when showing blue silkies...

[apc]

What shade of blue is wanted? A local breeder/shower is selling chicks (most arevarious shades of blues, some lighter and dark with the occasonal splash..but none have been black) and Id like to get a few chicks from her to show as well (her birds tend to do really well). But i really dont know what to look for besides how many toes they have lol. Could someone post me apic of an ideal blue bird so i could compare it to the parent stock. Any suggestions or tips are welcome. Ive only ever had white silkies (and only as pets)

 

[apc]

Nobody has blue silkies?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Not sure since I dont raise the blues, but I have heard that you want them a medium blue shade. You dont want them too dark where they almost appear black.

 

[destiny_56085]

APA Blue Color Standard

Color of Male and Female
HEAD: Lustrous bluish black.
NECK: Hackle - a uniform shade of plain slaty blue clearly and sharply laced with lustrous bluish black. Front of neck - same as breast.
BACK: A uniform shade of plain slaty blue clearly and sharply laced with lustrous bluish black.
SADDLE: Same as hackle.
TAIL: Main tail - a uniform shade of plain slaty blue clearly and sharply laced with bluish black. Sickles, lesser sickles, and coverts - same as main tail.
WINGS: Shoulders, fronts, bows, and coverts - a uniform shade of plain slaty blue clearly and sharply laced with bluish black. Primaries - a uniform shade of slaty blue. Secondaries - a uniform shade of plain slaty blue, outer web clearly and sharply laced with bluish black, lustrous bluish black shafting.
BREAST, BODY, STERN, & LOWER THIGHS: A uniform shade of plain slaty blue clearly and sharply laced with bluish black.

UNDERCOLOR: Uniform slaty blue in all sections.

DISQUALIFICATIONS: Red, yellow, orange, or positive white in any section of the plumage.

DEFECTS: Surface of feathers not laced with darker shade. Black in various sections of the plumage.

 

[destiny_56085]

You want the lacing on the feathers and the darker color through saddle and hackles. This is rather hard to see with the silkie feathering.
Look at the blue cochins on here for good examples of the color:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Cochins/BRKCochinStd.html

Look up Hattrick's page. She has some very nice blue's.

Here is one of my correctly colored roosters.

 

[iluvmychicks]

I've seen many different shades of blue in silkies, I personally like the medium shade of blue best. Here's a few examples of birds I've raised. You can see the variations in color....

Shari

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
They are gorgeous! There making me want some blues.

 

[onthespot]

Here is a photo of a hen that is too dark. (hey, pics of what's wrong sometimes help as much as pics of what's right. If I had a "right" bird I'd post a pic!

)

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I do not think the shade is nearly as important as other traits, but I do want blues to be light enough that they are easily distinguishable from blacks. Personally I like the really light ones, but as I said--other traits are more important than the shade of blue.