Silkie thread!

[BluChick]

I have a question...

So, I picked up some new Silkie chicks a couple weeks ago, and two of my new babies are coming in smooth feathered... Breeder said it was because she pens Showgirls with her Silkies - so I assume the smooth feathering is a throwback from the Turken influence.

I love my kiddos and have no problem with the smooth feathering because it's kind of adorable. They have the black skin, feathered feet, and five toes per foot. Combs haven't come in well enough for me to tell if they're walnut or not.

But! It made me wonder - If smooth feathered Silkies were bred to silkie feathered Silkies - would the smooth featheredness regress over the generations? I'm not sure how the gene works out, either... First hatch 50/50 silkie feathered vs smooth? No naked neck appearance, by the way. Just smooth/normal-bird feathers.

I'm not breeding yet (for one, everyone is still way too young)... But it made me curious if the smooth-feather would be an issue. Also, while we're on the topic - would the chicks in question be more likely to pass on the smooth feathers as a rooster or as a hen? Would it matter? (Curious if it would be sex-linked gene)

Thanks, gang!

 

[Hinotori]

Smooth feathering is dominant. That means if the bird only has one copy of silkie feathers, it will hide under the smooth.

They must not have progressed too far on their showgirls yet, since finished showgirls should have silkie feathering as well. Other than the different levels of neck feathering, showgirls are silkies and follow the breed standard. This isn't so much an issue. Showgirls are still being worked on. Just breed to standard. Eliminating the smooth feathering from the flock later is easy because it's dominant. The goal is for showgirls to be an accepted silkie variant in the breed standard. It's getting close.

Sizzle breeding pens will have smooth feathered silkies a lot of the time due to the nature of the frizzled feather genes.

 

[BluChick]

Smooth feathering is dominant. That means if the bird only has one copy of silkie feathers, it will hide under the smooth.

They must not have progressed too far on their showgirls yet, since finished showgirls should have silkie feathering as well. Other than the different levels of neck feathering, showgirls are silkies and follow the breed standard. This isn't so much an issue. Showgirls are still being worked on. Just breed to standard. Eliminating the smooth feathering from the flock later is easy because it's dominant. The goal is for showgirls to be an accepted silkie variant in the breed standard. It's getting close.

Sizzle breeding pens will have smooth feathered silkies a lot of the time due to the nature of the frizzled feather genes.

Hmmm... I saw their showgirls and they were silkie feathered... She also had frizzles... Could it have been from a sizzle? (Still get confused on the feather typing beyond normal/smooth and silkie)

Would a sizzle or frizzle 2nd gen chick that's smooth feathered be more likely to throw smooth, too? Or are either of the genes that cause sizzle or frizzle more dominant than the smooth feather?

Thanks so much!

 

[BluChick]

On another note - am I correct in "sexing" this 16 week white Silkie as a cockerel? No crowing, but his walnut comb is noticeable, whereas my blue (also pictured; same age) isn't even visible beneath her coifed poof. I see small wattles, and I *think* I see streamers in his poof, but I'm not sure.

I can't tell what his hackles or saddle feathers look like with is glaringly white silkie feathers - no shape! lol

Thanks!

And my Blue (fairly certain hen)

 

[Hinotori]

Hmmm... I saw their showgirls and they were silkie feathered... She also had frizzles... Could it have been from a sizzle? (Still get confused on the feather typing beyond normal/smooth and silkie)

Would a sizzle or frizzle 2nd gen chick that's smooth feathered be more likely to throw smooth, too? Or are either of the genes that cause sizzle or frizzle more dominant than the smooth feather?

Thanks so much!

If they had frizzled silkies, it very well could have come from that pen. More likely than from a showgirl pen. Well impossible if their showgirls are all silkie feathered. If it doesn't have frizzled feathers, it doesn't carry that gene since it's dominant.

For feather quality, smooth feathered birds are used for frizzle breeding regularly. Two copies of the frizzle gene can cause feather issues if I remember right. Though I think someone proved you can breed out that problem with effort. It gets confusing genetic wise.

 

[Hinotori]

Thinking more... Could they be a smooth feathered sizzle chick?

Just edited my post above. It had lost some of the info i typed. Sorry

 

[Hinotori]

On another note - am I correct in "sexing" this 16 week white Silkie as a cockerel? No crowing, but his walnut comb is noticeable, whereas my blue (also pictured; same age) isn't even visible beneath her coifed poof. I see small wattles, and I *think* I see streamers in his poof, but I'm not sure.

I can't tell what his hackles or saddle feathers look like with is glaringly white silkie feathers - no shape! lol

Thanks!
View attachment 1135570 View attachment 1135569 View attachment 1135575 View attachment 1135576

And my Blue (fairly certain hen)
View attachment 1135572 View attachment 1135573 View attachment 1135574

Blue looks pretty girly. White...looks boyish to me.

My 21 week old boys just started really getting adult hackles in the last couple weeks. Those can take time.

 

[BluChick]

Blue looks pretty girly. White...looks boyish to me.

My 21 week old boys just started really getting adult hackles in the last couple weeks. Those can take time.

Thanks so much!! I'll keep watching him to be sure it's a him.
(Have some younger silkie chicks, and some could be roos, too; so I may have to decide on what silkie roo I want to keep since I don't have a plethera of silkie hens)

 

[NNYchick]

Thank you! I'll get on the phone now and start trying to find some locally.

@NW Chickadee how is your chick doing?

 

[User395221]

I'm in MD and I just lost my silkie hen.

I'm so sorry.

My 2 silkies are now mums and they are staying out in the run with the babies. We had some rain, and I was worried about everyone getting wet.... Here's what I found. Mums with their hairdos all messed up. Babies as dry as a bone. (their topknots went back to normal after not very long.) They are such good mums.