Giant Silkie Project.

[MysteryChicken]

This project is designed to create giant fluffy chickens.

Who doesn't love Silkies, & wish they had some the size of Brahmas?

I have both Silkies, & Brahmas, color patterns isn't a concern until Silkie feathering, 5 toes, & black skin are produced.

I'll only be using my largest Silkie cockerels/roosters to breed with my Brahmas.

Pictures of my large Silkie cockerels.

First Boy is next to a Bantam Silkie cockerel for size comparison.

Second Boy next to a 5 gallon Bucket.

Here's a picture of my Brahmas.

 

[MysteryChicken]

My broilers.
Cockerel

Hen.

They were thrown in the bantam bin at Tractor Supply.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Interesting project! Will you be trying to decrease silkie broodiness or maintain it at a high level?

Keep the Broodiness. A Silkie wouldn't be a Silkie without that trait.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Go for it! You can do anything you set your mind to, especially if it has something to do with chickens!

 

[MysteryChicken]

Breeding order.

Pair #1. Silkie X Brahma

Pair #2. Silkie X Brahma

OffSpring from Both pairs #1, & #2 bred together.
Silkie/Brahma X Silkie Brahma

OffSpring from the first offspring is then bred back to grandparents.

I'll be using line breeding, & adding new blood if necessary.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Go for it! You can do anything you set your mind to, especially if it has something to do with chickens!

Thank you. At least with this project I have everything I need for it bird wise. The last one I ended since I'm lacking particular breeds.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Those traits will be easy to verify they are being carried forward. Owing to number of traits, you will still have trouble ensuring at least a few birds carry most of those traits. The more traits you are carrying torwards the larger size with linebreeding back to your bigger birds, the faster you will have to employ something other than simply line breeding. You are quickly going to get into situation where you will have to hatch a lot of chicks and cull most of those. The effort will take several years / generations.

Jersey Giants might be a quicker way to get size you want. The hybrids should be average between parents that might get desired size lesser than Jersey Giants in one generation.

Jersey Giant is a good suggestion, but I no longer have any.

I understand this may take years to complete, which fine by me. I love my birds so much, I'm willing to work with them for years.
Culls aren't a big problem for me since it puts food on the table. I cull around 6-7 months of age, sometimes not until a year. I like to monitor growth, behavior, & features that appear as they age, only those I desire will pass on their genes.

 

[MysteryChicken]

What's the next step once the Big Chick is grown? Cross him back to a Silkie?
And he is adorable, by the way.

Yep, gonna have to back cross him to a large silkie hen.
Gonna use Poof, since she's a big girl.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Update.
Good news. Seems like it's a pinched nerve after all. She moved her toes abit after the first dosage of vitamins. Her leg had the jitters, which is something I've seen with chickens with a pinched nerve.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Keep the Broodiness. A Silkie wouldn't be a Silkie without that trait.

So you’re trying to maintain the bandstand silkie qualities as much as possible but increase the size? Have you seen the broiler silkies? I’m trying to remember what thread was discussing those... They had silkied feathers but the feathers looked shorter, and the body size was bigger... Found a link!
https://thechickhatchery.com/home/white-silkie-broiler/