Silkies - new to it all. Confused on getting colors.

[jjaazzy]

I am very new to chickens and chose Silkies as my first breed. I want to get into breeding these beautiful birds and have 5 chicks from show quality stock to start out with. I have a blue, a buff, some strange color the breeder said he has never seen before and 2 partridge, one of them is more yellowie if that is a word. So If I want to breed them later will I need to get mates for them that are the same color so they produce that color? Or, will the hens produce a range of colors on her own. I would like to get some white, splash and spotted later, but will I need to purchase those birds in pairs? My guys are too little yet to figure out what I have roos or hens. Anyway any advice is welcomed....

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I'm not an expert on breeding, but I do know you will need to get mates to produce more of the same color. Actually the Blue is a mix of black and white genetics, I believe. You may want to find out what color parents the "strange color" silkie has.

Here is a link to a thread with more info: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/155273/silkie-color-genetics

 

[jjaazzy]

Scratch N Peck that thread is the best. Thank you for sending it my way. I have not read it completely but will later today, but I did get the idea from reading through a bunch of them. So what do I do now? I am just getting started, I wanted to get my feet wet now with the chicks before I move and I really don't have the space here to purchase any more. And even if I did it would be a gamble as to what I was getting again male or female, So I guess I have to wait till these are 6 months before I see what is what and then what do I do? Purchase more chicks and wait 6 months again? I am thinking I am not going to live long enough to get these things set up! Do I try to purchase someone's adults? Gosh I feel like I am so lost....

 

[jjaazzy]

So I read through quite a few pages and what I think I understand is its ok for me to cross my different colors. But if I want definite colors like white I have to have two whites. For splash I might get from one parent being a black but don't know the other?. I just want to be able down the road to sell pet quality and get some eggs.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

It you are just interested in pet quality, then you may not have to be really concerned with producing chicks that live up to defined color standards. I really don't know a whole lot about breeding for color and I think all Silkies are cute. Maybe someone with more expertise will come along and reply.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I'm not an expert on breeding, but I do know you will need to get mates to produce more of the same color. Actually the Blue is a mix of black and white genetics, I believe. You may want to find out what color parents the "strange color" silkie has.

Here is a link to a thread with more info: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/155273/silkie-color-genetics

Arrrgh. NO. White prevents pigment. It does NOT dilute it. Blue dilutes black pigment.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Scratch N Peck that thread is the best. Thank you for sending it my way. I have not read it completely but will later today, but I did get the idea from reading through a bunch of them. So what do I do now? I am just getting started, I wanted to get my feet wet now with the chicks before I move and I really don't have the space here to purchase any more. And even if I did it would be a gamble as to what I was getting again male or female, So I guess I have to wait till these are 6 months before I see what is what and then what do I do? Purchase more chicks and wait 6 months again? I am thinking I am not going to live long enough to get these things set up! Do I try to purchase someone's adults? Gosh I feel like I am so lost....

Easiest is to get an adult pair so that you know what you have, and then produce from them.

So I read through quite a few pages and what I think I understand is its ok for me to cross my different colors. But if I want definite colors like white I have to have two whites. For splash I might get from one parent being a black but don't know the other?. I just want to be able down the road to sell pet quality and get some eggs.

If you are looking for birds for exhibition, then you need to breed for recognized varieties, which generally means breed like to like. If you are simply breeding for your own enjoyment, it does not matter...except that down the line you might change your mind.

Splash is two copies of the blue gene. Bred to a black you will get all blue chicks. Bred to a blue and you will get blue and splash chicks, bred to another splash and you will get all splash chicks.

 

[jjaazzy]

This is so cool, well here's the deal, I am in the process of purchasing house with property. I am so excited about the whole deal I went ahead and purchased these silkies. I'm in a neighborhood now so there is only so much I can get away with. I am so glad I did cause I have learned so much this go around. Down the road I would like to claim they are show quality as they are from a good breeder in my town but for now I'm locked in. So it's good to know there is some mixing to get certain colors. I'm not totally coloring out of the lines. My guys are 2-3 weeks old so hen roo anyone's guess. So by 6 months I will know and then I would have to purchase a batch of say partrige or a batch of any one color to see A. Quality, & B sex & C coloring? Right?