What colours/patterns might I get from these combos?

[MysteryChicken]

Take a look at his feet, fluffy feathers

Definitely a funky bird you got there.

 

[Cheekychook12]

Definitely a funky bird you got there.

He sure is, quite the character also

 

[Cheekychook12]

Okay, interesting. Not totally sure what would be causing that as he's not silkied. At least not totally.

One possibility I can think of is maybe a Chimera.
Do any of your Cochins carry the Silkie gene?

Do you mean chimera as in absorbed twin with multiple DNA sets, if so very cool
Maybe I’ll let him breed once and hatch a couple eggs to try figure him out if you don’t think it would cause problematic deformity

 

[NatJ]

Do you mean chimera as in absorbed twin with multiple DNA sets

Yes.

Maybe I’ll let him breed once and hatch a couple eggs to try figure him out if you don’t think it would cause problematic deformity

I would not expect problems in the chicks.

I wish there were a DNA test for the silkie feather gene, but I don't know of any company offering one right now. If there were such a test, you could pluck some silkie-textured feathers from one side and some normal-textured feathers from the other side, and see if they show different results when tested separately (silkie-texture feathers would most likely have two genes for the silkie trait, normal-textured feathers would have either one or two normal genes, with one or no silkie genes.)

A few chicken DNA tests do exist, but I keep wishing for ones that don't

 

[Cheekychook12]

Yes.


I would not expect problems in the chicks.

I wish there were a DNA test for the silkie feather gene, but I don't know of any company offering one right now. If there were such a test, you could pluck some silkie-textured feathers from one side and some normal-textured feathers from the other side, and see if they show different results when tested separately (silkie-texture feathers would most likely have two genes for the silkie trait, normal-textured feathers would have either one or two normal genes, with one or no silkie genes.)

A few chicken DNA tests do exist, but I keep wishing for ones that don't

I might not be able to test for the silked gene but I could learn if he’s chimera or not
Probably the reason they don’t exist is it’s usually visually clear if they are silked or not
I have also noticed most of the barred feathers appear in or near where silky textured feathers are
He also has the most pathetic crow you’ve ever heard, he’s been doing it for a month with zero improvement..
Could I eventually breed fully silked pekins from him if that’s what it is?

 

[NatJ]

I might not be able to test for the silked gene but I could learn if he’s chimera or not
Probably the reason they don’t exist is it’s usually visually clear if they are silked or not

For the genetic test, until recently I don't think any existed for chickens. But there are now a few places that are just starting to offer a few tests that breeders find handy. The first one I noticed was for the blue egg gene (easiest way to tell if a rooster has it!), and now I see a few others becoming available, which is why I went looking for a silkie one.

Silkie feathering is caused by a recessive gene, so you only see the silkie feathers if the bird has two copies of the gene (on inherited from each parent.) If a chicken has just one silkie feather gene, it will have normal feathering, but can pass the silkie gene to some of its own chicks. If someone is breeding silkie feathering into a different breed, it could be very handy to test which chickens are carrying the gene and which are not, which is why a company might bother to develop such a test and people might pay to use it.

I have also noticed most of the barred feathers appear in or near where silky textured feathers are

So if he is a chimera, that would mean one area has silky feathering and barring, and the other area has normal feathering and most likely no barring.

He also has the most pathetic crow you’ve ever heard, he’s been doing it for a month with zero improvement.

I don't know if that has anything to do with being a possible chimera or not, but it's another interesting oddity about him.

Could I eventually breed fully silked pekins from him if that’s what it is?

If he passes at least one silkie-feather gene to any of his chicks, that could definitely be a starting point for breeding silked pekins.

But there's the question of which set of cells his testicles grew from, whether he produces sperm with or without the silkie feather gene. So it might be possible or it might not be.

If you have a silkie hen, you could test-mate him with her. If any chicks have silkie feathering, then he has at least one silkie-feather gene and gave it to them. If any chicks have normal feathering, he has at least one normal-feather gene and gave it to those chicks. If you get both kinds of chicks, you know exactly what genes he's got (one silkie-feathering and one normal feathering), or if you get lots of one kind of chick and none of the other it means he's got two of that gene.

