A Cuckoo Silkie varies from lavender to navy blue in color, with subtle barring throughout their plumage. Cp - Short legged condition. You must remember that not all genes can be used to create a Punnett square. Long and stiff feathers on the posterior area of the tibia. This process of breeding has done much to spoil many good breeds,as not everybody has the space to keep two pens. According to the American Poultry Association (APA), Silkies are only accepted in six colors: white, black, blue, buff, partridge, and splash. Every gene has two versions, called alleles. Allele-An allele is a gene that is a member of a set of genes that all belong to the same locus, or location, on a chromosome. The cockerels from this mating will be " duds " and unfit for the show bench.The whole modus operandi can be thinned down to this : The cockerel-breeding male must possess all the necessary characteristics to breed exhibition cockerels, whilst the pullet- breeding male must boast of those characteristics that will go to breed exhibition pullets. I noticed that combining white with black will produce white. Well while the impure ones will look a little dirtier and perhaps even show a gold feather or 2 in the hackle and tail or shoulder ,the only way you can be sure he is pure is by progeny testing your cock bird. I'm so glad I have a special folder just for chicken sites I found useful Some of these genetics were way over my head so I got rid of all my colored silkies, kept the blues and now have a flock of predominantly splash. Gold, s+, and silver, S, are allelic,which means that they are found at the same locus (on the long, Z, sex chromosome). I'm trying to start a buff mottled silkie chicken project is there anyway you could point me in right direction to doing that I . Because the female fowl have differing sex chromosomes, the long one, Z, and the short one, W, the Z chromosome has gene locations that the W chromosome does not. Chicken Composer Calculator Includes "Browse" feature! OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there! The E-allele causes dark, brown eyes, while skin and feather melanizing factors also contribute to eye colour. A reality warp RP. Some breeders describe them simply as darker buff variations, although there are breeders specially working on developing Red Silkies in Australia. That is they tend to be a little too well marked on the breast and also you might find that they are no longer crow winged. My personal experience with eggshell colour genetics leads me to believe it is more complex than this. With simple experiments and insightful observations, he was able to draw conclusions that are useful up to this day - it's no wonder he's called the Father of genetics. Fuzzy logic bar BETA Now I am working on breeding for all bearded ones. Turkens. Glossary and definition of terms used with poultry breeding: How to breed for a trait for sexing day-old chicks: causes yolks to be lighter in colour and reduces xanthophyll levels in blood plasma. Greay Silkies are very easy to tell from blue silkies. The dominant white gene I needs to be introduced from another breed, such as white leghorn. The Cuckoo Silkie is not a recognized breed variety and is a relatively new Silkie variation. There certainly must be a number of brown eggshell genes and once you have them, it is difficult to breed them out completely. And what would I get if my black hen ends up being a roo and I cross him with my white hen? Hide Genotypes Trying to learn Reply. I get numerous requests from people looking for "show quality" cuckoo Silkies. There are 4 combinations which will result in him carrying both silver and gold, and there are 2 combinations that can result in a pure silver cock.A pure silver cock mated to a gold hen, now all the pullets will be silver as they only receive the silver from the cock bird remembering they receive nothing of the hen bird from the sex chromosome. And hair color is one of the features that one can try to predict based on the hair color of parents and other relatives. Id - Light foot colour. The barring gene is on the long chromosome and not the short one, so therefore a female can have only one copy of the barring gene (always). 