Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[LynnaePB]

Yes I thought the little Partridge is silver based too, but she has some brown feathering in her wings as well so maybe some kind of weird mix? I’ve always wanted a silver Partridge, so I took her when I had the chance! He actually had another buyer for her that did not show up, so he said I could have her. The gentleman had mostly white silkies but also some random other colors, he did not keep them separated at all. I did not see any of the adult birds. So could be anything.
Hoping it’s female I have a hunch it is. It does have a vaulted skull but has good feet and looks like the wings are in pretty good shape too.
Here are some close-up photos of her feathering. She’s very sweet, considering she hasn’t been handled at all. Seems very mellow and tame already.View attachment 2611260View attachment 2611261View attachment 2611262

Oh interesting! I'd guess silver based with maybe something else mixed in causing the little bit of brown in the wings too. I wonder if autosomal red could do that? My little silver partridge looking chicks should have a good dose of autosomal red seeing as they are from a red pyle project breeding. I'll have to see if they get the brownish color to the wings too and compare.

I hope she is a girl and turns out beautifully for you! Silver partridge/grey is one of my favorite colors!

 

[PioneerChicks]

So exciting, I hope they hatch out really well! The safety holes sound like a good idea if you've been having some DIS babies, I hope you won't have any this time!

I got my silkies from quite a few different breeders. Three of the ones I just hatched chicks from were from Glamorous Chickens Hobby Farm (the page is on facebook). The little white hen I posted was from Willowpond silkies but that breeder unfortunately doesn't sell silkies anymore.

These breeders are all on facebook and I think still sell hatching eggs that I also got some of my founding stock from.

Twin Maple Ranch Silkies

Snobby Silkies and Faverolles

Happy Chicken Farm

I'd be happy to give you links to their facebook pages in a PM if you are interested.

Wow, thanks! I'm looking for a new rooster (and maybe a couple more hens) so this is helpful! Actually, I think my current roo is from Happy Chicken Farm. What do you think of their quality?

 

[LynnaePB]

Wow, thanks! I'm looking for a new rooster (and maybe a couple more hens) so this is helpful! Actually, I think my current roo is from Happy Chicken Farm. What do you think of their quality?

I liked the ones I hatched from Happy Chicken Farm. I get some faults no matter who the breeder is but overall quality seemed good. Kacey was really nice and packed well too.

Here are the ones I hatched. It's tough to judge someone's breeding program just from a small sample hatch but gives an idea of what might hatch. I hatched these guys a couple years ago so the breeding program is probably even better by now!

Silver gene white cock hatched from paint eggs (his feet look nicer but they look bad here as he'd been in the mud). He'd probably look even nicer if he wasn't in a bachelor pen.

Dominant white from paint cockerel

Paint cockerel. Sadly his tail got more stiff feathers from this point on which was passing on to babies so I stopped breeding him. He was great to use with partners to correct bad wings though as he mostly had nice winged offspring.

Black from paint pullet (she got even typier as an adult but I don't have pictures offhand).

Paint hen (a little splashy looking and larger than most of my girls but pretty)

Same hen

White from paint pullet (sorry for the bad picture, she had a muddy crest, she unfortunately had wry tail so wasn't used for breeding).

A lot of these were eventually rehomed. The only one I have left is the silver gene cock. The paint hen and black hen as well as the paint boy gave me some nice offspring and contributed to my current flock.

How is your hatching going? Well I hope!

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

So none of the replacement eggs are developing DAY 4, I will wait until DAY 7 to toss. I have given up on shipped eggs.
Imari is now also showing slipped wing on top of the single comb. He is a little sweetie, but I do not think I will use him for breeding. Even though I hatched him from a breeder's eggs, I suspect he is hatchery stock.
Only one left is my paint egg (out of 59 shipped eggs total) here day 13, looking good. Hope it is a paint or dominant white and not just plain old black.
Of my own birds, I am still not getting any development from two of the silkie girls. I honestly do not think my cockerel is mating with them. Even I separated them for 3 weeks, nothing.
Zelda (the white hen) just started laying. I have seen him mate with her. She is one of his favorites, so I expect her eggs will be fertile again. Luckily, most people around here seem to prefer the white silkies.
So I must say this has been a good lesson for me, that I can not control everything, and have to let it go. Still disheartening, though.

Oh no! I know the pain! I ordered 8 paint eggs from Northwoods Poultry and they thankfully sent me 2 free buff silkies and 2 free olive eggers because only 2 of the 8 paints are fertile and developing. My rates aren't near as awful as your's and I feel so bad for you!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

@LynnaePB would you consider paint and splash to be different terms for the same coloring?

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

@LynnaePB would you consider paint and splash to be different terms for the same coloring?

I know you asked Lynn but Splash is the technical color of dark blue flecks on a lighter blue base. Paint is black flecks on a white base.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I had to rehome my silkies a few months back.. if i could keep them outside, it would have worked, but surprisingly, they were not as house friendly as i thought they'd be!! I cried for days! But they have a super sweet home with other silkies and bantam cochins.. little chicken friends!!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I know you asked Lynn but Splash is the technical color of dark blue flecks on a lighter blue base. Paint is black flecks on a white base.

Ahhh ok, that makes sense!! I have a splash bantam cochin.. she is so super sweet and pretty!

 

[LynnaePB]

@LynnaePB would you consider paint and splash to be different terms for the same coloring?

ChloeSilkie08 already answered this really well but thought I'd add that the genetics involved are different too. Splash is made using 2 blue genes. Paint is made using one copy of dominant white over black. The two colors can look really similar sometimes though and get mixed up a lot!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

ChloeSilkie08 already answered this really well but thought I'd add that the genetics involved are different too. Splash is made using 2 blue genes. Paint is made using one copy of dominant white over black. The two colors can look really similar sometimes though and get mixed up a lot!

So are there splash silkies as well? When my cochin was a new chick, i thought she might be lavender.. took a few weeks before i could see the little flecks of black on the barbs of the feathers.