Silkie Color Genetics

[KAKBucks]

Hey guys,

I know most silkie breeders keep their stock divided by pen (at least when they're breeding). I'm curious what the color genetics are for people that either don't keep their colors separate or for people that introduce another color to to try and improve color richness or something.

Talking to one silkie breeder who keeps her color separate, she mentioned that she will breed her buff roos to a lavender hen if the buff x buff offspring start to get faded coloring.

I'm new to all this, so please edgimicate me

Heck, I don't even know what a lavender silkie looks like. I acquired a few silkies and don't even know where they'd officially stand on the color chart. I should post pics. I'd call them grey and partridge, but again, I don't know anything

Kendra

 

[priszilla]

I am interested too---- I saw a listing on eggbid for a lavender that sold for over 1K. I have mine all together at the moment-- but plan to seperate them at some point-like when I have enough pens to it. They are mostly partridge.I only have a total of 10 of age.

 

[LilPeeps]

I've heard of breeding a blue, or even a splash, to a buff to lessen the apperance of black in the tail and wings. I have never heard of crossing a lavender with a buff, mainly beacuse lavender is a recessive gene. It would be somewhat pointless to try since you wouldn't even see the lav gene for at least 2 generations, and when it does show, it would only be visable in 25% of the f2 generation if the f1 (buff x lav) babies were bred together.

Here's the pic of that lavender that sold on Eggbid for $1,011.

 

[KAKBucks]

What color would you call these guys?

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN2015.jpg

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

The one on the left is a gray and the other one is partridge.

 

[LilPeeps]

Quote:
Yep

 

[KAKBucks]

Is there a variety of tones within the partridge color?

I don't know how well the color shows up in this photo, as it was taken inside (and it was a HOT day, so the birds weren't too happy, despite the fans). This guy is darker/brighter than the partridge in the other photo, but does he still fall in that category?

http://s223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/?action=view&current=DSCN1957.jpg

Also, can you guys tell anything about the quality of these birds from the photos? I need to post pictures of some of my others as well. I'm just curious, trying to learn

I bought 2 pairs of "show" silkies. Well, my mom bought them and it was a total impulse buy before doing any research. Gotta love that.

Anyone up for critiquing some of my birds

Kendra

 

[LilPeeps]

Yes, that one is also a partridge. That grey doesn't look too bad, just the color is a bit too light. It's hard to get a good look at thet NB partridge in the pic with the grey. The other partridge looks like he's PQ. I'd love to see your other silkies

 

[KAKBucks]

Of course I got through putting together a nice long post with pics and descriptions, blah blah blah and my computer freezes. D*mn Vista!

So let's try this again

Black "show" roo:
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN1963.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN1962.jpg

Black "show" hen. Her color is actually the dark black, same as the roo. The photo washed it out for some reason. Back lighting or whatever, sorry

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN1965.jpg

Here's my "show" buff roo. I think he's pretty nice, structurally, to the unexperienced eye. He is the rich orangy color, but has black on his tail. I thought I had a better picture of him, but this is the best that came out for me so far.
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN1952.jpg

And my "show" buff hen. She's is a more faded color.
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN1955.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN1956.jpg

And the two buffs together
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN1959.jpg

These are the "show" pairs we picked up. I'll post pics of the other guys I picked up as chicks in a separate post.

Kendra

 

[KAKBucks]

This is the darker of my partridge, that you said is probably PQ. I thought he was a girl at first, but his comb is starting to grow more, so now I'm thinking it's a roo. Any thoughts?
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN1958.jpg

Here's a better picture of the lighter partridge. I think this is a girl.
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN2009.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN2013.jpg

This is my gray roo.
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN2010.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN2011.jpg

And I think this gray is a female (I'm hoping anyway!).
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN2014.jpg
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN2015.jpg

Then I have 2 grays and a black in a pen with some PQ light brahmas. I'm trying to upload some more pictures, but this is what I have so far.
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd202/kbobulski/Chickens/DSCN2024.jpg

You did say you wanted to see pictures!!!

Kendra