WHAT COLOR COMES OUT IF I MIX SILKIE COLORS

[aoxa]

even if the breeder IS highly regarded, there is no way to know.  With whites you cannot elective choose which of the hidden genes to breed for or against, so it is a hodge podge, regardless of the breeder.

If you mix a pure white silkie with any other colour, it's going to bring up differences in the chicks. I'm not sure what you mean by this? For example, I know a breeder who only works with whites, and has only worked with whites for 15 years. Those whites would not be hiding any colours, but if you took one of those and bred it to a blue for example, you're going to get chicks that are not pure in colour - that's a given. But I can't imagine there being a hidden colour under 15 years of breeding whites..?

Maybe I am reading your statement wrong. Probably. It's early.

 

[Jacob Temple]

but what does that mean like who they will take more after

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

but what does that mean like who they will take more after

Neither. Do you understand how to average numbers? Like the average of 2 & 4 is 3, or the average of 3, 4, 7 & 9 is 12.5? You are averaging the type of the father against the type of the mother.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: All chickens have MANY, MANY genes. The recessive white gene prevents the bird from making pigment, therefore, while it carries genes that would cause it to be black or blue or partridge or lilac laced or buff or red or some mish-mash of these, since the bird cannot make pigment, there is no pigment in the feathers, and they are white.

You cannot get rid of these other genes, and since you cannot tell (without DNA testing) which alleles of each of these genes are present in a specific white bird, you cannot select for or against them. Genetically, underneath the white, every one could be different. That is why when you cross a non-white to a white, you may get entirely different results from different white birds bred to the same non-white.

 

[aoxa]

All chickens have MANY, MANY genes.  The recessive white gene prevents the bird from making pigment, therefore, while it carries genes that would cause it to be black or blue or partridge or lilac laced or buff or red or some mish-mash of these, since the bird cannot make pigment, there is no pigment in the feathers, and they are white.  

You cannot get rid of these other genes, and since you cannot tell (without DNA testing) which alleles of each of these genes are present in a specific white bird, you cannot select for or against them.  Genetically, underneath the white, every one could be different.  That is why when you cross a non-white to a white, you may get entirely different results from different white birds bred to the same non-white.

Thanks for explaining that in more detail

I'm still confused about the dominate VS recessive white. How could you tell? Any chicks out of two coloured matings that turn out white would be recessive or dominate?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Assuming that a bird is not pure for recessive white, if it carries dominant white, the white will show. It will replace black pigment in the bird. On a cellular level it works differently than recessive white. Dominant white allows pigment to be created; however, the mechanism for tranporting the pigment into the feathers does not work well. So you will get some pigment in the feathers, less if you have two copies of dominant white than with only one copy, but even with two copies you can still get some pigment. This is why breeds that commonly are dominant white also have other genes present that help remove or reduce pigment: barring, blue, silver, etc. But without breeding the bird to a non-white you cannot tell exactly which of these helping genes are present, and you cannot tell whether other colour genes that do not show are present. For example, if the bird is white and silver, you can't tell whether it carries any of the lacing or gold dilution genes, or mottling or ...

So, if you mate two bird that are not white (preferably showing no white at all), and some of the chicks turn out white, you will know that each of the parents carries one copy of recessive white.

Recessive white is labeled c
(note that the c is in lower case, indicating a recessive gene)

c/c is recessive white; all offspring will receive a copy of the gene.
C+/c is not white, but has the potential for having recessive white offspring, and will pass the gene to about half its offspring.
C+/C+ is not white, and cannot produce recessive white offspring, nor can it pass the recessive white gene as it is not present in the bird.


Dominant white is labeled I
(note that teh I is in upper case, indicating a dominant gene)

I/I is dominant white, and the bird will be mostly white, although ground colour may show and some base colour may show
I/i+ is dominant white, and the bird will be mostly white; ground colour may show, as well as some base colour.
i+/i+ is not white; any white in the bird is the result of other genes.

 

[aoxa]

Assuming that a bird is not pure for recessive white, if it carries dominant white, the white will show.  It will replace black pigment in the bird.  On a cellular level it works differently than recessive white.  Dominant white allows pigment to be created; however, the mechanism for tranporting the pigment into the feathers does not work well.  So you will get some pigment in the feathers, less if you have two copies of dominant white than with only one copy, but even with two copies you can still get some pigment.  This is why breeds that commonly are dominant white also have other genes present that help remove or reduce pigment: barring, blue, silver, etc.  But without breeding the bird to a non-white you cannot tell exactly which of these helping genes are present, and you cannot tell whether other colour genes that do not show are present.  For example, if the bird is white and silver, you can't tell whether it carries any of the lacing or gold dilution genes, or mottling or ...

So, if you mate two bird that are not white (preferably showing no white at all), and some of the chicks turn out white, you will know that each of the parents carries one copy of recessive white.

Recessive white is labeled c
(note that the c is in lower case, indicating a recessive gene)

c/c is recessive white; all offspring will receive a copy of the gene.
C+/c is not white, but has the potential for having recessive white offspring, and will pass the gene to about half its offspring.
C+/C+ is not white, and cannot produce recessive white offspring, nor can it pass the recessive white gene as it is not present in the bird.


Dominant white is labeled I
(note that teh I is in upper case, indicating a dominant gene)

I/I is dominant white, and the bird will be mostly white, although ground colour may show and some base colour may show
I/i+ is dominant white, and the bird will be mostly white; ground colour may show, as well as some base colour.
i+/i+ is not white; any white in the bird is the result of other genes.

Thanks so much. This really made sense to me. Finally!

 

[pemphredo]

but what does that mean like who they will take more after

no telling who they will take more after... if even at all ... I mean genetics are funny. Do you look exactly like your mother or father? I have 4 children and their father has what are called dominate genes HOWEVER for some reason my children did not get those traits. I have hazel green eyes and sandy blond hair. My husband has dark chocolate brown eyes and almost black hair. My kids ALL turned out with my hair and eye color. It is just luck of the draw. you never know. I can't wait to see pictures of the chicks.