Silkie cross for color

[Timbers Happy Hens]

Self blue (lavender) Silkies are common enough…

Perhaps where you are located. The only ones I’ve found in my area were almost $100 for pullets. I Can’t afford to pay that nor can I afford the shipping for most hatching eggs, which might not even hatch. Besides, the whole point was to try and produce my own. It’s much more satisfying than just buying one.

 

[Chocoboko]

In the long run, you'd save yourself money by just purchasing the pricier lavender silkies from a breeder than trying to breed your own from silkie/cochin or orpington crosses. That's generations worth of chickens you'll need to house, feed, and provide care for (or sell/rehome) just to get to the chicken you actually want many years later. Many breeders will ship chicks also, so location may not be an issue.

Now chocolate silkies are harder to come across in the states. If your heart is set on chocolate, if you're unable to find a breeder, and you're willing and able to go the mile to breed for them, then by all means go for it! Just keep in mind that there is two types of chocolate: sex-linked and dun. Sex-linked chocolate iirc is recessive and can be found in Orpingtons, Wyandottes, and Seramas in the states. Dun I think is more common and works like the blue gene, so you would be breeding black/dun/khaki instead of black/blue/splash.

You'll also need to decide if them meeting standard is important because you're going to have to deal with breeding out the nonstandardized traits. Crossing a silke with an orpington, for example, will leave you with issues with:
single combs
reduction of fibromelanism
improper toe number
reduced or missing crests, muff/beard, and foot feathering
red ears
brown eggs
body size conformation
Plus silkie feathering is a recessive trait, and requires frequent back crossing to not lose completely, much like the sex-linked chocolate color itself.

A lot to think about! Sorry for the huge infodump!

 

[Timbers Happy Hens]

In the long run, you'd save yourself money by just purchasing the pricier lavender silkies from a breeder than trying to breed your own from silkie/cochin or orpington crosses. That's generations worth of chickens you'll need to house, feed, and provide care for (or sell/rehome) just to get to the chicken you actually want many years later. Many breeders will ship chicks also, so location may not be an issue.

Now chocolate silkies are harder to come across in the states. If your heart is set on chocolate, if you're unable to find a breeder, and you're willing and able to go the mile to breed for them, then by all means go for it! Just keep in mind that there is two types of chocolate: sex-linked and dun. Sex-linked chocolate iirc is recessive and can be found in Orpingtons, Wyandottes, and Seramas in the states. Dun I think is more common and works like the blue gene, so you would be breeding black/dun/khaki instead of black/blue/splash.

You'll also need to decide if them meeting standard is important because you're going to have to deal with breeding out the nonstandardized traits. Crossing a silke with an orpington, for example, will leave you with issues with:
single combs
reduction of fibromelanism
improper toe number
reduced or missing crests, muff/beard, and foot feathering
red ears
brown eggs
body size conformation
Plus silkie feathering is a recessive trait, and requires frequent back crossing to not lose completely, much like the sex-linked chocolate color itself.

A lot to think about! Sorry for the huge infodump!

No i appreciate the information. I’ve been breeding for a little bit now and was interested in a side project for fun, especially since I’d really love some lavender silkies. I’m not to worried about Lots of generations of babies as I have lots of people in my area that buy the barnyard bantams I produce. It’s a great way to supplement the chicken keeping costs.
I do have a chocolate hen that I got from a breeder that I’m very excited to cross to my paint rooster in the spring. But the lavender have been almost impossible to find. I’m not bothered by have little mixed breeds running around as long as they’re healthy. One of my best hens is a satin silkie, perfectly black, no leakage and gorgeous green sheen feathers. If I was breeding to show them the entire situation would be different.
I do understand it would probably be more expensive in the long run, but $5 and $10 here and there is a lot easier on my budget than $100 all at once.

 

[Chocoboko]

No i appreciate the information. I’ve been breeding for a little bit now and was interested in a side project for fun, especially since I’d really love some lavender silkies. I’m not to worried about Lots of generations of babies as I have lots of people in my area that buy the barnyard bantams I produce. It’s a great way to supplement the chicken keeping costs.
I do have a chocolate hen that I got from a breeder that I’m very excited to cross to my paint rooster in the spring. But the lavender have been almost impossible to find. I’m not bothered by have little mixed breeds running around as long as they’re healthy. One of my best hens is a satin silkie, perfectly black, no leakage and gorgeous green sheen feathers. If I was breeding to show them the entire situation would be different.
I do understand it would probably be more expensive in the long run, but $5 and $10 here and there is a lot easier on my budget than $100 all at once.

