Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[RememberTheWay]

Has anyone here worked on a project variety of silkies/satins here? Especially ones where another breed had to be bred in to accomplish the project color goal? If so I would love to hear about it and see pictures! Things like what traits you had to work against and how easy/difficult they were to breed out would be awesome to hear about!

For your viewing pleasure-
Photo is one of my pullets that I haven't figured out a use for yet -as far as breeding. She is blue cuckoo, maybe? But honestly not sure and she is TINY! Like a fraction of the size of all my other silkies even the ones that are the right size for silkie (lots of birds these days are bred much larger then they should be- in my humble opinion) She is about 27 wks old, still not laying, and I don't think she will get much bigger

 

[Hinotori]

I really love the ones with the darker heads. My favorite pattern in a lot of colors have darker heads

It's a disqualification for show. I'd added in new blood a few years ago and have the moorhead issue again. It's a slow process of getting rid of it again

 

[Hinotori]

What is blue Cream genetically? And do you have an example of what it looks like at maturity?

It's buff with 2 copies of the lavender gene.

Birds 1 and 2 are both genetically blue cream. Don't know what happened with #1 for her to be so dark. It's incorrect color.

The other two hens that look similar are actually partridge with 2 copies of lavender.

 

[Hinotori]

Has anyone here worked on a project variety of silkies/satins here? Especially ones where another breed had to be bred in to accomplish the project color goal? If so I would love to hear about it and see pictures! Things like what traits you had to work against and how easy/difficult they were to breed out would be awesome to hear about!

For your viewing pleasure-
Photo is one of my pullets that I haven't figured out a use for yet -as far as breeding. She is blue cuckoo, maybe? But honestly not sure and she is TINY! Like a fraction of the size of all my other silkies even the ones that are the right size for silkie (lots of birds these days are bred much larger then they should be- in my humble opinion) She is about 27 wks old, still not laying, and I don't think she will get much bigger

Could be blue cuckoo. It's been worked on in silkies for years. I used to have a few. If a bird is satin, another breed was bred in to add that feather gene. Usually it's cochins. Those mess them up the least in my experience.

Adding something like say ameraucana takes many generations to breed back to full silkie looks. I'm finally getting good crests again at gen 5

 

[NagemTX]

Pictures from the eBay post. I hatched 4 from the same lady last year and lost two of them. They do look like these in the photos. One is more lavender and one is more buff/cream. I think technically the buff like color you get is Isabel.

These would be the stock mine are out of.

 

[Hinotori]

Mine were just filler eggs in a partridge order. I wasn't trying to get some

 

[NagemTX]

Quote from Marty's Fancy Featherlegs.

"Blue Cream

Silkies

Blue Creams

Blue Creams what are they and where do they come from. Well I guess the best way to explain this color is from the beginning.

Europe has a color called Isabel, it is a diluted Buff from Buff and Lavender (Self Blue) mating. Here in the US George Mihalik made the cross of Buff and Lavender (Self Blue) and he called his breeding Porcelain. George’s desire was a 20% Buff color and 80 % Lavender (Self Blue). The problem comes with the name Porcelain, as Porcelain is already an accepted variety name in the Standards. In order for the Porcelain Silkies to use this term for the official name it must breed the same color as what is already set in the standards, but it does not.

To breed to George’s standard takes many generations and the process gives many possibilities; I can see where several color varieties can be made from the one cross. However I have chosen the path closer to George’s 20/80 giving the creation a more dominate Blue body and Buff highlights in chest, neck, crest, wing shoulders and Saddle of the male. I know this can be done as I have seen females with this coloring and only one male. The male coloring and the breeding of consist reproduction will be the hardest part of the color.

I have talked to several breeders who are also breeding this color and to a couple of breeders who have tried to teach me some genetic factors in order for me to understand the breeding of this cross. The first thing everyone need to know is that Lavender (Self Blue) is a recessive gene and takes one gene on both sides to reproduce the color. It is also a true diluting gene and will change black to Lavender (Self Blue) and red or gold to cream. This however may not happen with only one breeding. Also Buffs have either a Partridge or Wheaten gene underneath its breeding.

Thanks to Sherri Humpherys of Sherri Sugarfields for sharing all her knowledge, pictures and birds. Sherri and I have worked together and putting together a color description that best describes this beautiful color."

 

[RememberTheWay]

It's a disqualification for show. I'd added in new blood a few years ago and have the moorhead issue again. It's a slow process of getting rid of it again

That's unfortunate. I really prefer the look of it. Is it a DQ on all colors?

 

[Hinotori]

That's unfortunate. I really prefer the look of it. Is it a DQ on all colors?

I think the moorhead is accepted in partridge in one breed. All goes to the standards for each.

It's not part of the standard on any silkie color.

I know a lot of people like the dark heads on their pets.

 

[Debbie292d]

Has anyone here worked on a project variety of silkies/satins here? Especially ones where another breed had to be bred in to accomplish the project color goal? If so I would love to hear about it and see pictures! Things like what traits you had to work against and how easy/difficult they were to breed out would be awesome to hear about!

For your viewing pleasure-
Photo is one of my pullets that I haven't figured out a use for yet -as far as breeding. She is blue cuckoo, maybe? But honestly not sure and she is TINY! Like a fraction of the size of all my other silkies even the ones that are the right size for silkie (lots of birds these days are bred much larger then they should be- in my humble opinion) She is about 27 wks old, still not laying, and I don't think she will get much bigger

I do not want any satins here in my breeding flock, nor do I want naked necks, but in a batch of hatching eggs from an exhibition breeder came a whole bunch of cuckoos and mottleds, and Pearl. I've got some younger paints about 3 months old, so in several months when they can be sexed and bred, it's just Pearl. I guess I'll breed her until they come of age and then sell her.

I won't start hatching again until January though, but I suppose I'll breed her with the black silkie roo and see what we get.