Silkie thread!

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: No, the silkie gene can appear in any breed. It was not added to serama via a cross. You would have big type issues if you bred a silkie and a serama.

 

[4hchickmama]

I can't tell if she is completely beardless or has a small bit of beard from the photo, but if she is completely beardless, she is one of the nicest ones I have seen!

Thank you so much! Yes, she is completely beardless. She is such a sweet mellow girl. My bearded blue hen is a bit smaller and is the dominant hen in my flock...even over my LF birds. But she is buddies with this girl. She is like her bodyguard...lol.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: The lightest blue and darkest self-blue can be about the same shade. However, with the blue you will have darker head hackles and in males back and saddle. Self-blue are the same colour everywere.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Very pretty colourings!

 

[peepblessed]

Very pretty colourings!

Thanks! I'm hoping for light blue partridge (just for fun) but we'll see...

 

[mama2my4]

Thanks! I'm hoping for light blue partridge (just for fun) but we'll see...

Oh Peep! Isn't it fun?? I feel the same way about my calico. I know they aren't everyone's cuppa tea, but I just LOVE them. I have partridge in the coop too and may even separate them out, but I am just loving watching these babies grow!

 

[Sanna]

They are two different genes. You have to have blue (Bl) from each parent to get splash (Bl/Bl). Now you can add lavender (lav) in, either in one or two doses and still get splash, but both parents must provide a copy of blue.

My experience is that lavender splash (lav/lav Bl/Bl) tend to look much more like splash, and be nearly indistinguishable in appearance from splash without lavender. However, I do not think you can get a really dark splash with two copies of lavender. One copy of lavender would not make any difference in appearance (Lav+/lav Bl/Bl); lavender must be present in two copies to have any affect.

So if my rooster had the Bl-gene and I found a self-blue hen with the Bl-gene, I would (or could?) get splash chicks?

Lavender is the name of the gene; self-blue is the name of the variety. You create the self-blue variety with two copies of the lavender gene. Look at it like lavender is the name of the fabric (cotton or silk or nylon or polyester) and self-blue is the name of the garment (shirt or jacket or slacks or socks).

Now this is making better sense and helps me understand the difference between the 'names' lavender and self-blue.
This is all good information. I'll have to save it.
Thank you!

Why isn't she breeding material? Nonbearded are recognized varieties, and relatively few are shown, so winning the variety is usually more likely. (Bearded blue and non-bearded blue are separate varieties. Ditto for other colours/patterns.)

This is my non-bearded. I didn't think she would be worth breeding the way her cushion is. It's always flat down as you can see in this picture.
This was her at maybe 5 or 6 months old. She must be 8 or 9 months old now. I just don't have a fresh picture but she doesn't look much different than this today.
Is it just my lack of knowledge with the non-bearded? Should they have a larger crest?

 

[ChicksNherps]

Chicken "dress" saddle

 

[Sanna]

Chicken "dress" saddle

Ok, now how do you make those diapers?? She is wearing a diaper under there too, right? The purple.
I'm starting to think that I want one so I can have the chickens come in to visit. My boyfriend is going to have a meltdown.

 

[ChicksNherps]

Ok, now how do you make those diapers?? She is wearing a diaper under there too, right? The purple.
I'm starting to think that I want one so I can have the chickens come in to visit. My boyfriend is going to have a meltdown.

http://www.pamperyourpoultry.com/

I just got them in today! I ordered 2 saddles, and told her I was having an issue with my current diaper, her feet kept getting caught and she was always flipping backwards. She sent me a free sample diaper of her new design to see if it worked. She is very reasonably priced and her diapers so far seem to fit way better than the ones from ebay. They are much lighter and snug, as well as cuter!