white silkies

[Trace76]

Hi could any please tell me the answer to this question
I bought some white silkie hatching eggs. They have all hatched 3 days ago we have 1 white one 1 yellow and white 3 black and grey and 2 grey and tiny bit of white.
Will the black and grey ones change to white over time ?????
We saw pics of mum and dad of the eggs and they were white dad had few black bits in him but mum was white please help

 

[itspebbl]

The blacks and grays will not turn white. White coloration often "covers" other colors that may be in the genetics of the chickens, so when you breed two white chickens together, you could get several different colors.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Answer:

Rooster is splash, hen is blue or black under the recessive white. The chicks are going to be blue.

Details:

Like most white silkies, Mum chicken is recessive white (c) which covers all other colors when there are two alleles (c/c.) If there is only one recessive white allele (C/c,) the color will not show. Under the white, Mum chicken has at least one black (bl/?)

Dad is splash (Bl/Bl,) not white. Splash is a mutation of black, and it dilutes black.

Splash and black together make diluted black "grey" or blue.

As for why you have a white chick, there are two possibilities:

Mum is actually blue (Bl/bl) which combined with splash Dad would make about 50% splash chicks.

Or Dad has one recessive white gene. (C/c.) He wouldn't show the white, but he would carry it. With the hen, half of his chicks would be white (c/c) and half would not be white (C/c.)

Of course, both could also be true: he could carry one copy of (c) and Mum could carry one copy of splash (Bl.)


BBS breeding chart:

Punnett square:

 

[sylviethecochin]

The blacks and grays will not turn white. White coloration often "covers" other colors that may be in the genetics of the chickens, so when you breed two white chickens together, you could get several different colors.

Mostly right. It does cover other colors, but assuming recessive white (which silkies nearly always are) if you breed two whites together you will always get white. c/c x c/c makes c/c.

Dominant white is a different story... but that's Leghorns.

 

[Trace76]

The blacks and grays will not turn white. White coloration often "covers" other colors that may be in the genetics of the chickens, so when you breed two white chickens together, you could get several different colors.

Thank you for reply I’m well happy that they won’t change colour now they grey ones are so cute the grey and black has attitude already love them it’s my very 1st hatch as well so mighty impressed x

 

[Trace76]

Answer:

Rooster is splash, hen is blue or black under the recessive white. The chicks are going to be blue.

Details:

Like most white silkies, Mum chicken is recessive white (c) which covers all other colors when there are two alleles (c/c.) If there is only one recessive white allele (C/c,) the color will not show. Under the white, Mum chicken has at least one black (bl/?)

Dad is splash (Bl/Bl,) not white. Splash is a mutation of black, and it dilutes black.

Splash and black together make diluted black "grey" or blue.

As for why you have a white chick, there are two possibilities:

Mum is actually blue (Bl/bl) which combined with splash Dad would make about 50% splash chicks.

Or Dad has one recessive white gene. (C/c.) He wouldn't show the white, but he would carry it. With the hen, half of his chicks would be white (c/c) and half would not be white (C/c.)

Of course, both could also be true: he could carry one copy of (c) and Mum could carry one copy of splash (Bl.)


BBS breeding chart:

Punnett square:

Thank you for all that info so glad they won’t change colour now to white it’s my very 1st hatch and I’m well impressed. The black and grey one has attitude already so funny to watch the grey one is the cutest little thing ever will deffo hatch some more babies x