Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[PioneerChicks]

The comb is wide enough it could be a boy *crosses fingers* I'd like to breed to one of my hens with the same coloring. That and I can test breed and find out finally who is actually carrying the dang gene. View attachment 2275238

You're right, it could go either way. I don't think I would make my guess for at least another couple weeks.

 

[Hinotori]

This is Bigfoot. She got foot feathers in early and they were huge. She does look more silkie than than her halfbreed mother. When she grows up, I'll be breeding her to a partridge silkie as well. I'm hoping she got the blue egg gene from her mother. It's a 50/50 chance. Just a fun project to see if I can.

 

[Lil Chicken mama]

She's SO completely ridiculous that I can't even LOOK at her!. She's the most docile, goofy bird I've ever had, but I adore her just the same...lol

 

[Chicalina]

I just found out that my Silkie boy is paint and not splash. This article is really interesting on the difference and the genetics behind it, so thought I'd share https://vjppoultry.com/tag/what-is-the-difference-between-paint-silkies-and-splash-silkies/

 

[LynnaePB]

I just found out that my Silkie boy is paint and not splash. This article is really interesting on the difference and the genetics behind it, so thought I'd share https://vjppoultry.com/tag/what-is-the-difference-between-paint-silkies-and-splash-silkies/

The genetics are fascinating for sure! That article has some great information. If you're getting into breeding though I would add that a bird that is split to something has a hidden recessive gene. In the majority of cases this is not the case with paints hence why the term "split" can be confusing with them and is being used less as the genetics for paint or more understood.

The color chart has some results that if the bird matched the color genetically would not be possible in the case of what they call white splits. However it can be very hard to tell the difference between a very poorly marked paint and an actual white from paint bird, hence why you might get a paint from what appear to be white from paint birds and you may get a black from what appears to be a white from paint over a black.

 

[Chicalina]

It is totally confusing to me! I've hatched 2 chicks from him so far and they are both melanotic. I read somewhere that he will have sex linked offspring (depending on the hen's colour) so this means they are pullets if their mother wasn't also melanotic, is that right? Out of 6 fertile eggs, 4 were black and 2 were white (skin and feather). Only 2 black ones hatched. I'm assuming the white were male according to what I read?

I've got another 8 under a broody, so look forward to those hatchlings.

 

[LynnaePB]

It is totally confusing to me! I've hatched 2 chicks from him so far and they are both melanotic. I read somewhere that he will have sex linked offspring (depending on the hen's colour) so this means they are pullets if their mother wasn't also melanotic, is that right? Out of 6 fertile eggs, 4 were black and 2 were white (skin and feather). Only 2 black ones hatched. I'm assuming the white were male according to what I read?

I've got another 8 under a broody, so look forward to those hatchlings.

I've heard something like that before about having sex linked chicks. I haven't looked much into it but it sounds very interesting! I wonder if the rooster being a paint will complicate things a bit (at least at hatch). The paint and white from paint chicks often have pigment issues so whites from paint can hatch with completely pink skin that darkens over time and the paints often have pink feet/beaks and spotty looking skin for a while. Usually they darken up a lot in a few weeks and by around 6 weeks you can get a decent idea of skin color I believe.

I would think that might make it harder to tell who actually has light skin right at hatch since it takes paints skin a while to darken up. The blacks from paint usually do not have all pink feet though (they can still have pigment holes and often have pink toe tips). It'll be interesting to see if the skin color corresponds to gender in your little ones. I'd definitely wait at least a few weeks to judge skin color though since your boy is a paint.

Here is a good example of how much the skin can darken. This little one hatched out completely pink skinned and by a couple weeks her skin had darkened a lot. She still has pigment holes on the bottoms of her feet but this is very common with paints and white from paints.

Sorry the pictures aren't the greatest, I think they still show how her pigment changed okay though.

 

[Chicalina]

Thanks that is really interesting, and your bird is beautiful!

I think the 2 chicks I have so far have pink spots on their soles, but I will check. One has 5 toes and 1 has 4 toes. But they are only half silkie I think.

 

[PioneerChicks]

This is Bigfoot. She got foot feathers in early and they were huge. She does look more silkie than than her halfbreed mother. When she grows up, I'll be breeding her to a partridge silkie as well. I'm hoping she got the blue egg gene from her mother. It's a 50/50 chance. Just a fun project to see if I can.

View attachment 2277101

Ooh, I love mixes! Can't wait to see how this turns out!

She's SO completely ridiculous that I can't even LOOK at her!. She's the most docile, goofy bird I've ever had, but I adore her just the same...lol

She is so cute! I love my silkie's personalities too!

 

[Chicalina]

I started a thread for my two little half breed floofies

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/1-week-old-half-silkies-but-who-are-their-mums.1404657/

Any guesses?