What's wrong with their feathers?

[kathyinmo]

Hey, Julie, are the Silkie girls still laying good for you? How are they doing? Are they still in with Ozzie, and are you incubating all of their eggs? (I would!)

 

[kathyinmo]

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Thanks for your observation, Katy. That is what I think, too, but I am no expert (especially with the Ameraucana breed).

 

[QuailHollow]

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My problem with project folk is they over think this stuff. Honestly - It's an experiment. We can all agree you're not going to get a true-breeding *anything* from a single cross. I know quite a few breeders that have poultry which they show regularly. Even when I ask them questions on breeding certain specimens, the usual response is "Just breed them. You're not going to know any more than you did today if you don't, so who cares what they look like, just hatch them out."

 

[kathyinmo]

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Our experiment currently in progress is simply to see if they do indeed carry the silkied gene. If the chicks come out silkied, then that would mean they received a silkie gene from both parents. That is my understanding.

 

[averytds]

I figure it just makes things more definite to know if we're working with the Silkie feather gene or something else. Either way doesn't matter or change the process much, we would just know more than we do right now.

Since we don't have any laying AMs for Julie at the moment, there isn't much else to do to kill time while we wait for chicks to mature. Might as well.

I've had the very same conversation with many breeders. Just try it and see. They choose breeders based off of what they need for their specific program. That's not always the bird someone else might think. Sometimes the bird works out well, sometimes not, but they don't know until they see the results. I know where we're trying to go and we're lining up the stock to get headed in that direction while we wait. We expect to have plenty of culls along the way.

 

[klf73]

well, if anyone had a silkied roo of age I could put him over my black and blue hens but I can't part with my girls as I need them for when my project roo comes of age....

 

[alicefelldown]

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Our experiment currently in progress is simply to see if they do indeed carry the silkied gene. If the chicks come out silkied, then that would mean they received a silkie gene from both parents. That is my understanding.

This is basically correct. The test matings came out of the debate if these birds had the hookless (h) gene or if they had fray (fr). The test will not prove or disprove if an actual Silkie chicken was involved in these birds' genetic heritage - something nearly impossible to verify. They will only prove if the "silkied" (it's actually called hookless) gene (h) is at play. The hookless gene (h) has popped up in other varieties and species of birds, including owls.

Which is why all of us who are out-crossing to a smooth feathered bird will end up with smooth feathered chicks who are h (or fr or ???) carriers. You need two copies of h (or fr or ???) for it to express.

 

[alicefelldown]

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Her's are fluffy? Mine is still extremely "stringy" or "ropey". Certainly not fluffy like down feathers or Silkie feathers. Expect more pictures later today - the chick is growing a 'goatee' instead of a beard/muffs.

 

[averytds]

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That's the stall at this point. Currently no one has both of age yet. Just a matter of time though.

What I got from K-State was probably the Silkie gene/h (hookless). Didn't think it was fray/fr, but didn't think it really mattered. From a production standpoint a complete waste of time/money, but from a hobbiest or exhibition standpoint, they said go for it, wouldn't hurt anything. We'd never know what we'd get unless we tried and it made just as much sense as breeding for frizzle or naked neck.

 

[kathyinmo]

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Julie has the roos that are of breeding age!