What will happen if a Silkie Rooster mated with non–Silkies?

[TheDocter21]

I accidentally got a Silkie rooster, since you can’t tell what they are when they are hatched. I have several other chickens besides silkies, we have 6 other breeds of chickens (Americaunas, Brahma, Buff Orpingtons, Wyandotes, Green Olivers, and one female Silkie) including his female counterpart. I was wondering what would happen if the Silkie rooster mated with the other non–Silkies? Would it be a bad thing? We don’t really want to crossbreed any chickens, but we are considering it. I know Silkie mixes can look really funky, but I fear what could go wrong.
P.S.– we plan on hatching baby silkies, how do I know who’s eggs are whose?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The size of eggs should be an indication unless your other breeds are bantams.
At any rate, silkies eggs are a different color than all the others. Ameraucanas and olive eggers will be various shades of green. Wyandottes, Orpingtons and Brahmas lay brown eggs. Silkies lay tiny tinted eggs.
Hatching from any of the others will get you barnyard mutts.
Mutts are still chickens.

 

[BreanneRN]

The size of eggs should be an indication unless your other breeds are bantams.
At any rate, silkies eggs are a different color than all the others. Ameraucanas and olive eggers will be various shades of green. Wyandottes, Orpingtons and Brahmas lay brown eggs. Silkies lay tiny tinted eggs.
Hatching from any of the others will get you barnyard mutts.

But they will be really cute barnyard mutts! They will most likely have a crest, though not as full as the Silkie, most likely have 5 toes on each foot. They will have feathers instead of the Silkie fluff... They will be adorable and if they have a green egg laying mom, they might lay green eggs! Don't worry about accidently breeding crossbreds, you won't have babies unless you hatch the eggs... Silkie eggs are a light cream color, so you will know which ones are purebred... Unless that Silkie hen encourages the other roos to fence hop...

 

[BreanneRN]

Ideally, you would set up a breeding pen where you can confine the pair you want to breed and collect the eggs to be hatched until you have enough.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Since all the non-silkie eggs will be obvious, a dedicated breeding pen won't be necessary. Just set silkie eggs and eat the rest.

 

[BreanneRN]

Since all the non-silkie eggs will be obvious, a dedicated breeding pen won't be necessary. Just set silkie eggs and eat the rest.

I was thinking in case they decide to hatch some other breeds too... You never know!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Good point. But you can always use either a staggered hatch or pedigree bags in the incubator to differentiate chicks from one another. But, the pure silkie chicks should be obvious.

 

[SouthLouisianaChick]

Good point. But you can always use either a staggered hatch or pedigree bags in the incubator to differentiate chicks from one another. But, the pure silkie chicks should be obvious.

What are pedigree bags?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What are pedigree bags?

Mesh bags that you can put different eggs in and the chicks can hatch yet be contained so as not to mingle with the others. I usually put 1 to 4 eggs in each bag. Each bag contained eggs from a specific pairing. I always knew the rooster and sometimes the hen. I would identify each egg with a flock and egg number. When hatching was imminent, I would put them in their respective bags.
Then when I pulled the chicks from the bags, I would leg band them.
I started with colored zip ties, then went to colored numbered bandettes and finally to metal numbered bands because they never come off. Somehow they seemed to lose the bandettes.
There are hundreds of types on the market but I was at a flea market once and bought 100 bags for packaging shrimp and a light bulb went off in my head. I think I paid about $5.
https://www.harrisseeds.com/products/41789-sealed-bottom-mesh-bags-24-in?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I was thinking in case they decide to hatch some other breeds too... You never know!

Pull any eggs that show up in the nest that aren't silkies. A day under a hen shouldn't preclude eating it.