silver questions

[Beth Curran]

I received a couple of questions regarding silver bantams and, being new to this variety myself, thought it would be better to put them out here and get your input:

"The males have a little bit of white speckling in the breast. Is it a problem breeding from these males, or do you need to compensate to a certain type of female? Another question that I wonder, I have a few females that have more brown/salmon into their beards and even into the wings.  With a single color male/female you can see how the color of one might balance the other, but with the different colors like silver and wheaten i wonder if there are some secrets that we might benefit from when putting matings together for the Silvers? I have a problem understanding how the male/female colors balance between the two."

The males with the speckling in the breasts came from me, so I'm curious about that, too.

[John W Blehm]

I don't deal with silver or bronze questions...I go for the GOLD!
Just had to say that...to busy shipping chicks today to get into answers.

[Beth Curran]

Haha! Got some of that, too!   You're headed to the Post Office, I'm headed to the polls - trade ya'!

[Russ Blair]

I personally will use a cock with slight speckles if he has good type. Just try and use him with hens from a decent color male preferred. On females the Salmon color should carry up into the beard according to SOP if I remember correctly. I always look at size and type before exact color, just my two cents though.

[John W Blehm]

The males have a little bit of white speckling in the breast. Is it a problem breeding from these males, or do you need to compensate to a certain type of female? Another question that I wonder, I have a few females that have more brown/salmon into their beards and even into the wings.  With a single color male/female you can see how the color of one might balance the other, but with the different colors like silver and wheaten i wonder if there are some secrets that we might benefit from when putting matings together for the Silvers? I have a problem understanding how the male/female colors balance between the two."

The males with the speckling in the breasts came from me, so I'm curious about that, too.

It sounds like the breeder already understands there is a balancing act involved and Russ talks about putting type before color/pattern.  Without an ideal bird, you use the best you have or bring in a better one, if that is an option.  Since all the males have the white speckling I would probably use at least two of them...the one with the best type (provided he doesn't show red in the shoulders) and the one with blackest breast. 
The breeder talks about compensation mating and many know that is a subject Mike and I bring up often.  I believe females with the most even colored salmon breasts will produce the best black breasted cockerels, keeping in mind that is only 1/2 of the mating. 
Chick phenotype will tell a lot about how the bird will look as an adult.  I'm referring more to feather pattern than color here.  The chick, highlighted in pink, with the distinct V pattern on it's head that in uninterrupted coming up it's back is the desired silver/wildtype phenotype.  The chick, highlighted in green, with the not so distinct pattern on it's head may mature into a bird with a more whitish head which is good, but lack in overall silver/wildtype phenotype.  And then there are all those in between the best and worst.
There is work to be done and that is one reason I never claim to sell "purebred" chickens, but rather "standard bred" chickens.

Wheatens are another subject for another day.

[Beth Curran]

Thanks, guys, that helps! Interesting thing about the standard, I am told the APA & ABA descriptions don't match. I don't have an ABA standard, but apparently it calls for black  beards on females?

[Mike Gilbert]

Thanks, guys, that helps! Interesting thing about the standard, I am told the APA & ABA descriptions don't match. I don't have an ABA standard, but apparently it calls for black  beards on females?

My newest ABA Standard is a 1997 model.  It does not differentiate between the color of male and female muffs, and that is not correct.   Only the male's muffs are black.   The females' SHOULD be shown as "silvery gray, shading to salmon at lower extremity of beard."   So it needs correction. 

[Suki]

I was wondering why with Silvers you either go for show males or females; not both. 

BTW The 2010 APA STD pg 201 has that the females' muffs & beards should be "gray, shading to salmon at lower extremity of beard."   Not silvery gray.

[Mike Gilbert]

I was wondering why with Silvers you either go for show males or females; not both. 

BTW The 2010 APA STD pg 201 has that the females' muffs & beards should be "gray, shading to salmon at lower extremity of beard."   Not silvery gray.

Semantics. 

[Suki]

Thanks Mike.  As I said that was the APA book.  The 2011 ABA standard (pg 35) is still the same as your 1997 ed. and says "Beard and Muffs:  Black".  I don't use the ABA ed. much so I'll shoot that off to you as you could use it more than me & I got two when I joined for their anniversary package:  the hardcover and the smaller softcover travel size.  I can't find the latter, but I'm sure it's somewhere around and that's good enough.


It seems that they have a 2014 edition as well.  http://bantamclub.com/aba/index.php/store/books/page-3-10?sort_options=a.ordering-ASC

Brownie.