Silkie genetics with a white roo

[Jag1415]

I'm so confused hope someone can help. I have a solid white silkie rooster from an all white pen (so the breeder said) I currently have two splash hens and one black hens. I have hatched two sets 20 total with 100 percent of the chicks black. How is this possible. They all look exactly like this. Only one rooster. The white one.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens probably because the black is dominant colour Sorry

 

[The Moonshiner]

Unless from paint breeding white silkies are recessive white. Your rooster is apparently just black underneath his white.
He passes one recessive white gene to his offspring but if they don't receive a second from their mother they themselves won't be white.
They're just getting black from him.
If two of your hens are splash that pairing should produce all blue chicks.
With the black hen you'd be getting only black chicks.
Maybe you're only hatching eggs from the black hen?
My guess is a lot of your chicks are actually blue. A dark blue. Better pics would help but the chick in the pic does appear blue to me.

 

[Jag1415]

Unless from paint breeding white silkies are recessive white. Your rooster is apparently just black underneath his white.
He passes one recessive white gene to his offspring but if they don't receive a second from their mother they themselves won't be white.
They're just getting black from him.
If two of your hens are splash that pairing should produce all blue chicks.
With the black hen you'd be getting only black chicks.
Maybe you're only hatching eggs from the black hen?
My guess is a lot of your chicks are actually blue. A dark blue. Better pics would help but the chick in the pic does appear blue to me.

I'm confident the white is pure white. I know the breeder and she follows strict breeding standards. The chicks do appear a blue. So to understand correctly a white roo and a splash silkie will produce blue chicks that are white recessive? If I then breed those chicks to a true blue roo will I run the risk of white chicks? What color would their offspring be? Thanks so much for the clarification.

 

[Silexian]

I learned this same lesson. I crossed a pure white silkie rooster to red silkie hens. I was expecting to have yellow chicks. It came as quite the surprise when the chicks were dark brown, black and partridge. When you cross white silkies with other colors. Whatever colors are in their background can come through.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Recessive white takes a copy from each parent to be expressed. When they are recessive white it can be hiding any color or pattern underneath.
Your rooster could carry something like partridge so watch for any color leakage on the chicks as they age.
He may well be pure black underneath which would be best if he's gonna be producing chicks you want to use with BBS breeding.
Your chicks would be called blue split to recessive white or blue carrying recessive white.
If bred to a blue rooster you will not produce whites unless the rooster carries white but by playing the odds about 50% of those chicks will get a RW gene and carry it sight unseen. Recessive genes can be passed on sight unseen forever.
You won't get in trouble until you start breeding carriers together.
If you want to sooner or later breed out the white you'll need to test breed.
To do that you breed to a recessive white bird. One that is white. If those mating produce any white chicks you know that bird carries the gene. If the pairing produces no white chicks you know they don't carry the gene. Of course you'll need to hatch quite a few chicks to make sure.
If your chicks are blue and bred to a pure blue rooster you'll get on average 25% black 50% blue and 25% splash.

 

[BlueHorse17]

 

[Pork Pie]

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[janiedoe]

Good morning, welcome to BYC!

 

[Jag1415]

I learned this same lesson. I crossed a pure white silkie rooster to red silkie hens. I was expecting to have yellow chicks. It came as quite the surprise when the chicks were dark brown, black and partridge. When you cross white silkies with other colors. Whatever colors are in their background can come through.

Thanks guys. Looks like the breeder wasn't as strict as she thought.