Silkie Genetics (some pics)

[nmr]

I have four 6-week old silkies and I have no doubt at least one is a male (one if I'm lucky). This has me thinking about genetics and what colors their offspring would be.

We have a white, a paint, what I think is a partridge?, and a black.

The first three are from the same local breeder, who breeds for fluffiness and not color (she has a mix of bearded and non-bearded birds, lots of paints). The black is from a different local breeder who appears to only breed black chicks (mom and dad are both black).

I'm wondering if someone could help me out with the genetics of silkies, what I've found so far online has been pretty interesting.

Chickie tax:

The paint, s/he's recovering from a brief bout of wry neck. I'm getting a dirty look because I give all the meds etc and s/he doesn't like me.

The white and black chicks (the black has some white fluff stuck on)

The chick that may or may not be a partridge? (Currently hanging out in sick bay with their paint friend, who hates me)

The black chicks' mom and dad

Thanks!!!

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

A lot of wide combs... but I'm gonna wait on guessing genders :'D It does look like you have a paint, what did it look like as a chick, do you remember? Theres a chance it could be a splash too. You've got blacks, whites, and looks like partridge, maybe a blue partridge but light can be deceiving in photos! The parent stock for your black one look like really gorgeous birds <3

 

[nmr]

A lot of wide combs... but I'm gonna wait on guessing genders :'D It does look like you have a paint, what did it look like as a chick, do you remember? Theres a chance it could be a splash too. You've got blacks, whites, and looks like partridge, maybe a blue partridge but light can be deceiving in photos! The parent stock for your black one look like really gorgeous birds <3

Yeah the one in the first pic is a paint/splash, she’s got spots mostly on her back.

I suspect at least one of those walnut combs, which isn’t my favorite look, but oh well.

I’ll see if I can get some pics of the partridge in natural lighting.

Thanks!

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

Yeah the one in the first pic is a paint/splash, she’s got spots mostly on her back.

I suspect at least one of those walnut combs, which isn’t my favorite look, but oh well.

I’ll see if I can get some pics of the partridge in natural lighting.

Thanks!

Well all silkies should have walnut combs ;D boys tend to have larger, wider combs and this can sometimes be seen as adolescents, but some ladies got bigger combs too!

 

[nmr]

That I did not know, some of their combs are so tiny lol

 

[nmr]

Here's the partridge at 10-12 days old

 

[nmr]

A lot of wide combs... but I'm gonna wait on guessing genders :'D It does look like you have a paint, what did it look like as a chick, do you remember? Theres a chance it could be a splash too. You've got blacks, whites, and looks like partridge, maybe a blue partridge but light can be deceiving in photos! The parent stock for your black one look like really gorgeous birds <3

Oh the paint looked like a yellowish chick with a couple black spots, pretty much the same as s/he does now only white feathers are growing out and the black spots are more pronounced.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I have four 6-week old silkies and I have no doubt at least one is a male (one if I'm lucky). This has me thinking about genetics and what colors their offspring would be.

We have a white, a paint, what I think is a partridge?, and a black.

The first three are from the same local breeder, who breeds for fluffiness and not color (she has a mix of bearded and non-bearded birds, lots of paints). The black is from a different local breeder who appears to only breed black chicks (mom and dad are both black).

I'm wondering if someone could help me out with the genetics of silkies, what I've found so far online has been pretty interesting.

Chickie tax:

The paint, s/he's recovering from a brief bout of wry neck. I'm getting a dirty look because I give all the meds etc and s/he doesn't like me.
View attachment 2514620

The white and black chicks (the black has some white fluff stuck on)
View attachment 2514622

The chick that may or may not be a partridge? (Currently hanging out in sick bay with their paint friend, who hates me)
View attachment 2514623

The black chicks' mom and dad
View attachment 2514628View attachment 2514630



Thanks!!!

Curious how your chicks are doing and if you have figured out their genders yet?