Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[TJAnonymous]

Looks like you might have some dominant white genetics going on some where. Perhaps your white hen? This often gives pink skin and in many cases will darken as the chick gets older.

I know next to nothing about breeding genetics.... I really really want a partridge coloring. I had a partridge rooster who was gorgeous but he was sadly killed by a predator last year. Can you mix two colors and end up with partridge? Or is this coloring only introduced through a non-Silkie breed?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Thank you! Yeah the little paints really can change so much, I imagine it must be so tough not to keep more. You couldn't make me give those two really neat marked ones you hatched up. I don't think I've ever hatched any paint babies with as unique looking spots as those. I hope Eko gives you some more if you are able to keep more in the future. I would be so interested to see how ones that started like that grew out!



Hmmm I've heard biggest spotted paints to biggest spotted paints gives the biggest spots but I haven't had a great spotted boy to test this with.

The percentages for both paint over black and paint over paint you posted are both correct from my experience.

I think both pairings have their pros and cons. Pigment seems to be a little better in my paint over black crosses so far though. I get some decent spots from both types of pairing. I don't see many paint breeders liking to use the dominant whites that pop up from paint to paint breeding. I like the fact you can pair them with a black and get 100% paint though so I've added a few back into my breeding groups. I'd like to test that particular pairing more to see if the spots are still decent. Being able to guarantee paints from dominant white to black would be pretty neat if you could maintain the nice spots in the offspring.




Thank you!!


I was wondering the same about possible dominant white like @LadiesAndJane suggested. Wheaten based buffs can have lighter skin sometimes but that chick reminds me more of something with dominant white involved. Such a cutie!

So if this baby DOES turn out to be a dominant white, you're saying I can pair her with my black rooster and she will turn out paint babies?

I'd really like a Lavender Paint hen. I currently have two lavender paint roosters.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I know next to nothing about breeding genetics.... I really really want a partridge coloring. I had a partridge rooster who was gorgeous but he was sadly killed by a predator last year. Can you mix two colors and end up with partridge? Or is this coloring only introduced through a non-Silkie breed?

You can get partridge by breeding two partridge silkies together. It is a common color in silkies, you do not need to bring in another breed.
Recessive white in silkies often carries partridge, so sometimes a partridge chick will pop up from two recessive whites bred together.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So if this baby DOES turn out to be a dominant white, you're saying I can pair her with my black rooster and she will turn out paint babies?

Could be! Only way to know is to try (test breeding).

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

I know next to nothing about breeding genetics.... I really really want a partridge coloring. I had a partridge rooster who was gorgeous but he was sadly killed by a predator last year. Can you mix two colors and end up with partridge? Or is this coloring only introduced through a non-Silkie breed?

I don't have much knowledge about this either, but I have a buff laced polish x white bantam Cochin rooster, and if I breed him to the right hen it makes partridge. I just don't know which hen it is! but I do know it's only one hen, because out of the hundreds of eggs I've hatched from him I've only had 3 partridges.

Chocolate, who I think is partridge but I don't even know what color my own bird is.

 

[TJAnonymous]

My partridge rooster who was killed by a predator. I want another Silkie like this.... So badly!

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

My partridge rooster who was killed by a predator. I want another Silkie like this.... So badly!
View attachment 2914714

He is beautiful!

 

[TJAnonymous]

As the little one slowly starts to fluff out, her feathers look silvery tinged with light brown. Her feet are very pink... And her head and back are black. She is incredibly vocal.... Another egg has pipped but likely won't hatch until tomorrow.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I don't have much knowledge about this either, but I have a buff laced polish x white bantam Cochin rooster, and if I breed him to the right hen it makes partridge. I just don't know which hen it is! but I do know it's only one hen, because out of the hundreds of eggs I've hatched from him I've only had 3 partridges.

Chocolate, who I think is partridge but I don't even know what color my own bird is. View attachment 2914710

Soooo cute... so im guessing here, but chocolate looks really similar in coloring to my Minnie, who is a brown red D'uccle... but she has that penciling. Search "brown red", its a common chicken color.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

So if this baby DOES turn out to be a dominant white, you're saying I can pair her with my black rooster and she will turn out paint babies?

I'd really like a Lavender Paint hen. I currently have two lavender paint roosters.

Oh! Can u show us pics of them! I bet they r stunning!