Silkie cockerel conformation

[2ndTink]

I have a 10 wk old silkie frizzle cockerel I was planning to keep for at least a year to start my BBS breeding stock. He is black split to chocolate and I'd be breeding him to unrelated BBS pullets.

A few traits I'm questioning:
Hard feathers in the wings
Low wing carriage
Comb shape
Overall face shape

Any others that I'm missing?

Is he a decent start to a breeding program or should I find a different cockerel to get started? I plan to only have one BBS pen so I don't want to introduce traits I'll regret later.

 

[MysteryChicken]

He's decent. The only thing that might interfere abit is his lack of smoothness in the comb.


FYI: Silkies will always have some solidness in the wings, they'll never be completely Silkie in the wings.

 

[2ndTink]

He's decent. The only thing that might interfere abit is his lack of smoothness in the comb.


FYI: Silkies will always have some solidness in the wings, they'll never be completely Silkie in the wings.

Oh great! He might turn into a complete jerk yet, but so far her has this little busy body attitude that is really cute.

I wasn't sure about his wings, he likes to push them down, I caught him tonight. He can hold them up, but he seems like maybe he tries to make himself bigger or taller by using his wings.



The pullets I have don't have as many hard feathers in their wings and don't have any bumps on their combs either.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Oh great! He might turn into a complete jerk yet, but so far her has this little busy body attitude that is really cute.

I wasn't sure about his wings, he likes to push them down, I caught him tonight. He can hold them up, but he seems like maybe he tries to make himself bigger or taller by using his wings.

View attachment 3654423

The pullets I have don't have as many hard feathers in their wings and don't have any bumps on their combs either.

Are you breeding to the SOP? Even show silkies still have semi solid wing feathers.


I have a Malay pullet that, holds her wings like that off, & on. It's like she thinks she has hands.

 

[2ndTink]

Are you breeding to the SOP? Even show silkies still have semi solid wing feathers.


I have a Malay pullet that, holds her wings like that off, & on. It's like she thinks she has hands.

My plan is to breed at least toward the SOP. I'm just getting started so know minimal info on the SOP and genetics. Mainly, since I will be breeding them, I want to be benefiting the breed overall and not breeding willy nilly if that makes sense. I don't plan on showing, but if I can have good breeding stock or 4H birds for others would be cool.

For next year, I'll breed a chocolate and paint pen, and then use JetPack in a BBS pen, after I have a good selection of chicks, then I'll start picking the best and likely replace JetPack with a non frizzle high quality rooster to then breed back to the ones I've kept.

Hands, lol, I can see that

 

[MysteryChicken]

My plan is to breed at least toward the SOP. I'm just getting started so know minimal info on the SOP and genetics. Mainly, since I will be breeding them, I want to be benefiting the breed overall and not breeding willy nilly if that makes sense. I don't plan on showing, but if I can have good breeding stock or 4H birds for others would be cool.

For next year, I'll breed a chocolate and paint pen, and then use JetPack in a BBS pen, after I have a good selection of chicks, then I'll start picking the best and likely replace JetPack with a non frizzle high quality rooster to then breed back to the ones I've kept.

Hands, lol, I can see that

If you're just wanting get close to the SOP, then little faults are perfectly fine, though no bird is gonna be perfect.

 

[2ndTink]

If you're just wanting get close to the SOP, then little faults are perfectly fine, though no bird is gonna be perfect.

Thank you! Although I probably can't say they are cheaper than a therapist, they are definitely a huge source of stress relief for me

I'll look up major faults and start there making sure none of my current sikkies have those. I have two white silkies from TSC, they have incorrect toes and one doesn't have much of a head poof. But I'm not sure I'll breed them anyway. My chicks from the local breeder are so much cuter.

TSC pullet


My favorite from the breeder, but I'm not sure on color so I don't know what color to breed her to.


Not sure what color this is either, it's from a BBS pen with a rooster that carried some partridge genetics


I think this is a cockerel so I won't be keeping it, but if it is a pullet, I'm not sure I'd breed it because of the color


I have a nice blue satin and blue silkie, a black silkie, and a splash silkie that I planned to cross with JetPack.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Thank you! Although I probably can't say they are cheaper than a therapist, they are definitely a huge source of stress relief for me

I'll look up major faults and start there making sure none of my current sikkies have those. I have two white silkies from TSC, they have incorrect toes and one doesn't have much of a head poof. But I'm not sure I'll breed them anyway. My chicks from the local breeder are so much cuter.

TSC pullet
View attachment 3654756

My favorite from the breeder, but I'm not sure on color so I don't know what color to breed her to.
View attachment 3654758

Not sure what color this is either, it's from a BBS pen with a rooster that carried some partridge genetics
View attachment 3654757

I think this is a cockerel so I won't be keeping it, but if it is a pullet, I'm not sure I'd breed it because of the color
View attachment 3654759

I have a nice blue satin and blue silkie, a black silkie, and a splash silkie that I planned to cross with JetPack.

TSC/Hoover's Silkies are Chinese Silkies, & mostly are Largefowl. They're usable, but you gotta make sure at least one, or both of the parent birds you use have a walnut comb.
I produced these two, from parents that aren't show worthy. The one on the right is the mother of the one on the left though.

Parents of the hen on the right.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Thank you! Although I probably can't say they are cheaper than a therapist, they are definitely a huge source of stress relief for me

I'll look up major faults and start there making sure none of my current sikkies have those. I have two white silkies from TSC, they have incorrect toes and one doesn't have much of a head poof. But I'm not sure I'll breed them anyway. My chicks from the local breeder are so much cuter.

TSC pullet
View attachment 3654756

My favorite from the breeder, but I'm not sure on color so I don't know what color to breed her to.
View attachment 3654758

Not sure what color this is either, it's from a BBS pen with a rooster that carried some partridge genetics
View attachment 3654757

I think this is a cockerel so I won't be keeping it, but if it is a pullet, I'm not sure I'd breed it because of the color
View attachment 3654759

I have a nice blue satin and blue silkie, a black silkie, and a splash silkie that I planned to cross with JetPack.

The one with red on its shoulders, is a cockerel.