2 Comments Peter Fehr. It is no longer accepted that 'pied' is a distinct gene from mottle, however it is not known why the mottle gene causes the pied pattern in some birds and the typical mottle pattern in others. The child receives 23 chromosomes from the mother and 23 chromosomes from the father, forming a set of 23 pairs of chromosomes. What the chicken looks like (due to the combined action of the color genes). It may not display this or other websites correctly. This is a breed specific group, but color genetics work the same for all chickens. Allelic with dominant white. Confusing can be that wildtype colored males are often called "Black breasted Red". For example the mahogany colored Rhode Island Red. WHITE SILKIES c/c or I/I on any other colour. Phenotype. A given trait must be defined only by the alleles we're going to use in the genetic square. The Silkie & Silkie bantams book is complete, as you may expect from me. I know with the splash and the black I will get b/b/s chicks. One allele is from the mother, the other from the father. The effects of most of Silkies' recessive genes are not visible until the chicks are juveniles. Please include both the male and female conterparts just so it's easier to follow. Any of eb, E, or ER s+ or S (S/s+ rooster) Pg/Pg Ml/Ml B/B or B/-(hens) and recessive melanisers. Two dark alleles produce dark hair, and two light alleles produce blonde hair. Black Silkies can be bred by breeding a Blue and a Splash Silkie, a Blue and a Black Silkie, and of course, two Black Silkies. Every white can be genetically different. k+ - Sometimes called rapid feathering. What's the difference? NOTE: Too many differing loci between parents is very time and CPU demanding (client PC)! eb/eb s+ or S (rooster can be S/s+) Pg/Pg Ml/Ml lav/lav and recessive black. I numbered them to distinguish the four combinations, since they are all genetically the same. The normal feather can be represented by HH or Hh, while the silkied feather is represented by hh. Even if your hair is dark, you may have a version of the gene responsible for light hair color, and this is the version you can pass on to your child. I can easily distinquish between blue and gray now. rp+ - Wild-type gene. There are children with cystic fibrosis in both of families. Dominant. This gene allows beak and sometimes plumage pigmentation in dominant white homozygotes. Terms and conditions - The keeping of chickens and other poultry is a subjective experience which varies across the world and in different environments. Ml - Dominant. BANTAM eb/eb s+/s+ Pg/Pg Mh/Mh Db/Db or Db/db+ and recessive black, STANDARD eWh/eWh Pg/pg+ or pg+/pg+ Mh/Mh Db/Db and recessive black. This special module is the new version of the chicken calculator with colorgenes (including autosomal red) and a lot of other genes that affect appearance of your chicken. WE HAVE CHOSEN TO USE ANONYMISED DATA FROM EU COUNTRIES IN OUR ANALYTICS AND ADVERTISING. The chicken color calculator does not always work for Silkies. White, black, blue, gold and partridge. My main goal is focusing on the male rather than the female and hope to achieve a smaller com, nice short back, tight wings and medium crestBlack Silkies colour genetics - eb/eb S or s+ (or both in males) Pg/Pg Ml/Ml and other melanisersOR - E/E S or s+ and other melanisersOR - ER/ER S or s+ and other melanisers. Therefore, Smoky fowl will breed true. READ THE FULL DISCLAIMER.GDPR - THIS SITE DOES NOT COLLECT OR STORE ANY INFORMATION. The blue eggshell gene, O, expresses if it is present which is why it is considered to be dominant. Consider if they are homozygous dominant, recessive, or heterozygous. Brown eggshell colour is a complex trait and as many as 13 genes have been proposed to account for the range in eggshell colour. Goldfish Aquaponics 101: Feeding, Stocking, & Care Guide, How Many Horses Are There? Learn more. An increase in embryonic mortality of up to 10% is attributed to Na. Discount calculator uses a product's original price and discount percentage to find the final price and the amount you save. This year I am focusing on achieving the black breast on the males.Partridge Silkie colour genetics - eb/eb s+ Pg/Pg (Cha/Cha)The common fault of partridge silkies having a black crest can be attributed to the Cha (Charcoal) gene. Our mission at Pet Keen is to make the life of you and your pets easier and even more enjoyable. Both parents are healthy, but they still may be carries since the disorder is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. This is purely a random process (whether or not he gives silver or gold at any particular moment).An impure cockerel over a silver hen. dwM - MacDonald dwarf. Also pictures for shank color (best guess) and combtype. On the cockerels you also want striping on the saddle hackles and over the cushion and some colour on the shoulders as well. But this is a very simplified model. I think it also depends which colour you use to get the lav, for example birds that have been bred to black birds will be split for E or ER depending upon the genetics of the black bird. Females having one blue gene and one or more brown genes will lay eggs having a greenish colour. An organism with two different alleles at a gene locus (one dominant and one recessive - Aa) has a heterozygous genotype. Many poultry fanciers give this double-mating question some hard knocks, but we have only the Club Standards to blame. We use capital