MumsyIII
Chirping
There have been three BRIR hens in my flock that lay well, never go broody but I have not had a male counterpart. Last year one snuck into a Recessive White silkie pen and a little red chipmunk colored chick with smooth feathers was the result. It turned out to become a nice little hen that lays well and goes broody.
Picture of the little red chick with silkie family and a picture of the little red hen that laid the egg.
The chick turned out red but not the mahogany red of the mother.
I thought this was an interesting color from a Recessive white father so I put the little BRIR hen with my Paint male last year and got an interesting surprise.
This buff looking chick with smooth feathers turned into this hen.
She has paint feathers in red and black. Not many but they are there.
So this got me thinking to try a few more breeding experiments with these little BRIR hens. Maybe my Partridge silkie male could start a red project? Imagine my surprise when these two chicks hatched.
This little chick is turning out pinkish/lavender.
I'm not sure what to make of this turn of events. Does my partridge silkie and one of the BRIR hens both carry the lav gene?
And then this chick hatched....
At first I thought partridge when it was day old. But those are not typical for Partridge feathers.
I'm surely confused by these chicks. I only have silkie males and run one cock per pen at a time. This is the breeding pen and I marked the eggs as they were laid before setting in the incubator.
My male partridge with hens.
So this breeding experiment has got me thinking about putting the little BRIR hens in with my best Self Blue male. Maybe a pink silkie project is the way to go instead of red?
If anyone can explain some of the genetics of what occurred, please comment.
Picture of the little red chick with silkie family and a picture of the little red hen that laid the egg.
The chick turned out red but not the mahogany red of the mother.
I thought this was an interesting color from a Recessive white father so I put the little BRIR hen with my Paint male last year and got an interesting surprise.
This buff looking chick with smooth feathers turned into this hen.
She has paint feathers in red and black. Not many but they are there.
So this got me thinking to try a few more breeding experiments with these little BRIR hens. Maybe my Partridge silkie male could start a red project? Imagine my surprise when these two chicks hatched.
This little chick is turning out pinkish/lavender.
I'm not sure what to make of this turn of events. Does my partridge silkie and one of the BRIR hens both carry the lav gene?
And then this chick hatched....
At first I thought partridge when it was day old. But those are not typical for Partridge feathers.
I'm surely confused by these chicks. I only have silkie males and run one cock per pen at a time. This is the breeding pen and I marked the eggs as they were laid before setting in the incubator.
My male partridge with hens.
So this breeding experiment has got me thinking about putting the little BRIR hens in with my best Self Blue male. Maybe a pink silkie project is the way to go instead of red?
If anyone can explain some of the genetics of what occurred, please comment.
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