Smooth Silkies

[learycow]

Does anyone have an explanation of smooth silkies?
I hatched eggs from someone a couple years ago. From those eggs I got 1 really nice small blue hen, but she feathered in smooth.
I've been hatching eggs from her as well as the rest of my flock and the last hatch I had 3 out of 5 feather in smooth.

How does this gene work in silkies? Is there a reason to keep it in my flock or should I cull for it?

(I only have them for fun, don't show. But do sell eggs for hatching)

 

[BoomChickaPop]

I don't know just starting out with silkies I love them
DON'T CULL IT

 

[donrae]

The silkie gene is recessive. Both parents have to carry it (be silkie feathered) for the offspring to be silkie feathered.

 

[Icravepoultry]

Can you post pics

 

[littlemissbatam]

People usually use them for breeding more frizzle silkies

 

[learycow]

I don't have pics of the blue smooth hen I mentioned above but this is one I just hatched (from someone elses eggs). Shes pure silkie like my blue hen. Both are smooth feathered though

 

[paddock36]

Somewhere along the bloodline there was an oops in the breeding pen.

 

[learycow]

Somewhere along the bloodline there was an oops in the breeding pen.

Can you please elaborate?

 

[Bryam]

Can you please elaborate?

Your slikies are not pure.

 

[learycow]

Your slikies are not pure.

From my understanding, the silkie gene is recessive so the birds need 2 copies in order to be silkie feathered. Hence how smooth shows up now and then (was told this by 2 different breeders so feel free to chime in if you feel different).
So I believe that they are in fact true silkies. I am just wondering how the smooth gene comes into play. If it's necessary to better silkie types or anything along those lines. Similar to how its best to breed a frizzle and a smooth rather than 2 frizzles... etc