letters for dominant alleles (A), and lowercase for recessive alleles (a). The white eggshell colour is due to an absence of blue and brown, and perhaps some modifying factors (genes), since there are different shades of white. Lack of creeper trait. Although for show purposes, variations do not apply.There are five standardised colours in the UK. My understanding at present is that the locations of the brown eggshell genes are not known and it is not known how many brown modifying genes there are or where they are in relationship to the genes of known locations. Other alleles take more time to express. The question you are asking is somthing along the lines of what kind of stew will I have if I add a random can from the pantry. If you want to breed Silkies, I recommend studying the breed closer and when you decide on a variety, focus on it specifically. I have gotten gray chicks from white/black matings. Search our database of over 13360 posts with up-to-date information from our experts and veterinarians. For example, a bird that is heterozygous (has one gene instead of two) for a given dominant trait may look the same as, or similar to, one that is homozygous (has two genes) for that trait.They both have the same appearance or phenotype. If that random can is carrots or corn or some other sort of vegetable, it may mix well with the stwe, but if it is cherries or peaches,you will have a mighty strange stew. Smoky is dominant on the chick down of IS/i+ heterozygotes in that down that should be black is grey. Agouti: A/A A/a a/a By Neil Armitage Published on February 7, 2021. Autosomal alles - homozygous or heterozygous? We can represent the genotype of a blue eggshell layer as (O, O) with (br, br). Fill the first column and row with the parent's alleles. Bearded Silkies have an extra beard, or muff, of feathers underneath their beak. Course ~ This is the easiest to care for of the three coat textures. Melanin, which affects hair color, is of two types: eumelanin and pheomelanin. How to Breed F2 Olive Eggers. We can clearly see that all of the patient's children will be healthy. A mating of two lav homozygotes (blue fowls) will produce blue offspring. It is a sex-indicating trait. Silkies should have a roundish comb, preferrably wider than its high. But you can make some probability calculations based on your family's hair color history. Our foundation stock is a wide gene pool so we have many different varieties to work with. Silkies come in two distinct variations: bearded and non-bearded. Back to the silvers though, the trick to breeding proper birchins is to get lacing on the breast and striped hackles but retaining the crow wings.That means no colour other than black on the flight feathers. Mix each allele of one parent with the alleles of the other. Brushing a few times a week will keep a silkie coat in great condition. This way, only one incorrect allele can cause diseases among men, but not among women. Mix each allele of one parent with the alleles of the other. A bird that has two genes for a given trait is homozygous for that trait.The genotype is the actual set of genes. Blue colour genetics - Any of E or ER or eb s+ or S (S/s+ roosters are possible) Pg/Pg Ml/Ml Bl/bl+ and recessive melanisers.The hardest part about breeding blue Silkies is getting lighter (versus too dark) shades.My blues have the Andalusian gene. r+ - Wild-type gene. I have a neighbor who has great looking show quality gray Silkies she bought from a breeder. Once your F1 Olive Egger hens are laying, you can breed them to an F1 Olive Egger rooster. For example, if both parents are heterozygous, the Punnett square will look like this: There's a 75% chance of carrying the dominant allele. Chromosomes contain genes that are responsible for the sex of the child, eye color, hair color, personality traits, and many other things that make us unique. Abnormal eggs are suppressed (soft-shelled, double yolks). Dec 18, 2012. The effect of the blue gene is dominant over white. Not in my case, it produced black. Recessive. The phenotype is the appearance or visual characteristics of what you can see. Alleles can be dominant (main) and recessive (suppressed by the dominant version). If you mate birds together that are correctly marked, you will end up with very well marked chickens. Lack of lavender trait. 