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Type is most important. There is a saying, "build the house first, then paint it." A bird with four toes and excellent type will give better quality offspring than one with poor type but correct toes. However, if you are going to use a four-toes bird, the mate must have at least five toes or you will not get 5-toed offspring.
Count the number of defects in a bird when deciding to use it or not--if there is too much to correct, then you will be a long time chasing one thing or another. Any more than three things wrong and it may be a wonderful pet, but should not be a breeder.
Most silkie traits are dominant (silkie feathers are an exception), so even with one copy you are heading in the right direction.
Keep birds in colour-matched groups: white to white, partridge to partridge, buff to buff, etc. Keep records of the offspring from each mating so that you can see what works and what doesn't. A male with one female may not produce good chicks, whereas with another the chicks are dynamite!
A red comb is hard to correct; however comb shape is pretty easy. Toe separation is pretty easy. Number of toes is easy (your 4-toed birds got that from BOTH parents, not just one).
What she said. Arent 5 toes dominant?
Type is most important. There is a saying, "build the house first, then paint it." A bird with four toes and excellent type will give better quality offspring than one with poor type but correct toes. However, if you are going to use a four-toes bird, the mate must have at least five toes or you will not get 5-toed offspring.
Count the number of defects in a bird when deciding to use it or not--if there is too much to correct, then you will be a long time chasing one thing or another. Any more than three things wrong and it may be a wonderful pet, but should not be a breeder.
Most silkie traits are dominant (silkie feathers are an exception), so even with one copy you are heading in the right direction.
Keep birds in colour-matched groups: white to white, partridge to partridge, buff to buff, etc. Keep records of the offspring from each mating so that you can see what works and what doesn't. A male with one female may not produce good chicks, whereas with another the chicks are dynamite!
A red comb is hard to correct; however comb shape is pretty easy. Toe separation is pretty easy. Number of toes is easy (your 4-toed birds got that from BOTH parents, not just one).
What she said. Arent 5 toes dominant?