Silkies Of A Different Color

[B J Hopkins]

my columbian rooster, he was my only rooster in the flock last year and got some really nice hens that i kept for this year. including a pure white hen with a huge crest and black tips to her tail poof, wings and feet. but not on her neck

, thought i was so close having a columbian hen but most of his babies are pale pearl, gray, or pale colored partridge. but almost all are white with black spots when they hatch??
i'll post more pictures in the columbian post later

Absolutely lovely!!

 

[Theresa sla]

Genetics of Chickencolors and Basics is a start

thanks

they should make it into a collection of laminated posters i could learn while i did my chicken chores.

 

[Theresa sla]

thanks BJ, i like him too

truth be told his looks where striking from the get go. but when i went there i just wanted chicks and one of her nice looking fluffy headed hens. but man he's grown on me!!
i have to tell this story, early this summer i let him and another breeding pen out of their pens at the same time. kept a watchful eye for hours and they seemed fine. went in and came back in a few hours and no Rothgar (the columbian ro in the picture) called and called for him and finally found him limping out of the shed to find me. bloody face, a limp and swollen shut eye. frantically gathered him up cleaned and doctored him up in the sunroom. it just so happened to be the same day the incubator chicks where hatching. he franticly yelled at me to let him out of his cage, so i did. he ran over to the newly hatched chicks. gathered them up stuffing some of them under him and others he picked up food and made shrill chirps to announce that its food! showed them how to drink and keep them warm. it was so adorable!!! i was nervous about leaving him out there but he was always so good to both the moms and the chicks in the yard and even sat with a broody hen for a solid week with out budging. so i let him go for it.

unbelievably great dad!! two weeks raising babies and healing before he let the babies do their own thing, all healed up he was looking excited to go back out there. so i put him back in the breeding pen this time with his daughters from last year.
oh!! and he also fought off a hawk!!
last year i heard him scream and holler and ran all the hens in before turning to the hawk and jumping in the air after the hawk. i grabbed a rake and started swinging but i think if it wasn't for him i wouldn't have at least one less hen this year. and happy to say that the hawk never came back!!
he is my super roo, and love him to pieces

after all that good work i think he's earned as much of the good life as i can give him! and keeping him safely in a pen from now on.
well on my way to being a crazy chicken lady right?

 

[moomoodiddy]

awww i want a roo like that <3

 

[Theresa sla]

picture of rothgar with his chicks and lady friend last year.

 

[blipit007]

What a great story, thanks for sharing. And what a great roo!

 

[B J Hopkins]

I've found that Silky/Showgirl Roos are very good at taking care of the babies, very protective. My Showgirl Roo also sat w/the hens when all 4 of them were broody at the same time. Never fought off a hawk though.

I think we're all kinda partial to our Silkies!!

 

[Theresa sla]

Their awesome little critters everyone of them

 

[farmer boy]

idk if a silver partridge /silver blue partridge is a different color but someone said my roo is a silver blue partridge and someone else told me its a silver partridge idk if these two are different colors

 

[moomoodiddy]

idk if a silver partridge /silver blue partridge is a different color but someone said my roo is a silver blue partridge and someone else told me its a silver partridge idk if these two are different colors 

i dont think there is a silver blue partridge there is a silver partriadge and a blue partridge though. does he look silver or blue?