What's a "gypsy" silkie?

[joebryant]

Will someone please explain to me what the term "gypsy" means when speaking of a silkie.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

'Gypsy' is the color of their skin, aka; 'gypsy purple'. That's always how I've heard it and used it. The term can also be used when speaking of a Sumatra, with their gypsy colored face.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Thanks, so do all silkies have "gypsy purple" skin, i.e., what others call "black", or is there an actual genetic difference of two kinds of silkies, purple skin and black skin.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Hmm...well, I don't think the color of the skin is limited to just one word. You can call it black skin, but most of the Silkies I see are ligher skinned than that. Alot of people refer to the skin as 'purple-blue' or vice versa. When I think of gypsy, I think of deep purple.

As far as the genetics of skin goes, I'm really not familiar with it. But putting it mildly, Silkies SHOULD have this purple skin, as in, accoarding to standard. I think the goal is to have it as dark as possible. Some have darker skin than others. It's all breeding and genetics. Different color variations can be called different things.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
That all makes sense. Thanks much, ThePolishPrincess. I understand now.

 

[Chris09]

Gypsy or Mulberry face is a phenotype and is the pigmentation of the epidermal of the face, comb and wattles. Gypsy face is a breed characteristic of Sumatras, Birchen and Brown Red Modern Games, Silkies and to a lesser degree of Sebrights.

Gypsy or Mulberry --
•A dark purple, or black colored skin that predominantly shows up on the face, comb, and wattles, but can be the color of the whole body as well like in Silkies.

Chris