Silver Partridge/Grey Silkie Genetics?

[Just Rosie]

Several months ago I purchased some hatching eggs from a breeder who assured me he had separate pens for his colors. I am only interested in paints (and blacks and whites). When they hatched, there was one who was definitely not paint and whose colors I have not seen before. I reached out to the breeder who informed me it was a silver partridge, and that paints originate from silver partridge so occasionally one will pop up despite the paint parents.

While I have never heard of nor experienced this before, I took his word for it and decided I would just rehome the chick when it was old enough.

Now, however, the chick has grown into a lovely pullet, type-wise. I don't know anything about SOP for grey/silver partridge but her wings are tucked wonderfully and she has a great shape, as young as she is.

I cannot find a lot of info on the color online, and I wonder about the genetics. Is silver partridge recessive or dominant/co-dominant?

Could I breed silver partridge to paint, and what outcomes could I expect? I am really only interested in producing paints, but I am needing to add to my gene pool and this pullet would be an improvement, in my not so experienced opinion.

Let me know your thoughts!

 

[Amer]

Paint is not created using silver partridge and it wouldn't be good to breed silver partridge into paint even though it is recessive.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I reached out to the breeder who informed me it was a silver partridge, and that paints originate from silver partridge so occasionally one will pop up despite the paint parents.

Since paint comes from dominant white crossed to black.. I question the "breeders" knowledge.. noting that I am very novice to genetics myself.. and also cannot say what they've done in THEIR own line up.

The following image from google (reflects my current understanding)..

I'd not add silver partridge to my gene pool if paint were my goal. Getting hidden recessive genes out would be more useful than breeding them in.. In order for you to get silver partridge that means at least her rooster and one of her hens are both carrying it. You could or would face the same issue.

 

[Just Rosie]

Paint is not created using silver partridge and it wouldn't be good to breed silver partridge into paint even though it is recessive.

That is what I figured, as I have not seen a random grey appear when breeding paints!

Do you mind explaining why breeding grey into paint would not be advisable? Is it due to the probability of producing more greys throughout the generations? Or is there a concern for some sort of leakage/gene expression?

 

[Just Rosie]

Since paint comes from dominant white crossed to black.. I question the "breeders" knowledge.. noting that I am very novice to genetics myself.. and also cannot say what they've done in THEIR own line up.

The following image from google (reflects my current understanding)..
View attachment 3921315

I'd not add silver partridge to my gene pool if paint were my goal. Getting hidden recessive genes out would be more useful than breeding them in.. In order for you to get silver partridge that means at least her rooster and one of her hens are both carrying it. You could or would face the same issue.

Yes, this is my understanding as well, although locking down the secrets of paint genetics seems to be a fickle thing! From the latest info I have received, paints are genetically black birds, but dominant white (co-dominant perhaps?) "paints" over the black, with some black leakage. Meaning there is no such thing as black or white splits. There are dom white birds, paint birds, and black birds. The only thing I have found that to not take into account is a black bird (from paint parent(s)) with pigment holes in its feet/eyes. That I still do not quite understand.

Thank you for the advice! That is a good point, and one of the negatives I've considered, is that I could well end up like this breeder who has random greys/silver partridges hatching out of his paint line. I wish she wouldn't have turned out to be such a pretty bird!

 

[Amer]

That is what I figured, as I have not seen a random grey appear when breeding paints!

Do you mind explaining why breeding grey into paint would not be advisable? Is it due to the probability of producing more greys throughout the generations? Or is there a concern for some sort of leakage/gene expression?

Yes and yes.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Several months ago I purchased some hatching eggs from a breeder who assured me he had separate pens for his colors. I am only interested in paints (and blacks and whites). When they hatched, there was one who was definitely not paint and whose colors I have not seen before. I reached out to the breeder who informed me it was a silver partridge, and that paints originate from silver partridge so occasionally one will pop up despite the paint parents.

While I have never heard of nor experienced this before, I took his word for it and decided I would just rehome the chick when it was old enough.

Now, however, the chick has grown into a lovely pullet, type-wise. I don't know anything about SOP for grey/silver partridge but her wings are tucked wonderfully and she has a great shape, as young as she is.

I cannot find a lot of info on the color online, and I wonder about the genetics. Is silver partridge recessive or dominant/co-dominant?

Could I breed silver partridge to paint, and what outcomes could I expect? I am really only interested in producing paints, but I am needing to add to my gene pool and this pullet would be an improvement, in my not so experienced opinion.

Let me know your thoughts!

Could you attach a photo of the grey birds so I can better understand the genotype?
If you breed a silver partridge to paints, it is essentially the same as breeding black to paints, so I guess so. The only thing is that the partridge could come up again in later generations. You could easily breed it out in a couple of generations with careful test mating.

I’ve recently had blue silver partridge, porcelain and red Pyle from my paints cross to a white. I realised that my error was using a recessive white cockerel, but it shows that my paints were carrying these recessive genes also.

 

[Hrsegrl]

I have a Columbian gray silkie rooster and a light blue silkie hen
If I were to hatch from them this spring what colors could I expect?

 

[Amer]

Black and blue chicks.
Sons will have silver or golden leakage. Daughters will have silver leakage.