I agree with DwayneNLiz. Silkies have a bigger niche in the market than sultans. People generally know what silkies are and will look for them as a pet or broody. Sultans on the other hand, not a lot of people know what they are. You would not believe how many people ask me if I eat my sultans or their eggs, right after I get finished telling them it's a pretty rare chicken!
As far as the pedigree on a chicken goes, there isn't one as such, from what I understand. If it looks like a sultan, acts like a sultan, has all the features of a sultan..then it's a sultan (insert any variety in for sultan). I can see a use for a Sulkie or Siltan
But as a yard ornament or to people who are trying to add to the sultan bloodline. There's no real purpose like a meat bird or egg layer just due to the size(assuming you have bantams). Now if you are line breeding and trying to improve either breed as a "pure" bred chicken, then you do have some purpose to the birds but it's still going to be mostly yard ornaments or possibly show birds later down the line.
Any chicken that is not a production breed for eggs or meat tend to either be for show or as a ornament. A lot of people will not spend the money to feed a chicken who isn't providing back for them. So I do not see Sulkie's taking off.. I do breed my sultans and I cross breed them too. I have a ultimate purpose in mind and that's for colored sultans who lay better and are broody. My out crossing is also (I hope) making my future sultans more hardy than they currently are by increasing the gene pool. If you have a reason for what you are doing, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone but yourself, carry on Just enjoy your chickens.
Welcome to BYC!!
Now to answer the question, do I eat my sultans or their eggs. Nope. I hatch each and every egg they lay. My old hens are just pretty girls who have no purpose other than to make my eyes happy. When the roosters start crowing at 3am I am tempted to give one a nice taste test though.
As far as the pedigree on a chicken goes, there isn't one as such, from what I understand. If it looks like a sultan, acts like a sultan, has all the features of a sultan..then it's a sultan (insert any variety in for sultan). I can see a use for a Sulkie or Siltan
But as a yard ornament or to people who are trying to add to the sultan bloodline. There's no real purpose like a meat bird or egg layer just due to the size(assuming you have bantams). Now if you are line breeding and trying to improve either breed as a "pure" bred chicken, then you do have some purpose to the birds but it's still going to be mostly yard ornaments or possibly show birds later down the line.Any chicken that is not a production breed for eggs or meat tend to either be for show or as a ornament. A lot of people will not spend the money to feed a chicken who isn't providing back for them. So I do not see Sulkie's taking off.. I do breed my sultans and I cross breed them too. I have a ultimate purpose in mind and that's for colored sultans who lay better and are broody. My out crossing is also (I hope) making my future sultans more hardy than they currently are by increasing the gene pool. If you have a reason for what you are doing, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone but yourself, carry on
Just enjoy your chickens.Welcome to BYC!!
Now to answer the question, do I eat my sultans or their eggs. Nope. I hatch each and every egg they lay. My old hens are just pretty girls who have no purpose other than to make my eyes happy. When the roosters start crowing at 3am I am tempted to give one a nice taste test though.
With luck they will make it to adulthood and join my sultan color project which I also hope to increase the size, broodiness and health of standard sultans. I'd like to see a 7lb sultan hen and 8lb rooster one day.