'If you are a masochist, raise buffs as there is a lot of culling involved.If you are a die hard for punishment, raise partridge as this is one of the hardest patterns and colours to get right.Greys are a patterned bird; blues are essentially solid coloured.Grey is partridge with silver rather than gold. es -Males: black breast and abdomen; non-black hackle, saddle and wings. The basic rules of genetics were created by Gregor Mendel in 1865, thanks to his simple experiments conducted on garden peas. Here as before, I will use the fictitious symbol "Br" to represent brown eggshell genes. A post shared by Blacksmith Farm (@blacksmithfarm). The dog food calculator estimates the daily calorie needs of your pet. Cookie Policy, Copyright 2021 GenCalc.org. When feathercolor of the whole bird is reserved for at most one pigment kind, pheomelanin or eumelanin or none. Note that the male groundcolored wing triangle is not typical for just this pattern, but also for the wheaten and partridge pattern. The figure below illustrates how to get the combinations of genes of one parent, (A, B), and the genes of another parent, (C, D). He's the best Partridge I've see. The article at BrownEggBlueEgg.com by Dr. W. F. Hollander Silkie Genetics lists several of the Silkie breed's genes. W+ Dominant wild-type gene. I am working on achieving a jet black colouring. This is done by mating him to a gold hen and if you get just one gold chicken that means he is impure.Now the other way to get pure silver cockerels is of course to mate a pure silver cock over a silver hen, this will result in all the offspring being pure for silver. The E-allele causes dark, brown eyes, while skin and feather melanizing factors also contribute to eye colour. Go ahead, play with our Punnett square calculator and try all of the possible options! To confuse things further, some feather colours affect the expression of Fm as well. For example, more than ten genes influence eye color! About 1/4 of the chicks they produced were whites. dw is responsible for some beneficial effects. As a rule, the alleles responsible for dark color (hair, eyes, etc.) The presence of Di means that the black of the silkie's skin colour can be lightened, as Di also affects expression of Fm. Each gene comes in two versions called alleles. ida - Allows green spots on shanks- this gene is not widely accepted and the effect of this gene may be due to the interaction of modifiers not allelic to this locus. Here's a short list of rules to follow: The blood type inheritance makes a good example of a trait that is perfect to use in the Punnett square calculator. Yes, there is also a dominant white gene, but it is not at all common in silkies. In this case, the inside surface of the eggshell will be significantly less green and more blue than the outside surface, which is where most of the brown pigment is.Since the blue and brown eggshell colour genes should be at different locations, we need at least two pairs of genes to describe the genotypes of the blue, white, green and brown layers. In practice one would not number the genes as I have done in this paragraph. In Australia, Silkies tend to be c/c, or recessive white. Here, I apply the jargon immediately above, but will minimise the use of it from now on. I don't think you can take all of that to the bank for what absolutely will happen. Please feel free to contact us if you are willing and able to assist us in improving our translations. This article was updated on December 28, 2022. Two nigrum genes, E, and one Bl gives a blue chicken; two Bl genes gives splash. In many cases fanciers are satisfied with breeding one sex only and winning honours with same. 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It comes as handy if you want to calculate the genotypic ratio, the phenotypic ratio, or if you're looking for a simple, ready-to-go, dominant and recessive traits chart. Take a look at the white Silkie in depth. Let's look at the genetic table below. What You Need To Know. Our Punnett square maker works on autosomal alleles (chromosomes 1-22), but it can be used for other things. The boys feather out all black and shiny or mostly black and barred (haven't had any with muffs/beards). Some Blue Silkies are a lighter blue-grey tone, and breeders are often challenged with attempting to breed specifically light or dark varieties because they are almost impossible to predict. Smoky dilutes black much more than red/gold. If you want to be different, raise the blue/black/splash varieties as these are the only colors that can be 'interbred.' For example, if allele. Lack of naked neck. The color does not exist naturally in Silkies and must be introduced by another breed. It is impossible to accurately predict the color because many genes passed on to a baby by mom and dad influence the color of a baby's hair. Recessive. The dominant white gene needs to be introduced from another breed, such as white leghorn.Naked neck Silkies, usually know as Showgirls, are not currently an official Silkie variety in the ABA, or APA standards. It is an incompletely dominant gene. OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there! Silkies also have a unique plumage that is more like fluff than feathers, giving them a silky feel that is far more cuddle-worthy than any other chicken breed. It is