Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[CSolis]

Thinking boy?? What do you all think?
Bearded so small wattles comb not huge, yet
View attachment 3486195View attachment 3486196View attachment 3486197

I think it's a pullet just by the stance..

 

[Elliemae1984]

I’m very excited (and nervous!!). I’ve decided I’m going to attempt my first hatch in June (as soon as I’m home from vacation). I have the sweetest 2 hens and 1 roo, mixed colour so they’ll just be pet quality. The hen I LOVE and really want babies from lays super tiny eggs, about every 2-3 days and some days they have slight imperfections in the egg texture. The other hen lays perfectly every day.

I’ve heard that only perfect eggs should be set for incubation…I fear that will mean I set very few (or none?) from my fave girl. Thoughts? How “perfect” does the egg have to be? What risks do imperfections cause?

 

[Poodlemum]

I’m very excited (and nervous!!). I’ve decided I’m going to attempt my first hatch in June (as soon as I’m home from vacation). I have the sweetest 2 hens and 1 roo, mixed colour so they’ll just be pet quality. The hen I LOVE and really want babies from lays super tiny eggs, about every 2-3 days and some days they have slight imperfections in the egg texture. The other hen lays perfectly every day.

I’ve heard that only perfect eggs should be set for incubation…I fear that will mean I set very few (or none?) from my fave girl. Thoughts? How “perfect” does the egg have to be? What risks do imperfections cause?

I’m team set all the eggs lol. My only olive egger from last year was from a cracked egg

 

[Hinotori]

I’m very excited (and nervous!!). I’ve decided I’m going to attempt my first hatch in June (as soon as I’m home from vacation). I have the sweetest 2 hens and 1 roo, mixed colour so they’ll just be pet quality. The hen I LOVE and really want babies from lays super tiny eggs, about every 2-3 days and some days they have slight imperfections in the egg texture. The other hen lays perfectly every day.

I’ve heard that only perfect eggs should be set for incubation…I fear that will mean I set very few (or none?) from my fave girl. Thoughts? How “perfect” does the egg have to be? What risks do imperfections cause?

Try to have a clean nesting area so eggs are clean as naturally possible. A little dirt doesn't hurt. Don't wash eggs. Candle to check for cracks. Don't set abnormal eggs like if a hen laid a weird long one. Just her normal eggs are fine. Most of the eggs will be good for hatching. Extra calcium deposits on the eggs don't cause much of a problem usually

 

[chickengr]

my turkey squashed 1st chick that hatched - a silkie. so I picked up every single egg that zipped and put in incubator. a few silkies hatched and stay with a broody who hatched 1 chick a week ago. a few of them are still in incubator and I am not sure if all will make it. they hatched on day 23 with my help. I also hatched 2 ayam chemanis, 1 rumpless araucana and 1 blue or splash australorp. we had a rat party the first night when I set eggs so not all hatched.

I set 6 silkie eggs under my dutch bantam.

 

[CSolis]

Where do I go from here? I've got a couple of F2's who's colors are striking to say the least.. Both pullets as far as I can tell.. They are actually a cream splash of sorts.. cream base with red highlights. If they were yours, what would you breed them too?
Sherbert has a beard (YAY) while Peaches and Cream has a lovely hat.

 

[Hinotori]

Where do I go from here? I've got a couple of F2's who's colors are striking to say the least.. Both pullets as far as I can tell.. They are actually a cream splash of sorts.. cream base with red highlights. If they were yours, what would you breed them too?
Sherbert has a beard (YAY) while Peaches and Cream has a lovely hat.View attachment 3490652View attachment 3490653

It's too bad one wasnt a boy.

I'd try that breeding again if you can to try for a boy.

I'd use something light colored but not a white.

 

[CSolis]

It's too bad one wasnt a boy.

I'd try that breeding again if you can to try for a boy.

I'd use something light colored but not a white.

Sure wish I could.. I'll have to wait until PP and SC produce another male splash to have a go at it. I sold the Lieutanant to a lady and a Bantam Buff hen with black markings. I'm hoping beyond hope that at least one of the kids from my upcoming hatch from IBT and LRB is the light partridge, He had a lot of cream and blue in him. That would make them cousins, or double cousins. Would that be inbreeding?

 

[Hinotori]

Sure wish I could.. I'll have to wait until PP and SC produce another male splash to have a go at it. I sold the Lieutanant to a lady and a Bantam Buff hen with black markings. I'm hoping beyond hope that at least one of the kids from my upcoming hatch from IBT and LRB is the light partridge, He had a lot of cream and blue in him. That would make them cousins, or double cousins. Would that be inbreeding?

As long as you don't keep breeding close it's fine. Line breeding is used to set traits. Breeding too close for too long and you may get nasty recessives popping up.

Inbreeding depression also occurs which is reduced fertility. That takes continuous close breeding. It is possible for a breed to be become resistant to inbreeding depression through luck of the genetic lottery. Randall Lineback cattle come to mind. They'd be extinct if they hadn't as only one person still kept a herd of them for the longest time.

The Livestock Concervancy publishes a book called Managing Breeds for a Secure Future. It talks about breeding methods to help maintain genetic diversity with small populations since it's focused on criticality endangered breeds.

 

[CSolis]

As long as you don't keep breeding close it's fine. Line breeding is used to set traits. Breeding too close for too long and you may get nasty recessives popping up.

Inbreeding depression also occurs which is reduced fertility. That takes continuous close breeding. It is possible for a breed to be become resistant to inbreeding depression through luck of the genetic lottery. Randall Lineback cattle come to mind. They'd be extinct if they hadn't as only one person still kept a herd of them for the longest time.

The Livestock Concervancy publishes a book called Managing Breeds for a Secure Future. It talks about breeding methods to help maintain genetic diversity with small populations since it's focused on criticality endangered breeds.

So what color would you actually classify her as? She has to have Buff from the momma, plus some melanizing gene from the splash roo. His father is the calico splash. I was hoping to get a line of calico splashes going since they seem to be popular.