Silkie color genetics chart?

[Sonoran Silkies]

I recently read up on erminette from a partial article of Hutt's (needed a subscription of $30 for one day to read the whole thing--it's your 2nd link), and while the appearance is similar, it is not quite the same. In paints, there are patches of all black feathers in an overall white background: no parti-coloured feathers. In erminette, there are some feathers that are all white, some that are all black and some that are parti-coloured--often laced or mottled.

Not sure about what erminette looks like in chick down. Paints begin life with their spots in place, and the spots do not change as they acquire adult feathering.

I did see your comments on the other thread--and asked a different question there

 

[renovationmom]

Quote:
Where did the red come from, if it was not created by crossing two other colors of Silkie? Did someone take another breed bird, that was red, and breed to a silkie, until the silkie traits with a red color was achieved?

Not all colors are achieved this way from what I am reading, is this true?

It seems to me if you want certain colors, you have to buy started pairs(so you are sure to get a hen and roo) and hope you can get some history on their backgrounds. And, once you have your pair, how do you improve type of any color you are working with if you do not have good type in lets say, the red pair? It seems to me, the black silkies are used often to improve type in many colors-but is this not true for all colors?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Silkie colours were all created from crossing in different breeds. Pretty sure red came from cochins. But different breeders working on red could have used different breeds. It is only within the last 15 years that we have had more than black and white silkies as recognised varieties, and blacks were not developed until 1965--91 years after whites were recognised.

Working to improve type and bring in a new colour is a balancing act. Generally, one always prefers type over colour, but when bringing in a new variety, you cannot follow that rule too closely or you will lose the colour and be back at square one (or even farther back if you've lost a lot of type in the process).

The exact process and crosses needed will depend on the goal. Some goals are easy; others difficult. Red, like buff, is a complicated colour.

 

[renovationmom]

Quote:
Thank you so much. You have answered my question well, and I understood it, lol. I have some silkies that have good color, and some with good type. And I am working on trying to have both, color and type. But I do love them all, no matter their type or color. It has been very interesting to see the combinatins, and what hatches from them. Not knowing the history of my flock, I am getting some colors and patterns I can not explain.

For example, I have a pair of partridge silkies, both with good type. They produced a chic that is black, with white laced wings, and brown circles around his eyes, white from his chin down to his chest, he is 3 weeks old and he looked like a pure black chic when he hatched. He has black skin, dark eyes and 5 toes, but his legs seem a little long and he has some feathering on his legs, but not as much as other chicks his age. He also is not as calm as my silkies are. I wonder if one of my partridge has been crossed with a Polish Crested at some point, and although they do not show the polish traits, some of the chicks are showing it?

 

[ChobeeChickenMommy]

I am glad I found this thread! I just got a white silkie roo today & I am wanting to get him a few blue hens for breeding & maybe even a black or splash as well. Can anyone tell me what color you get from breeding a white roo to a blue/splash/black hen?! THANK YOU!

 

[robin416]

Quote:
Suze, I've found that if using recessive white with paint the spots or non color changes a ton with molting. They hatch with no feather color or very little but with the first molt of the chick down the black pops out.

 

[moomoodiddy]

Does anyone know how i got splash bitties from white parents and what will come of splash and white

 

[Farming Frenzy]

would anyone know what will i get from :
blue rooster x blue hen
blue rooster x white hen

? btw im always using the same rooster, as its for a science project

 

[soukilee93]

Can anyone tell me what I would get from a Blue rooster X Red hen?

 

[WhittHavenFarm]

I have a paint roo and a splash pullet. I wonder what colors are possible from this cross?? I am looking to add another pullet to make a trio. What color suggestions for crossing with my paint roo?