an incompletely dominant gene. "Split" means that they carry one copy. Once a Silkie has reached the age of 10 weeks, a trained eye can tell the difference between a rooster and a hen. Henk69.nl. There is a 25% chance (1/4) of giving birth to a child with cystic fibrosis. Look at the result of the Punnett square. dominate over light colors. JavaScript is disabled. There are many challenges with breeding this colour, but that is what makes it even more intriguing. There is a common recessive modifying factor, mf, that reduces the influence of the frizzle gene. On top of its groundcolor a chicken can have a (diluted) black/eumelanin based pattern, like stippling, pencilling, lacing, etc What the chicken looks like (due to the combined action of the color genes). Terms and conditions - The keeping of chickens and other poultry is a subjective experience which varies across the world and in different environments. On eb based buffs its very hard to breed out the black, while on eWh the birds can tend to be white undercolour. That's why I'm sticking to white Silkies for now! Most people who have paints for the first time will breed a paint to a true dark black silkie. rp-2 -A skeletal mutation commonly called 'roachback'. However, it requires the presence of inhibitor of dermal melanin, id+, to be expressed. Some common sex-linked traits are Cuckoo barring, gold, silver, slow feathering and dwarfism. The females in the pullet-breeding pen will all be first-class exhibition birds and the male not a show bird, but a breeder most likely to breed tip-top exhibition pullets. Research has shown that the pied and mottle patterns are due to the mottle gene. They can be bred by mixing blue and blue or blue and black varieties. Allows full feathering. The perfect snowman calculator uses math & science rules to help you design the snowman of your dreams! If you are prepared to provide your chickens with the care they need, then keeping chickens can be a wonderful experience. Black Silkies are not typically always jet-black, but this is the most desired shade for breeders. Lav+ Dominant,wild-type gene. Or to produce more black chicks, put a white with a true black. This is brought about by the presence of the Muff Beard gene Mb. The usual white is silkies is recessive. "Split" means that they carry one copy. So any idea what a white rooster and a buff hen woudl produce? It is believed that this gene is necessary for chickens to produce a comb. Where can I find Silkied varieties of rare, or uncommon breeds. They have the effect of lightening the darker mahogany to closer to the required lemon top colour you end up with silver and gold cockerels and pullets, the shade of gold though will be much lighter than the dark gold mentioned earlier. Phenotype describes the appearance, that is, what's visible. The Na allele is associated with increased tolerance for heat, which is probably due to the 30% reduction in overall plumage for heterozygotes and 40% for homozygotes. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Why does it matter? Grey Silkie colour genetics - eb/eb S S pg+/pg+ or Pg/pg+ (Cha/Cha)Once again, the undesirable black crest can be attributed to the presence of Cha. This pigment is called melanin. They don't seem to shed as much as the . For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. IMO, there are none yet although a few breeders are getting very close. The female has one long chromosome and one short chromosome. lol. In the cockerel breeding pen of any variety the male will be a tip-top show specimen and his mates females that are not show birds, but merely breeders likely to throw high-class cockerels when mated to the exhibition male.The pullets from this mating will, of course, be " duds " and not fit for show purposes. A post shared by Jersey Silkie (@lavernscreativeideas). The cuckoo Silkie is not a recognised variety and there are a few serious breeders working to improve them overall. Recessive. If you're curious what is the age of your cat in human years, try this cat age calculator. Please read my earlier post. Use the search! Blue and white genes, (O, o) with (br, br) also yields a blue egg, but perhaps a lighter blue. In buff and lemon silkies the gene inhibiting Fm is Di. Dominant. The expression of silver is sometimes affected by hormonal levels and is considered to be incompletely dominant and highly influenced by modifying genes. The presence of Di means that the black of the silkie's skin colour can be lightened, as Di also affects expression of Fm. White Silkie colour genetics - c/c or I/I on any other colour. JavaScript is disabled. Multiple alleles have been proposed. ID - This gene is often called 'Dun'. The combination of idM, E and I produces a pale blue or green colour by about three months of age. S - This gene is called 'silver'. So, I