 

[Cheekychook12]

For the genetic test, until recently I don't think any existed for chickens. But there are now a few places that are just starting to offer a few tests that breeders find handy. The first one I noticed was for the blue egg gene (easiest way to tell if a rooster has it!), and now I see a few others becoming available, which is why I went looking for a silkie one.

Silkie feathering is caused by a recessive gene, so you only see the silkie feathers if the bird has two copies of the gene (on inherited from each parent.) If a chicken has just one silkie feather gene, it will have normal feathering, but can pass the silkie gene to some of its own chicks. If someone is breeding silkie feathering into a different breed, it could be very handy to test which chickens are carrying the gene and which are not, which is why a company might bother to develop such a test and people might pay to use it.


So if he is a chimera, that would mean one area has silky feathering and barring, and the other area has normal feathering and most likely no barring.


I don't know if that has anything to do with being a possible chimera or not, but it's another interesting oddity about him.


If he passes at least one silkie-feather gene to any of his chicks, that could definitely be a starting point for breeding silked pekins.

But there's the question of which set of cells his testicles grew from, whether he produces sperm with or without the silkie feather gene. So it might be possible or it might not be.

If you have a silkie hen, you could test-mate him with her. If any chicks have silkie feathering, then he has at least one silkie-feather gene and gave it to them. If any chicks have normal feathering, he has at least one normal-feather gene and gave it to those chicks. If you get both kinds of chicks, you know exactly what genes he's got (one silkie-feathering and one normal feathering), or if you get lots of one kind of chick and none of the other it means he's got two of that gene.

Yeah unfortunately I don’t have any silken birds but I’ll still try breeding from him to see what happens
What colour pullet would create the most interesting colour offspring? I don’t particularly like white birds so I would rather avoid having heaps of them
I have black, blue, buff, lavender partridge and silver partridge to choose from

 

[Slothinc]

This thread is so cool! Your possible Chimera boy is really neat! I would breed him to black. To me, it looks like he is “paint” ie dominant white over barred black on one side only and white on the other side (not sure if recessive or dominant.) Does he have any barred feathers on the white side? What a cool bird. Post as many pics of him as you’d like

Oh and the reason I would breed him to black is because you will get “paint” or ermine chicks and black and possibly barred - I’m not great with barred genetics - if the genes come from the silkied side. If from the flat feather side, if he’s recessive white, you’d get all black, and if he’s dominant white you would get all paint/ermine.

Also, I know you’re not in the US but just for @MysteryChicken to know, The Silkie Lab is developing a silkie feathering test right now! I used that lab recently to do a lavender test and was very happy with the process. Definitely recommend and I plan to use them more in the future, especially when they get their blue egg test up and running!

 

[MysteryChicken]

This thread is so cool! Your possible Chimera boy is really neat! I would breed him to black. To me, it looks like he is “paint” ie dominant white over barred black on one side only and white on the other side (not sure if recessive or dominant.) Does he have any barred feathers on the white side? What a cool bird. Post as many pics of him as you’d like

Oh and the reason I would breed him to black is because you will get “paint” or ermine chicks and black and possibly barred - I’m not great with barred genetics - if the genes come from the silkied side. If from the flat feather side, if he’s recessive white, you’d get all black, and if he’s dominant white you would get all paint/ermine.

Also, I know you’re not in the US but just for @MysteryChicken to know, The Silkie Lab is developing a silkie feathering test right now! I used that lab recently to do a lavender test and was very happy with the process. Definitely recommend and I plan to use them more in the future, especially when they get their blue egg test up and running!

Ermine color is Paint X Mottling. Three genes not just two.

Interesting they're coming out with a Silkie feather test. I don't use labs for checking for certain genes though it could be handy at some point.

 

[NatJ]

Oh and the reason I would breed him to black is because you will get “paint” or ermine chicks and black and possibly barred - I’m not great with barred genetics - if the genes come from the silkied side. If from the flat feather side, if he’s recessive white, you’d get all black, and if he’s dominant white you would get all paint/ermine.

That thinking makes sense to me.

A rooster with barring should produce at least some chicks with barring, so that's what he ought to give if the genes from the silkied/barred side are the ones being passed on to his chicks. Probably some barred chicks and some not-barred chicks.