The American Paint Silkie

[hoppy]

I was going through my pens yesterday, seeing how everyone was growing out and snapped a few pics.

 

[paris_r]

I just hatched out 5 silkie babies from my paint roo (well actually a hen did most the work - but I had to pull 10 chicks out of their shells, they were all 12 hours post pipping and no zipping and their membranes were dried--not sure why 10/11 chicks could not hatch on their own) of them all but 1 (I believe) were from a black hen (she is a prolific layer while the other rarely lays). I got one black, one partridge (from the other hen), one paint and two unknowns-the paints are white to begin with, unlike a lot of white chicks that start out yellow. here is the paint for comparison.


what could these other two be considered?



also anyone have any idea why the one has such a huge vaulted skull compared to the other???

 

[paris_r]

oh yeah!---the paint baby above has two toe tips that are white, so it's skin is not black there. I know the melanin migrates inwards but i don't think it will make a lateral movement. ....so my question is is this normal in paint silkies and therefore not disqualifiable in shows?

 

[Fur N Feathers]

Paris, if you don't see any dark feathering on them yet they may just be white. Sometimes though spots will show up when the next feathers come in. Some chicks have vaulted skulls and some don't. I prefer the vaulted skull myself. The white on the toes and feet are pigment holes. Sometimes this shows up in the eyes also. That is an issue that breeders are trying to correct and I think it is a disqualification at shows.

Here is a cute little one that I am pretty excited about. He/She has feathers on all ten toes, I just love that!

 

[paris_r]

any feedback about the white toe tips?

 

[Fur N Feathers]

I commented on the white toes in my first paragraph. Those are really cute babies by the way!!! I hope you get more comments, but this thread doesn't seem to be as active as it used to be.

Here is another thread with some discussions on pigment holes:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/430450/paint-silkies-european-lines



Good looking crew Hoppy!!!

 

[paris_r]

Quote:

I commented on the white toes in my first paragraph.

I am pretty sure they wont be white-I mean the white on the paint is SO much pure white and they are sort of sandy-unless that is how the difference between dom vs recessive white manifests in baby down.

 

[paris_r]

AH-HA! yes just found this!!!

http://www.chickencolours.com/Pigment holes Paint Silkies.pdf

but then CAN paint breeders really control for it if it is part of the underlying genetics of the colour???? will the silkie rules have to change for that one colour. I mean it can breed true and be pure paint but still then DQ just because the holes happen to be visable?

 

[Fur N Feathers]

That is a very good article. Sigrid is the expert on paint silkies. The paint breeders are working on it.

No, they aren't going to change the rules. Breeders have to breed to meet the rules - the rules being the Standard of Perfection.

Paint is considered a project and not an accepted color to meet the Standard of Perfection. You can show them but they must be shown as "AOL" (All other Varieties - Varieties meaning color). A lot of work goes in to getting a color accepted into the standard. I believe it takes about five years of many breeders showing the best they have and keeping excellent records to have it considered.

Here is a picture of one of my paint babies as a one day old, a few days old and as a pullet. She had a yellowish cast to her down, but is a brilliant white with black spots now.

She is why I said they might be white or paint.

 

[CheshieChick]

I need some help. I have a guy telling me on fb group that paints are only black and white. I'm totally confused.

I have this pretty girl who was hatched from an egg sold as paint. I thought she looked like what people are calling blue paints. I hatched out siblings of hers too. They are the standard black and white paints. When this one first hatched she was a silver white color. I thought she was going to be all white. Then she started developing the silver colored spots. I'm confused...
I mean if she's not paint cool whatever, I'm totally new to paints as a project color. Thanks in advance for any help.

Here she is.

Here is her sibling.