Erin,
As Bama said, the genes found in a silkie are the same as the genes found in other chickens. The scientific community has written quit a bit about chicken genetics so there is much to be learned. These are the genes found in a silkie or at least all I can think of for now. I am using the classical notation for the genes.
Fm fibromelanosis
id+ dermal melanin (sex linked) These three make black skin.
W+ white skin
h hookless for silkie feathers
Mb for muffs and beard (bearded variety)
P pea comb
R rose comb P and R form a walnut comb
Po polydactyly 5 toes
dw sex linked dwarfism Dwarfism can be caused by a number of
genes and there are two other alleles at the
Dw+ locus
Pti-1 and Pti-2 feathered feet ( silkies most likely have a different allele at one of the loci)
Cr crest
0+ for white egg shell color (no brown egg shell genes)
c recessive white Recessive white is an epistatic gene and can hide any color. Most recessive white birds are black under the white.
Bl/bl+ blue is an incompleley dominant gene that dilutes black to blue.
Bl/Bl produces a splash chicken or white with splashes of blue.
Most black birds are extended black ( E) because this genes needs the least amount of help from other genes to make a black bird. Some black birds are birchen or E^R. Birchen needs help from black extenders to make a black bird.
Do search on this site for blue. You will find the information you want in other strings.
Try this string:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=79262&p=2
Tim