was wondering if there was an "Idiots" guide to silkie color genetics? Great information. In the case of laced varieties, such as the beautiful Gold and Silver Laced Wyandottes, weare sometimes forcedto adopt the double mating principles.Double mating requires setting up a cockerel-breeding pen and a pullet-breeding pen. The silkie feathers are caused by a recessive gene, so crossing two pure Silkies should NEVER produce a bird with normal feathers. Meaning that depending of how it is bred, you can tell males from females. http://sites.google.com/site/zijdehoenders/t&dcreating/basics-about-chicken-color-genetics-heritage, http://showsilkies.com/reproduction-and-incubation/chicken-color-genetics, http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/SilkieGenetics.html, Difference in Easter Egger vs Olive Egger. Are quality grays hard to breed to standard, and what are the most common problem areas with them? Any of E or ER or eb s+ or S (S/s+ roosters are possible) Pg/Pg Ml/Ml Bl/bl+ and recessive melanisers. Most white silkies have the recessive white gene instead of the dominant white gene. They also recognise that most lines of show-quality poultry are inbred. They will also provide you with fresh eggs and entertainment. I have a splash roo and a white hen and a black "hen". Barred females can only have 1 copy of the barred gene while barred males can have 2 copies of the barred gene.Barring is defined by "B" which resides on the Z chromosome. You can expect both silver and gold pullets but only silver cockerels. Bearded Silkies have an extra muff of feathers under the beak area that covers the earlobes. Reported to have little influence on shank/foot colour in birds with dark shanks due to E/E. Characteristic of Belgian Bearded d'Uccle, Breda, Sultan. About the Pictures Click the name of the bird and it will take you to an image with all the gene's Picture of the real bird also included. I - Incompletely dominant. y - Recessive, causes white skin. IS -The smoky gene is an allele belonging to the dominant white locus. In fact, genes carry information not about certain colors but about the amount of the same kind of pigment, which determines the shade of the hair. WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY ARISING FORM SUCH ERRORS, OMISSIONS, LOST OF DATA, INTERRUPTIONS OR DELAYS OR ANY ONGOING OBLIGATION OR RESPONSIBILITY TO OPERATE THIS WEBSITE OR IN THE PROVISION OF ITS SERVICES. Splash coloration in chickens manifests as a white or very muted grey (in other words, black) 'splashed' with irregular splotches of black or blue. One allele per row must be selected. READ THE FULL DISCLAIMER.GDPR - THIS SITE DOES NOT COLLECT OR STORE ANY INFORMATION. Mottle causes a white tip at the distal end (end farthest from the skin) of the feather. All of his sons will be completely free of the disease. A colour which is under development and not fully understood. The four possible combinations are (A, C), (A, D), (B, C) and (B, D). Which is silver laced. A post shared by Paint Silkies Sunshine Coast (@paintsilkies.sunshinecoast). Like how do you get blue, splash, mottled, or cuckoo colors? Paint silkies have been compared to the genetics found in Appaloosa horses. Their striking colours and beautiful patterns are a sight to behold. lav - Recessive. idc - Recessive. If one of them is faulty or sick, the second, healthy one may take its function. When blue and brown genes are both present, both genes contribute to the eggshell colour making the eggs appear green. Screen will freeze. Paint Silkies are essentially Black Silkies that carry one dominant white gene, resulting in a truly unique-looking bird with dalmatian-like spots. These Silkies are a uniform light grey-lavender across their plumage. Moreover, our Punnet square maker allows you to calculate the probability that a rare, recessive genetic disease will be inherited. Male silkies differ from other crested breeds in the presence of streamers which flow down the back of the neck. However, all of his daughters will be carriers, and may transfer the disease to the next generation. An important difference between Smoky and Andalusian Blue is that Smoky in the homozygote state produces a grey/blue bird while Andalusian Blue homozygotes are splash. In this situation, 100% of babies will be born healthy. -Gasp-. Is there one online I can find? You are using an out of date browser. Read on! Silkie chickens are arguably one of the most beautiful chicken breeds, and although they are most commonly found in white, they can come in a wide range of other beautiful colors too. By so called red enhancers this gold can be boosted to a (dark) red color. Meant is a patterned (dark) back and a groundcolored (light) underside. If you are intending on breeding mealys, be prepared for other colours to crop up as well.