In the end it all boils down to what makes you and your chickens happy!

I usually hear good things about Ideal chicks and I was considering them for my starter flock of silkies since they have a nice wide range of colors. Main complaints I've come across (other than chicks not making it and shipping issues) is from people not reading the descriptions and not realizing that certain traits are not guaranteed (like silkie beards). Pricing isn't bad, they have a minimum order of $40 which is usually about 8 chicks and a quantity surcharge of $20 on anything under 15 chicks (less $ for over 15). Expect an order of around $60+ or so.

Honestly I'm looking forward to seeing your toasted marshmallow chocolate paints! I've never seen a chocolate paint before, just black and buff. I'm not super familiar with how paint works other than it basically sounds like dominant white with leakage and that it can be difficult keeping a good balance of white and spotting. I hope you plan on sharing pictures while you work on your project! Chocolate is a project I plan on working on in the future once I actually have some experience raising chickens (and a large enough coop!).

 

[Timbers Happy Hens]

In the end it all boils down to what makes you and your chickens happy!

I usually hear good things about Ideal chicks and I was considering them for my starter flock of silkies since they have a nice wide range of colors. Main complaints I've come across (other than chicks not making it and shipping issues) is from people not reading the descriptions and not realizing that certain traits are not guaranteed (like silkie beards). Pricing isn't bad, they have a minimum order of $40 which is usually about 8 chicks and a quantity surcharge of $20 on anything under 15 chicks (less $ for over 15). Expect an order of around $60+ or so.

Honestly I'm looking forward to seeing your toasted marshmallow chocolate paints! I've never seen a chocolate paint before, just black and buff. I'm not super familiar with how paint works other than it basically sounds like dominant white with leakage and that it can be difficult keeping a good balance of white and spotting. I hope you plan on sharing pictures while you work on your project! Chocolate is a project I plan on working on in the future once I actually have some experience raising chickens (and a large enough coop!).

I currently have 2 separate coops and am putting money aside for 2 more. Alll my bantams in one and my egg layers in another. I’d love to be able to have separate pens for each color project eventually. The chocolate projects are ones I’m very excited about, this hen was the first chocolate I’ve seen available in my area in the last year or so. So of course I jumped on the opportunity. I plan to use her in my mottled silkie project and hopefully produce chocolate mottled babies as well as chocolate paint. My paint rooster(Joe dirt) came from a friend who almost exclusively breeds paints. Her lines are extremely established and have excellent balance. Her run looks like a sea of cookies and cream she will be mentoring me with the paint and chocolate projects and it will hopefully be a huge learning experience.

I was so excited to learn about the ideal hatchery, their prices are excellent. I plan on ordering lavender and mottled Cochins as well as a few blue and grey silkies in the early spring, so hopefully I can kick start the project mid to late summer! I did just hatch my very first silkie from my own hens today! I believe it came from my blue partridge and paint silkies

 

[Chocoboko]

I currently have 2 separate coops and am putting money aside for 2 more. Alll my bantams in one and my egg layers in another. I’d love to be able to have separate pens for each color project eventually. The chocolate projects are ones I’m very excited about, this hen was the first chocolate I’ve seen available in my area in the last year or so. So of course I jumped on the opportunity. I plan to use her in my mottled silkie project and hopefully produce chocolate mottled babies as well as chocolate paint. My paint rooster(Joe dirt) came from a friend who almost exclusively breeds paints. Her lines are extremely established and have excellent balance. Her run looks like a sea of cookies and cream she will be mentoring me with the paint and chocolate projects and it will hopefully be a huge learning experience.

I was so excited to learn about the ideal hatchery, their prices are excellent. I plan on ordering lavender and mottled Cochins as well as a few blue and grey silkies in the early spring, so hopefully I can kick start the project mid to late summer! I did just hatch my very first silkie from my own hens today! I believe it came from my blue partridge and paint silkies

I'm so excited for you! I'm thinking I'm going to start establishing my garden first before I save up for my coops, but it sounds like we have similar goals! It's going to be a boon having an already established breeder as a mentor through this.

