why people cross silkies and americana?

[SilkieCanada]

I was wondering I see this cross lots, what is the purpose?

 

[LarryPQ]

Really? I havent seen this cross very much, if at all.

Maybe because they like floofy chickens with beards?

 

[19hhbelgian]

Are you seeing the silkied ameraucanas? They are a true ameraucana that had the silkie feather gene pop up through some strange genetic happening... No crossing of silkies at all

 

[SilkieCanada]

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farmer told me he crossed it with americana. I was wondering if people did this often and for what purpose maybe to make a smaller bird. I can post pics later, I bought her. Beautiful bird.

 

[LarryPQ]

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Yeah, these are TOTALLY different than a simple cross. I dont think I have seen anyone selling silkieX americana crosses. Or more specifically, ones they have BRED to be crosses.

Sometimes, chicken love just happens.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I just read on another thread (just a few minutes ago, in fact) that folks cross breed these two for brooding purposes.


Bantam silkies make great brooders for folks who do not want to rely on electric incubators for hatching eggs.


But they are small, and can only sit on a few full size eggs at a time.


By cross breeding a bantam silkie with an ameraucana roo, the resulting pullets are larger than their bantam mother. They still seem to like to go broody, but when they do, they can sit on more eggs than the bantam mother can.


I don't know anything more about this than what I just wrote. And the only reason I know this much is because somebody was talking about this on another thread.

 

[stormylady]

I just like experimenting to see what I get. Though I don't have any of these mixes yet.

 

[SilkieCanada]

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Thats interesting because the one I bought is smaller than my other silkies. lol.

 

[pixiedouglas]

I have a friend with an Americauna roo x white silkie hen, the pullet baby looks like a feather duster.

 

[SilkieCanada]

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wow I would like to see pic of that!