What's wrong with their feathers?

[pips&peeps]

Yep , I've heard tell of such things in deep rural areas

Da da ding,
ding,
ding,
ding,
ding ding ding​

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

wow got so into reading this thread I lost track of time...now late for work

It's been fun though!

 

[KellyHM]

Quote:
How do you know, they may have had a secret rendezvous in the middle of the night.......

Yep , I've heard tell of such things in deep rural areas

 

[SteveH]

............... and I agree with greathorse ; Julie you certainly are taking this all well . IMO there is no need to consider DNA testing even if it's possible . If there are those who have to know the exact manner these birds came to be , I would let them go to the trouble and expence to do so . LOL . Seriously , as Jean pointed out , there are some seemingly mutations that occur in species in regards to feather or hair or color that seem to happen in both wild populations and domestics [ mother nature routinely culls such individuals , man tends to propagate them ] . Personally I tend to be of a function dictates form mentality and not particularly attracted to Silkies , especially SQ specimens ; but that being said I'm not a purist and still like your birds . I will not rule out owning one someday .

 

[onthespot]

did a small search for "silkied" and got these links. Seems there are a lot of silkied cochins, even more of the seramas, and someone in England has silkied Japanese, but no pics on her site. Eggbid has had quite a few auctions run for silkied seramas and cochins.


http://www.thebantambarn.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=50961864 silkied cochins

http://www.briar-patchfarms.com/Serama.html silkied seramas

http://www.cottagepoultry.tk/ silkied japanese

silkied birds on eggbid
http://www.eggbid.com/search/search...in&country=&order_by=date_end&sort_order=DESC

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Yep I've seen a whole lot of silkied seramas. I don't care how these birds got the silky (spelling it this way to keep me from reading it as the breed) gene, or how long ago it popped into their family. Because if they fit the Ameraucana standard and lay Ameraucana eggs, they're Ameraucanas to me!

I can see why some people would get huffy over calling them that. To me, the silky gene is no different from the frizzle gene - just another thing that modifies the way the feathers are constructed. Frizzle is common enough now to where people accept it pretty easily. If it looks like the breed, it's the breed, just frizzled form - no questions asked. Hopefully soon these will be seen the same way

Which I'm sure after being bred to SQ Amers for a few generations should help a lot. Hopefully any hidden other silkie traits that may or may not be present, will soon be bred away.
There's also silky in pigeons and doves. It's a bit different though...sort of like a mix between silkie and frizzle in chickens. In two doses, it's ugly and brittle like frizzle, but in one dose, looks pretty and soft like silkie

So who all is going to be breeding these guys? Besides the OP, of course. It'd be useful to know for people looking to get into this 'new variety' (like me

), and may want to get eggs/birds from more than one family being worked on.

 

[alicefelldown]

<-- future breeder! Jubaby shipped eggs today, planning on crossing with Pips&Peeps Blue/Splash Ameras (and possibly Black/Lav) in due time. I def. want to focus on keeping the eggs as blue as I can in addition to preserving their feathering.

 

[kathyinmo]

<--- Future breeder! Honored to be the first to hatch eggs from Julie's special birds!

 

[SteveH]

congrats and best wishes to both k.i.m. and a.f.d. on the successful hatch and future hatches and breedings .

 

[Happy Chooks]

I think it's neat and I'm very interested in this thread. I mean, who wouldn't want an "accident" like this? Whether by mutation, or whatever.

Would there be this much discussion about the how/why this happened if it were any other breed? (like RIR's or Orps) Or is this just wrapped up in the Ameraucana vs EE feelings people have?

Just what I was thinking. Again, I find this fascinating. I'm going to be getting some blue and black ameraucana's, so after I get my new coop built, I'd be happy to partake in this adventure. (But I'll probably be too late by then)