I bought silkie hatching eggs to improve type and color in my silkies. The photos I was sent showed really nice looking birds. When they hatched though I got 2 chicks with single combs. That means the parents must've carried it, right?
I've narrowed it down to keeping 3 pullets and one of 2 cockerels.
Is there any way to test weather they carry single combs that doesn't involve test breeding? Probably not.
I was going to sell my previous silkie rooster that I hatched chicks from this year, but I know he doesn't carry a single comb, so maybe I should keep both roosters. Only issue is I'm working towards solid colors (black, blue, paint) and my older rooster is kind of a leaky golden heterozygous dominant white with who-knows-what underneath. The new cockerels are all black, which I want in a rooster.
I own one hen with a single comb, so I could attempt to test breed the cockerel. Only issue is that the hen has never once layed a fertilized egg. Maybe the previous rooster just really dislikes her. She's always squatting when I go to pick her up. I also only have a dog crate that I could separate them in. I'm worried they may not breed if there's not enough space.
And if I keep a flock of around 10 hens and 2 roosters would I get fertilized eggs from both roosters or would the older, dominant rooster not let the other mount the hens?
What should I do? Finding a completely black rooster with good type locally is nearly impossible. I want to keep the black cockerel that I have, but I don't want to accidentally breed in single comb carriers and battle that for years to come. Although the pullets could also breed that in if they carry it. I also wouldn't want to accidentally sell someone hatching eggs that hatch single-combed chicks.
I've narrowed it down to keeping 3 pullets and one of 2 cockerels.
Is there any way to test weather they carry single combs that doesn't involve test breeding? Probably not.
I was going to sell my previous silkie rooster that I hatched chicks from this year, but I know he doesn't carry a single comb, so maybe I should keep both roosters. Only issue is I'm working towards solid colors (black, blue, paint) and my older rooster is kind of a leaky golden heterozygous dominant white with who-knows-what underneath. The new cockerels are all black, which I want in a rooster.
I own one hen with a single comb, so I could attempt to test breed the cockerel. Only issue is that the hen has never once layed a fertilized egg. Maybe the previous rooster just really dislikes her. She's always squatting when I go to pick her up. I also only have a dog crate that I could separate them in. I'm worried they may not breed if there's not enough space.
And if I keep a flock of around 10 hens and 2 roosters would I get fertilized eggs from both roosters or would the older, dominant rooster not let the other mount the hens?
What should I do? Finding a completely black rooster with good type locally is nearly impossible. I want to keep the black cockerel that I have, but I don't want to accidentally breed in single comb carriers and battle that for years to come. Although the pullets could also breed that in if they carry it. I also wouldn't want to accidentally sell someone hatching eggs that hatch single-combed chicks.
