Silkies Color Question-Thanks for looking.

[Tumbleweed Farm]

If I mate my white silkie and my black silkie what colors could I get?

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Seems like a pretty question, can you help? Thanks.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I'm wondering the same question. I have a white cockerel and a black pullet I want to breed when they get older.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I was hoping to get splash but I found out you can't by breeding black with white.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

So, what did you get--or have you done it. I am so curious--seems like a very easy question for the genetic aces on here. Let me know if you did it or were going to and thanks!

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I haven't yet but I am hoping to do it soon. I'll post pics of the chicks if I end up doing it.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

You will most likely get more blacks. But generally it's a crap shoot. As other people here describe it, White in Silkies is an "off-switch". If a chicken is homozygous recessive white (meaning it has two copies of the gene), then it will be white regardless of what other colors it may be carrying. And because it is white, you don't know what other colors it may be carrying until you do a test crossing with another color. I hope that helped some.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I'm probably going to sell my white cockerel and get another pullet so I'll have to try before I sell him.
I get just want little chickies no matter what color they are.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Thank you Year of the Rooster

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Yes that was very helpful.