Silkies Of A Different Color

[GrandRapidsGirl]

What os the difference between calico and partridge?

 

[ChickNmamma]

What os the difference between calico and partridge?

Calico in Silkies is usually a Blue or Black or Silver Partridge bird with serious red leakage. It is not the correct genetic pattern for Calico (which is supposed to include mottled) but that is what people call it in Silkies. Partridge is usually a mix of a bunch of genetics, but it REQUIRES the pattern gene and a wild-type base (e^b usually) - without those it is not Partridge. Unfortunately any bird of mixed genetic background that has a chipmunk looking chick is lumped into the Partridge coloring. That is why Partridge is so very hard to get correct.

 

[Theresa sla]

i know its a big pain in the but for people trying to breed true silver partridge, and i fully agree it should have molting in it to really fit the calico name.
but they are very pretty!! and deserve a name better than silver partridge with red leakage.
maybe silver/gold partridge would fit the birds color better??

 

[Theresa sla]

this little girl came to be from a breeder working on a lemon blue silkie project. just wanted to get other peoples opinions on her. but i like her what ever color she's called

 

[ChickNmamma]

i know its a big pain in the but for people trying to breed true silver partridge, and i fully agree it should have molting in it to really fit the calico name.
but they are very pretty!! and deserve a name better than silver partridge with red leakage.
maybe silver/gold partridge would fit the birds color better??

Unfortunately Gold Partridge is Partridge - the "Calicos" have no gold in them. If they did - they would be Golden (boys) or Partridge. Calling them Torti works for me, better than Calico. I have a young boy who looks very much like yours (even including the silver leakage)...anybody in Northern Cal want him? Not shipping and I can't drive.. you come get him he is yours.

this little girl came to be from a breeder working on a lemon blue silkie project. just wanted to get other peoples opinions on her. but i like her what ever color she's called

I would call her cute! She looks young, hopefully she stands better and pulls that tail up as she matures.

 

[Theresa sla]

Unfortunately Gold Partridge is Partridge - the "Calicos" have no gold in them. If they did - they would be Golden (boys) or Partridge. Calling them Torti works for me, better than Calico. I have a young boy who looks very much like yours (even including the silver leakage)...anybody in Northern Cal want him? Not shipping and I can't drive.. you come get him he is yours.

i like the name torti too i think it sounds right for the coloring....
but just curious this bird does have marking and patterns of a silver partridge. and with out the red leakage it would be a a silver partridge right?, so is red leakage genetically different than it having both gold and silver gene in play?? asking because i just don't know, not trying to be conformational Thanks

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
I never consider a good questions to be confrontational.

Your boy is Silver Partridge with red leakage. If he had no red leakage he would be Silver Partridge or "Gray", correct. The red is on a different gene than the silver/gold gene - and silver/gold is sex linked. Males have two copies, females only carry and pass one to their offspring. The males that have one gold and one silver are called Golden and they will appear silver as chicks but will appear washed out Gold when they are older. Your boy has only Silver, you are looking at the base color under that red. If he carried gold he would look Partridge by now. The red you are seeing is called autosomnal red and it is not sex linked, both males and females carry two copies, but it does not show on the females as strongly. It shows on the males, like it shows on your boy. It is the "red leakage" on all colors except Partridge, and I believe it is also used with Porcelain to create the more vibrantly colored males/females. It is diluted by Lavender but not very diluted by Blue. Its a real pain to get rid of because it hides under the females and shows on the males.

I looked at my Torti boy, and he looks very similar to your boy, just quite a bit younger..

 

[Fur N Feathers]

I have had several of the silver partridge boys with red leakage. I call them tortoiseshell also, it just seems to be a better description if you think of a cat's coat - it just makes sense. A calico usually has chunks of color. This was my best boy with this coloring.





Here is Green Head Pink Wings. (I know that is a ridiculous name, but I called her that when she was little and I never came up with anything else

) I haven't posted any on her in a while and she is still one of my favorite "silkies of a different color"!

 

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

Here is my Calico boy. So from reading previous posts, would he be best used with Partridge? I do know his background, father was a Splash and the mother(s) were Black split for Lavender and/or Blue. He has great type, I just don't know who I should put him with. I have Blue, Splash, Partis, Buffs, Whites, and Blacks ( I have Blacks in a BBS pen and solid Black pens as well)

 

[ChickNmamma]

Here is my Calico boy. So from reading previous posts, would he be best used with Partridge? I do know his background, father was a Splash and the mother(s) were Black split for Lavender and/or Blue. He has great type, I just don't know who I should put him with. I have Blue, Splash, Partis, Buffs, Whites, and Blacks ( I have Blacks in a BBS pen and solid Black pens as well)

I do not see your boy as being a Calico or a Torti. He appears Blue Partridge of a sorts. Use him with Partridges. I suspect the mother was a blue. I would not use him in any pen with solid colors as that red leakage will show up on the boys and hide under the girls. You can use him with Whites and cross the children back to White if you need to improve your White pen...