Silkie Breeding Questions

[MysteryChicken]

This is Squeakers father, Phoenix a Silver Duckwing OEGB.

The mother of Squeakers was a Mille Fleur D'uccle.

 

[MysteryChicken]

There's 5 Silkie hens in the same coop, that I'll be crossing too next year. Maybe I'll cross with a couple standard hens too.

 

[HappyDuckie]

There's 5 Silkie hens in the same coop, that I'll be crossing too next year. Maybe I'll cross with a couple standard hens too.

Do you have a thread for this project? It's very interesting.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Do you have a thread for this project? It's very interesting.

No, not yet. I might post one later on though.

 

[HappyDuckie]

No, not yet. I might post one later on though.

I would definitely follow along. I am also starting a breeding project with silkies. Good luck with yours.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I would definitely follow along. I am also starting a breeding project with silkies. Good luck with yours.

Thanks. I'm also trying to help give a friend some ideas for their's.

 

[NatJ]

Mottling is supposed to just be a white tip, on the feather.

"Mottling" as in the color in certain breeds like Ancona--yes.
Effect of the "mottling" gene--not quite.
Mottling seems to make white tip, black section, then the other section whatever color it normally would be (black on "mottled" breeds like Ancona, gold on Millie Fleur, dark red on Speckled Sussex, etc.)

The picture you post shows the white tip, the black part behind the tip, and then another color on the rest of the feather (gray in that picture.)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119355154
There's a link on that page to download the whole .pdf, too
The paper is titled
"The Mottling Gene, the Basis of Six Plumage Color Patterns in the Domestic Fowl"
and is by R.G. Somes, published 1979

That paper established that "mottling" (white tip on black feather) and "Mille Fleur" (white tip, black band, gold feather) and some others are indeed caused by the same recessive mottling gene. They discuss how the gene works, and they also crossed varieties to create a silver-mottled bird (similar to Millie Fleur or Speckled Sussex, but with silver instead of the gold.) They have various photos and diagrams in the paper.

This is Squeakers father, Phoenix a Silver Duckwing OEGB.
The mother of Squeakers was a Mille Fleur D'uccle.

Mille Fleur is one of the colors known to be caused by the mottling gene, the same one in that paper I just cited. So I think you are probably working with the usual mottling gene, but it looks different on different backgrounds--like Silver Duckwing.

That would require that Squeakers' father (Phoenix x Silver Duckwing OEGB) must have had one copy of the mottling gene.

 

[MysteryChicken]

"Mottling" as in the color in certain breeds like Ancona--yes.
Effect of the "mottling" gene--not quite.
Mottling seems to make white tip, black section, then the other section whatever color it normally would be (black on "mottled" breeds like Ancona, gold on Millie Fleur, dark red on Speckled Sussex, etc.)

The picture you post shows the white tip, the black part behind the tip, and then another color on the rest of the feather (gray in that picture.)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119355154
There's a link on that page to download the whole .pdf, too
The paper is titled
"The Mottling Gene, the Basis of Six Plumage Color Patterns in the Domestic Fowl"
and is by R.G. Somes, published 1979

That paper established that "mottling" (white tip on black feather) and "Mille Fleur" (white tip, black band, gold feather) and some others are indeed caused by the same recessive mottling gene. They discuss how the gene works, and they also crossed varieties to create a silver-mottled bird (similar to Millie Fleur or Speckled Sussex, but with silver instead of the gold.) They have various photos and diagrams in the paper.



Mille Fleur is one of the colors known to be caused by the mottling gene, the same one in that paper I just cited. So I think you are probably working with the usual mottling gene, but it looks different on different backgrounds--like Silver Duckwing.

That would require that Squeakers' father (Phoenix x Silver Duckwing OEGB) must have had one copy of the mottling gene.

Phoenix is the name of the Silver Duckwing.

So what about Bigfoot whose Squeakers son?

Mother was a White Silkie hen.

 

[NatJ]

So what about Bigfoot whose Squeakers son? Mother was a White Silkie hen.

I assume the white silkie also had the mottling gene. She might have had only one copy, but even if she was pure for mottling, it would not be visible: white dot on the tip of the feathers, black part turned to white by whatever genes are making her be white, and the rest of the feather white. So white, white, white still makes a white feather.

Oh, forgot to mention earlier: the black on a mottled feather can be turned blue, or white, or chocolate, just like any other black on a chicken (Blue Mille Fleur, Golden Neck Old English Game Bantam, etc.)

 

[MysteryChicken]

I assume the white silkie also had the mottling gene. She might have had only one copy, but even if she was pure for mottling, it would not be visible: white dot on the tip of the feathers, black part turned to white by whatever genes are making her be white, and the rest of the feather white. So white, white, white still makes a white feather.

Oh, forgot to mention earlier: the black on a mottled feather can be turned blue, or white, or chocolate, just like any other black on a chicken (Blue Mille Fleur, Golden Neck Old English Game Bantam, etc.)

I have a Blue Exchequer Japanese bantam hen.

I'm still going to do some experiments to see if I get the same results with other birds.
Have any breed ideas I should cross either Squeakers, or Bigfoot too?

Available breeds:

Silkies

Orpingtons (Includes Project Orpingtons)

Sumatra pullet

Brahmas hens

Australorp cross hen

New Hampshire pullet

Silver OEGB hen/pullet

RJF/Hybrids

Heritage Plymouth Barred Rock pullets