; she has great splash markings, can you see the difference between Blue and Splash? I hoped that the picture would clearly define splash and blue.

The AI-- you can give it a go as much as you want I suppose. I might be working with boys that aren't quite as eager after the morning. If you are wanting to do AI more often, why don't you just trim them all up instead of doing the AI? Sounds like you are wanting to work with multiple girls? In which case, the trimming makes more sense. That's not really what I'm using the AI for-- I'm using with pairs and trio's and that's it.

The Splash CAN be diluted, though. I have a splash boy who's spots are diluted.

What you can't see in this picture, though, is that a close-up inspection will show spots in his back and his tail. If you saw him in person, you would NEVER confuse him for Blue. I wish I had a better picture of him-- closer up to show his spots. I may have another one of him that shows it better... And while he has fantastic type and is a stunning looking boy, he is not really the most ideal color for Splash. Going to use him on Blue hens which could really help with better Splash color.
***Also-- wanted to add that this picture is what I'm talking about how the boys get darker in the hackles. See how his crest is a lighter color? And his hackles and a bit into the back are much darker? You don't see that on girls.



This is another of my girls, and she's really young (5 months) and she's lacking a really great splashing all over her body, but what splash she does have is very dark and also would never be confused with Blue. She took "Reserve Champion Featherleg" a couple weeks ago. The judge (Art Reiber) came back and talked to me and told me that if I took the coloring/spots off the first girl I showed you and put it on THIS bird (because this one has better type), she would have won 1st. I didn't bother to show you this bird first since this is not the ideal splashing and didn't want to further confuse you on Blue/Splash.

 

[Hawkeye95]

And one more thing--- You can usually tell at hatch who will be splash and who will be blue: (3 splash, 1 blue in this picture)

 

[ChicksNherps]

Yep, the blues do get that light, for sure. Your blue has some other darker color in there, and some of that is typical and some just aren't a nice even color as they should be. The color on the body SHOULD be even. Just because it's not even does not make it a splash. The darker color in the hackles is usually what pops up first for boys. Blues and splash get really dark through there. The Splash I posted; she has great splash markings, can you see the difference between Blue and Splash? I hoped that the picture would clearly define splash and blue.

The AI-- you can give it a go as much as you want I suppose. I might be working with boys that aren't quite as eager after the morning. If you are wanting to do AI more often, why don't you just trim them all up instead of doing the AI? Sounds like you are wanting to work with multiple girls? In which case, the trimming makes more sense. That's not really what I'm using the AI for-- I'm using with pairs and trio's and that's it.

The Splash CAN be diluted, though. I have a splash boy who's spots are diluted.

What you can't see in this picture, though, is that a close-up inspection will show spots in his back and his tail. If you saw him in person, you would NEVER confuse him for Blue. I wish I had a better picture of him-- closer up to show his spots. I may have another one of him that shows it better... And while he has fantastic type and is a stunning looking boy, he is not really the most ideal color for Splash. Going to use him on Blue hens which could really help with better Splash color.
***Also-- wanted to add that this picture is what I'm talking about how the boys get darker in the hackles. See how his crest is a lighter color? And his hackles and a bit into the back are much darker? You don't see that on girls.



This is another of my girls, and she's really young (5 months) and she's lacking a really great splashing all over her body, but what splash she does have is very dark and also would never be confused with Blue. She took "Reserve Champion Featherleg" a couple weeks ago. The judge (Art Reiber) came back and talked to me and told me that if I took the coloring/spots off the first girl I showed you and put it on THIS bird (because this one has better type), she would have won 1st. I didn't bother to show you this bird first since this is not the ideal splashing and didn't want to further confuse you on Blue/Splash.

Thanks, I do understand blue vs splash, I just wasn't sure because she has a few dark spots. But I guess when she/he grows up we will know for sure. She had a very dark splash hen there that was gorgeous, I can't remember if she said mine came from her though.

 

[ChicksNherps]

And one more thing--- You can usually tell at hatch who will be splash and who will be blue: (3 splash, 1 blue in this picture)

Unfortunately I didn't hatch her =/

 

[Hawkeye95]

Thanks, I do understand blue vs splash, I just wasn't sure because she has a few dark spots. But I guess when she/he grows up we will know for sure. She had a very dark splash hen there that was gorgeous, I can't remember if she said mine came from her though.

Splash X Splash= 100%
Blue X Splash= 50% blue, 50% splash

So she may have come from a splash hen.... but what was the color of the rooster? I have never bred splash X splash (it dilutes) so I breed splash X blue.


Oh and wanted to add, that my splash usually get in more color around 3-4 months. So if your bird is younger, it's possible more color might come in.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Unfortunately I didn't hatch her =/

Give the bird 2-3 more months and see what happens to her color. Then you can decide what color it's turned out to be.

 

[ChicksNherps]

Give the bird 2-3 more months and see what happens to her color. Then you can decide what color it's turned out to be.

will do, she/he is barely 3 months now

 

[Debbi]

This is the pesky Cooper's Hawk I was mentioning earlier in the week -- hiding under the bush (one of my chickens' favourite spots!) by my barn door, hoping to catch an unsuspecting bird. (He left immediately after I took his picture although he actually let me frame up to get this one. He's a bold little bugger!)

Neat pic Barb. I had 6 of the Cooper's sitting out in an oak tree in my front pasture last week. They are quite noisy, so I know when they are around. The Marans don't even pay any attention to them, and the Silkies that I do let free range usually hang out with my pack of cats. I've not had a Cooper's land in my yard yet, that I've seen anyway. My problem is with the Red Tails. Had a large young male land on the top of my well house about a month ago. All of the chickens were screaming like I had never heard! All the girls ran to the pen and stood by the gate. Good ole Pip stood in the middle of the yard all bristled up growling at the hawk. There was not a cat to be seen! I got outside on the deck and looked in the direction that Pip was glaring in, and saw the hawk. I yelled at him and waved my arms, and he just sat there. So I walked over to the well house, and got within 10 feet of it, and he just sat there! My male German Shepherd appeared about then, and came up next to me. I walked toward the hawk some more and pointed my cane at him, yelling and cussing at this point. I literally got within 3 feet of this guy, if I was two feet taller, I could've touched him with the end of my cane! Brazen little turd! He very begrudgingly flew off at that point, and sat in a tree about 100 yards from the house and whined for the next couple of hours! I sat on the deck with a glass of wine and watched the chickens return to their business, albeit not too far from their run! Had there been Silkies out that day, I'm quite sure I would've been down by one or two. I had what I thought was a Cooper's screaming yesterday when I was outside, but I could not see it. It was loud, and sounded like it was right next to the coop, still couldn't see anything. Finally, I saw a quick movement and heard another scream. It was a Blue Jay!

They have the Cooper's call down pat, and every time he would sound off, so did all the Silkies! He had them all fooled too; but it's good to know, that they know what that sound means!