What You Need to Know About Breeding Silkies

If you are breeding Silkies for show then you need to follow specific guidelines for breeding them. During breeding you will get Silkie chicks that don't meet the APA standard of perfection. Remove these from the flock and do not allow them to breed with your breeding stock. Many people will buy them as pet chickens. It is important to keep your breeding stock away from other birds you don't want to breed with them.
​Approved ABA Varieties are known as;
Bearded/Non-bearded White (see White Silkie Bantam Information)
Bearded/Non-bearded Black
Bearded/Non-bearded Buff
Bearded/Non-bearded Blue
Bearded/Non-bearded Splash
Bearded/Non-bearded Gray
Bearded/Non-bearded Partridge
Bearded Self Blue
Bearded White Naked Neck
​Bearded Paint" Silkie Standard. (American Silkie Bantam Club 2019). Scroll down to see breeding information and chart

Basic Silkie Breeding Information

Breeding Blue to Splash Silkies- results in Blue, Black and Splash Silkies
Breeding Blue to Black Silkies-results in Blue, Black and Splash Silkies
Breeding Splash to Black Silkies-results in Black Silkies
Breeding White only to White Silkies-results in White Silkies
Breeding Buff only to Buff Silkies-results in Buff Silkies
​Breeding Partridge only to Partridge Silkies-results in Partridge Silkies

Lavender Silkie Breeding

Breeding Lavender to Lavender Silkies=100% Lavender Silkies
Breeding Black to Lavender Silkies=100% Splits
Breeding Splits to Lavender Silkies=50% Splits/50% Lavender
Breed Black to Split Silkies=50% Black/50% Split
​Breeding Split to Split Silkies=25% Black/25% Lavender/50% Split

Blue Silkie Breeding

"Mendel’s law of inheritance, says each chick receives two genes, one from the mother and one from the father. Since blue is made up of 2 colour genes – black (BB) and splash (bb), the laws of probability say we have 4 different possibilities when crossing Blue with Blue. BB, Bb, bB, bb.
The following combinations are achievable:

• Blue X Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black, 25% Splash
• Blue X Black  = 50% Blue, 50% Black
• Blue X Splash = 50% Blue, 50% Splash
• Black X Black  = 100% Black
• Splash X Splash = 100% Splash
• Splash X Black = 100% Blue" (Daniels, T. 2008).

Silkie Breeding Chart

Photo credits: Posted to Photobucket

---

​References:
1. Chicken Breeding Charts - Sweet Southern Blue. (2013). Sweet Southern Blue. Retrieved 16 January 2019, from http://www.sweetsouthernblue.com/2013/01/19/chicken-breeding-charts/
2. ​Silkie Standard. (2019). American Silkie Bantam Club. Retrieved 16 January 2019, from https://americansilkiebantamclub.org/pages/silkie-standard
3. ​Daniels, T. (2008). Colour Genetics of Blue Birds. poultrykeeper.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019, from https://poultrykeeper.com/poultry-breeding/genetics-blue-birds/