silver hens

[Wiley]

there used to be an old theory of silver hens, but for the sake of me my mind cant recall what it was, im sure it was something about genes, anyone have any idea?

[pjc]

I think it depends what family you have Wiley but some used to always keep an odd silver in the stock loft but i'm not sure it was any benefit.

 

Phil

[Wiley]

I think it depends what family you have Wiley but some used to always keep an odd silver in the stock loft but i'm not sure it was any benefit.

 

Phil

 

i knew many top fanciers had top class silver hens some where racing and breeding machines, but i have never till this day seen a silver cock, however i just cant recall the theory that someone said to me many moons ago, im sure it had something to do with genes

[pjc]

there are silver cocks around but more hens due to the genetics cocks are harder to produce as the colour is sex linked.

[Guest slugmonkey]

I have started a family of reds  that is bred from a brick red cock and a silver hen and am finding that the silvers are better racers but the cocks are fantastic during training but dont come home from the racing ??

I also have introduced blacks into this family ?? and have not seen any results from training or racing ??

 

 

[fred x]

The Old breed of Tommy Bucks, The Janssen, Rye, Wegge, Pigeon. Would have Silver Blues where mostly Hens, & Silver Blue Cheq where Cocks,  

(A bit like the Ginger Cats, Mostly Toms)  "Their i'm showing my age" ;D ;D

[ohiogsp]

Silver cocks are more rare? I have 5 at least here. Let me post a pic and see if this is what you are calling silvers. Maybe I don't know what a silver is.  

 

[jack]

nice birds

[leighton1984]

thats not silver lol.

 

[Guest]

Silver cocks are more rare? I have 5 at least here. Let me post a pic and see if this is what you are calling silvers. Maybe I don't know what a silver is.  

 

 

Hi ohiogsp,

its hard to tell with photo's. Your photo looks like a silvery mealy to me, but i can definately see the silver cast in it! The hen looks to be a Blue, but if she was sideways on it would be better to see! Sincerelly nice birds though mate!   They are a credit to you!

[the pigeon_milker]

nice birds m8 wot ever they call em are is a hen and fast and keen but will never race no rings but we will breed of it and see wish i had a better picure of it

[jimmy white]

there used to be an old theory of silver hens, but for the sake of me my mind cant recall what it was, im sure it was something about genes, anyone have any idea?

 

i remember something like that, something about recessive and better for breeding ;D,,,,think its in levis book ,,,, its all in the genes ;D ;D ;D

[Guest cloudview]

allways been the norm , round here anyway thats silvers went straight in stock loft

the above photos look like a mealy cock and a blue hen , can,t see any silvers

[OLDYELLOW]

silver hen

[Guest cloudview]

correct old yellow , and by the way get that nestbox underneath cleaned out lol

[Wiley]

allways been the norm , round here anyway thats silvers went straight in stock loft

the above photos look like a mealy cock and a blue hen , can,t see any silvers

 

do you know the reason why, its quiet intriguing

[Wiley]

Silver cocks are more rare? I have 5 at least here. Let me post a pic and see if this is what you are calling silvers. Maybe I don't know what a silver is.  

 

 

looks like a mealy to me?

[leighton1984]

i have one cock that breeds silvers every nest.  

[PIGEON_MAN]

 

do you know the reason why, its quiet intriguing

 

The late great Alf Baker was allways known for putting silvers into the stock loft,cant personally see how the colour of a bird would make it any better for breeding,perhaps it was because he knew his family of birds so well that the silvers would allways breed well.

[john@formula 1 lofts]

There was a very good distance flyer many years ago that used to fly in my area (Essex) and he had a true Silver cock bird which was a bit of a legend in these parts winning many top pos from Thurso in fact the last year he raced this cock he had been in the stock loft all year and on marking for thurso he decided to send it winning a lot of pool money in the combine on its first race of the season 512 mile.

 

But i can not recall if he bred any good birds or not.

 

[Glassfeather]

These are the three basic colours and their corresponding dilutes:

 

Ash red

 

Dilute ash red (Ash Yellow)

 

Blue

 

Dilute blue (Silver)

 

Brown

 

Dilute Brown (Khaki bar)

[OLDYELLOW]

correct old yellow , and by the way get that nestbox underneath cleaned out lol

 

lol thats a floor box thats not in use and the litter and feathers get blown in but i do clear it out  

[kirky]

 

The late great Alf Baker was allways known for putting silvers into the stock loft,cant personally see how the colour of a bird would make it any better for breeding,perhaps it was because he knew his family of birds so well that the silvers would allways breed well.

 

i think the reason he put them to stock was because the colour was a throw back to a foundation cock or hen,

 

[OLDYELLOW]

was told years ago silvers would produce 500 mile winners , how much truths in that i dont know , i did stock my silver hen but her 2 brothers flew the programme , i intend putting this hen back to its grandfather that was my only reason for stocking her not colour just the line  

[Michael J Burden]

Simply this, hens are moreso because they only need one gene in their make up and you see a silver/dilute of the colour.

The cocks can carry this gene too, but generally only have one gene, thus the birds looks like the full colour and not dilute. Can breed dilutes but are hens unless the hen is silver too.

If the cock gets 2 genes fro dilute then it is also dilute. All breeding is youngsters are hens, silver, cocks carry the gene and produce silver hens.

 

The gene is rarish in most lofts so getting it to double up within a cock takes a bit of luck, time and sometimes a canny purchase.