Mottled chocolate sounds like a difficult project, so many recessive genes to work with. I've seen that color in Orpingtons before though. Beautiful birds. Both breeders that I'm aware of sell them for $25+ or so each iirc. One of them even has gold and silver chocolate laced! I imagine lacing would be a blurry mess on a silkie but my gosh is it gorgeous on nonsilkied birds. The mottled is from Carolina Rare Chicks and the two laced are from Chicken Ridge Farm:

Also there's a dedicated silkie thread here on BYC: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...y-spectacular.1334299/page-1311#post-27399922
If you plan on sharing your progress I'm sure the people here would love to hear about it, I know I would! Also a good spot for any silkie questions you may have too, although it sounds like your friend may already have that covered.

 

[Timbers Happy Hens]

I'm so excited for you! I'm thinking I'm going to start establishing my garden first before I save up for my coops, but it sounds like we have similar goals! It's going to be a boon having an already established breeder as a mentor through this.

Mottled chocolate sounds like a difficult project, so many recessive genes to work with. I've seen that color in Orpingtons before though. Beautiful birds. Both breeders that I'm aware of sell them for $25+ or so each iirc. One of them even has gold and silver chocolate laced! I imagine lacing would be a blurry mess on a silkie but my gosh is it gorgeous on nonsilkied birds. The mottled is from Carolina Rare Chicks and the two laced are from Chicken Ridge Farm:
View attachment 3717730 View attachment 3717731
View attachment 3717732

Also there's a dedicated silkie thread here on BYC: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/silkies-they’re-simply-spectacular.1334299/page-1311#post-27399922
If you plan on sharing your progress I'm sure the people here would love to hear about it, I know I would! Also a good spot for any silkie questions you may have too, although it sounds like your friend may already have that covered.

I also have a small garden I need to start prepping for early spring. I even have rabbits for meat and manure for the garden.
I love those Orpingtons! The last rooster has awesome eyebrows lol. They’re the only other breed I work with beside the silkies and Cochins. I currently have lavender, silver laced and will be getting some chocolates in the spring.
Thank you for the link, I’ll definitely check It out. I’ll likely post any updates to the projects on this thread just so it’s easier to keep track.
I’m also aware it will be a long haul project but I was planning on producing some black mottled silkies like the photo, it would only be a few more steps to produce the chocolate mottleds why not then

 

[Chocoboko]

I also have a small garden I need to start prepping for early spring. I even have rabbits for meat and manure for the garden.
I love those Orpingtons! The last rooster has awesome eyebrows lol. They’re the only other breed I work with beside the silkies and Cochins. I currently have lavender, silver laced and will be getting some chocolates in the spring.
Thank you for the link, I’ll definitely check It out. I’ll likely post any updates to the projects on this thread just so it’s easier to keep track.
I’m also aware it will be a long haul project but I was planning on producing some black mottled silkies like the photo, it would only be a few more steps to produce the chocolate mottleds why not thenView attachment 3717794

This is my first time seeing a mottled silkie. Adorable! That's true, if you'll have black mottled already might as well work on some chocolate mottled.
Yeah I love when roosters end up with crazy eyebrows, definitely a charm point lol

 

[Timbers Happy Hens]

This is my first time seeing a mottled silkie. Adorable! That's true, if you'll have black mottled already might as well work on some chocolate mottled.
Yeah I love when roosters end up with crazy eyebrows, definitely a charm point lol

Yes, I just have a chocolate hen right now, but I’m waiting for a breeder nearby to have a chocolate rooster come available so I can hopefully produce some sex linked muave pullets too.
I also love the crazy eyebrows, my calico Cochin roo has them, he’s not quite to the sop but he’s just so darlin I can’t bring myself to sell him.

 

[Chocoboko]

Yes, I just have a chocolate hen right now, but I’m waiting for a breeder nearby to have a chocolate rooster come available so I can hopefully produce some sex linked muave pullets too.
I also love the crazy eyebrows, my calico Cochin roo has them, he’s not quite to the sop but he’s just so darlin I can’t bring myself to sell him.

Honestly it's tempting to start a thread just for everyone to post pics of their bushy browed birds, can't get enough of them!
That's the best part about any animal tbh, nothing has to match the sop for them to be wonderful. They're all amazing in their own way.