Silkie thread!

[Little Coop on Salt Creek]

It is my understanding that the frizzle gene is dominant so if your satins and silkies are carrying the frizzle gene you will be able to tell just by looking at them. It should be really obvious in the satins but it can be a little less obvious in the silkies, you should still see some curl to some of the feathers though. If you breed two that are frizzled together you'd get around 25% frazzled, 50% frizzled, and 25% non frizzled (since you'd get some frazzled babies from that pairing two frizzled shouldn't be bred together). If you breed one that is frizzled to one that isn't you'll get 50% frizzled and 50% non frizzled.

It sounds like none of yours actually have frizzled feathers? If that is the case you won't be able to get any frizzled babies from breeding them together. If the breeder sold them as very young chicks before they had feathers it would make sense that they told you they might have the potential to give frizzled babies since you can't tell if they will be frizzled or not until they start getting their feathers. I could be wrong, I've never bred frizzles before but I have done some research, and every source I saw said that the frizzle gene is dominant!

I got them fully feathered. I will have to post pics of the 2 in question and then of the questionable babies.. I’m so confused, lol!

 

[LynnaePB]

I got them fully feathered. I will have to post pics of the 2 in question and then of the questionable babies.. I’m so confused, lol!

Pictures would be great!

 

[Katlinalyssa]

Fluffy cushion is genetics it may get fluffier, how old? I’m thinking that is a cockerel as he has a lot of hard feathers in the tail. I think what you are referring to is the beetle green sheen it kinda looks like a rainbow of green,blue, and teal when the sun hits the feather that is normal for blacks to have. I don’t have a good picture of it because it’s hard to photograph unless the sun is hitting it a certain way.

She is 13-14 weeks. My white silkie has the same funky tail feathers. I’m convinced the white is a rooster. He is twice the size of the black one. He even weighs more than the Salmon Faverolles that’s a week younger.

They are really hard to photograph together lol.

 

[NNYchick]

Its all about genetics what did the parents cushion (tail feathers) look like?

 

[Katlinalyssa]

Its all about genetics what did the parents cushion (tail feathers) look like?

The moms were rounded and fluffy. I didn’t see the dad.

 

[NNYchick]

Well that will give you some idea of what your little ones potential is. Silkie mature so slowly making them not only difficult to sex but also judge, show breeders will tell you that you really cant judge a silkie's full potential until they are 7 months to a year old.

 

[NNYchick]

Got a few pictures well out on the coop tonight. Lots of dust baths happening. My splash grow outs are 1 month old now. My rooster Vader was suspicious that I was squatting down and didn’t have the mealworm bag in my hand.

 

[Rockporters]

I could use some help deciding which chicks to keep from my latest hatch. I’m only supposed to keep 4, but I might be able to sneak a 5th in lol. I’m just starting with Silkies and clueless. I have an interest in breeding, and might dabble in showing if it pans out.

Which of these chicks would you keep?

Black hatches.. I’m leaning towards keeping “a”, although I love “b”. “B” stands upright a lot, which is probably what is making me hesitant lol.

From the whites, “b”.

From the eggs marked blue.. I love them all lol. The wing feathers on “A” have been ahead of everyone else since day 1. I’m curious to see what color both “a” and “b” turn out. “C” has the featheriest little feet and is really full overall.

Looking forward to to reading what you all think. I’m learning so much from these boards!

 

[NNYchick]

It is going to be hard to give advice on chicks. At this age your looking to cut any that do not have 5 toes, dark skin or straight combs. Other than those things if breeding and/or showing is in your plans I highly recommend you try to grow them all out until 7 months old to make sure you are not rehoming any potentials for breeding or show winners. If breeding what colors are you going to focus on? Will you have space to divide different colors into breeding pens? Mixing color for breeding can be an issue if you want to show or for the chicks to have show potential. Answering these questions might help to decide a few more that can go because they don't fit in your breeding plans.

 

[Hinotori]

The only thing I separate them for at that age is obvious faults like wrong number of toes.