Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[CSolis]

Of the 5 chicks I raised from Alabama Silkies, I got two pullets, Eenie, and Meenie,

Meine has a single crest, while Mo has a nice compact walnut crest. They will be leaving.

I sold Minnie a couple of weeks ago.. Out of all the chicks to choose, she chose the smallest male.

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

I was walking past the big turnout pen just before dark when I was locking up the last of the 'big kid' pens.. First time I noticed that Red Cloud has blue ears.. She's an F1 cross between Gen Lee the partridge and a bantam BO. Kind of hard to see the blue at night under lights, but it is still somewhat visible. She's going in with Shadow Captain the calico splash when she comes of age.View attachment 3249954View attachment 3249955

Shadow Captain and Poof Poof the little black silkie have given me all blue and blue splash babies.. not a bit of red leakage on a single one.. I'm hoping for some smooth silkies with the calico pattern.. keeping my fingers crossed.. Here she is and her two sisters out of Turtle Dove that are going in with Shadow and Poof Poof. They are all F1.

RedCloud
View attachment 3250906
Steel Meister
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White CloudView attachment 3250909

Of the 5 chicks I raised from Alabama Silkies, I got two pullets, Eenie, and Meenie, View attachment 3250915View attachment 3250913
Meine has a single crest, while Mo has a nice compact walnut crest. They will be leaving.View attachment 3250917View attachment 3250918
I sold Minnie a couple of weeks ago.. Out of all the chicks to choose, she chose the smallest male.

I love all their coloring!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yall what would make a pullet sleep separately from the others?
Lizzy has done this 3 nights in the past week!
It's so hot here mine sleep on the coop porch which is inside their run so all secure. But Lizzy has been sleeping on top of my brooder.
I know timing wise and based on their actions that her and Daisy should begin laying any day now.
But I've never had one sleep separately from the other before.

 

[LynnaePB]

Shadow Captain and Poof Poof the little black silkie have given me all blue and blue splash babies.. not a bit of red leakage on a single one.. I'm hoping for some smooth silkies with the calico pattern.. keeping my fingers crossed.. Here she is and her two sisters out of Turtle Dove that are going in with Shadow and Poof Poof. They are all F1.

RedCloud
View attachment 3250906
Steel Meister
View attachment 3250908


White CloudView attachment 3250909

They all turned out so pretty!

Getting any red to show up in the splash calico seems like it can be tricky. I'd think with Red Cloud you'd have a better chance though. I've heard of some breeders having decent luck with splash x buff. I myself haven't gotten far at all in my own attempts but I'm expecting it'll be a multigenerational project so I'm trying to be patient.

Yall what would make a pullet sleep separately from the others?
Lizzy has done this 3 nights in the past week!
It's so hot here mine sleep on the coop porch which is inside their run so all secure. But Lizzy has been sleeping on top of my brooder.
I know timing wise and based on their actions that her and Daisy should begin laying any day now.
But I've never had one sleep separately from the other before.

Hmmm I'm not sure other than maybe her feeling off, being picked on, or maybe she just realized she really likes that new spot.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Hmmm I'm not sure other than maybe her feeling off, being picked on, or maybe she just realized she really likes that new spot.

Yeah she acts fine otherwise...she was up on porch one night in between the 3....and she gets on it during the daytime.
She has been super flighty the last couple of days...literally flying up to the ceiling in the run in a panic...over seemingly nothing.
I've checked em all for critters but didn't see anything out or ordinary.

 

[LynnaePB]

Yeah she acts fine otherwise...she was up on porch one night in between the 3....and she gets on it during the daytime.
She has been super flighty the last couple of days...literally flying up to the ceiling in the run in a panic...over seemingly nothing.
I've checked em all for critters but didn't see anything out or ordinary.

I wonder if her getting close to laying and her hormones changing rapidly has her acting oddly maybe? I hope someone else might have some other ideas though, I'm really not much help here.

 

[CSolis]

Great pic!! Looks like West Side Story, chicken gang style LOL

I decided today that Mr T (for Teeny) was now going to be known as Mr T (for Trouble). Since you mentioned West Side Story it just seemed to fit.

 

[LynnaePB]

I know a little while ago I hinted at a new color project this fall when I could get eggs from a breeder. I ended up getting something even better! The breeder decided to focus more on her other breeds and offered me the little flock those eggs were going to be coming from!

It's this little guy (named Mr. Pants) who has the color I'm hoping to try to recreate and learn more about.

His background doesn't give many hints into what he is as he was an unexpected color (the original breeder thought he came out of her paints). I believe the white portion of the color is most likely due to mottling or an allelic mutation of mottled but hopefully breeding will help me confirm or deny and find out more. Based on the chicks he has already sired the white portion of his coloring is not due to any dominant genes. I won't learn much more until I've hatched and grown out some daughters that can be bred back to him to try to get certain genes homozygous though. I've seen some other chickens (both silkie and non) with a somewhat similar phenotype but not often. I just love the color and have been fascinated with finding out more about it for a while now. I'm really hoping I can get somewhere with trying for more like him with some time and dedication but even if I can't it's going to be fun experimenting and learning first hand.

I'm guessing breeding out the light skin may prove a challenge (or may not be possible as with some colors where dermal melanin is inhibited) but the single comb will be easy enough to breed out down the line. For now my main focus will be color and type. I've got 5 eggs from him and his girls about a week off from hatching and will be incubating more soon when I collect enough.

 

[Hinotori]

I know a little while ago I hinted at a new color project this fall when I could get eggs from a breeder. I ended up getting something even better! The breeder decided to focus more on her other breeds and offered me the little flock those eggs were going to be coming from!

It's this little guy (named Mr. Pants) who has the color I'm hoping to try to recreate and learn more about.

View attachment 3251266

His background doesn't give many hints into what he is as he was an unexpected color (the original breeder thought he came out of her paints). I believe the white portion of the color is most likely due to mottling or an allelic mutation of mottled but hopefully breeding will help me confirm or deny and find out more. Based on the chicks he has already sired the white portion of his coloring is not due to any dominant genes. I won't learn much more until I've hatched and grown out some daughters that can be bred back to him to try to get certain genes homozygous though. I've seen some other chickens (both silkie and non) with a somewhat similar phenotype but not often. I just love the color and have been fascinated with finding out more about it for a while now. I'm really hoping I can get somewhere with trying for more like him with some time and dedication but even if I can't it's going to be fun experimenting and learning first hand.

I'm guessing breeding out the light skin may prove a challenge (or may not be possible as with some colors where dermal melanin is inhibited) but the single comb will be easy enough to breed out down the line. For now my main focus will be color and type. I've got 5 eggs from him and his girls about a week off from hatching and will be incubating more soon when I collect enough.

He looks like he's wearing a harem girl outfit

 

[LynnaePB]

He looks like he's wearing a harem girl outfit

He kind of does doesn't he? I'm going to have a hard time not seeing that now!