Silver Bantams

[John]

The silvers have been a challange for decades.  We are getting closer to the standard with more of us working on them these days, but the males seem to still be the biggest problem.  
Looking at the ABC Bulletin from the Winter of 1990, Jerry Segler wrote:
\"...The Silvers have been kept to themselves for too long now and the vigor has suffered.  I was trying for a long shot on getting a good clean rooster.  But when I did get one something always happened to him.  So I have now gotten one really great cock bird from the following cross 3/4 bantam 1/4 large fowl (all silver) x silver Old English.  I picked up the OE at Highland.  Out of about 30 chicks I got one clean cockerel but he has white legs.  I now have about 10 chicks (3 weeks to 1 day) out of this cockerel and the old line of bantam.  The hens are in a moult now.  Only 3 have slate legs.  I doubt if I get any clean cockerels in the spring.  I will let mendals law work it\'s magic and cull heavily.  I hope that cleans up the silvers...
Jerry was also working on brown red, buff, and other varieties at the time.

[Mike Gilbert]

Jerry\'s line of silver bantams were the original ones, and one of the pullets from that line placed Reserve of Breed at the qualifying meet at Columbus, Ohio, in 1983, in a class of about 70 Ameraucana bantams.   Unfortunately, that line has completely disappeared, which is why John and I have been working together to re-establish the bantams in the silver variety.   We made good progress in 2005, and hope to have a few to share by the fall of 2006.   We\'ll see, we won\'t count those chicks before they are hatched - and grown.   I know Michael Muenks is also working on them, and one or two others.   Right now I would say their future looks good.

[John]

From the Fall, 1988 Bulletin Rande Buske, of WI, said:
     \"I am in search of a silver male or pair in bantams.  Have been having problems with vigor, cross beak (really bad) and sudden paralysis in chicks that are or appear healthy and range in the age of 2-3 months.  I have had abundant hatches in silver but end up putting most of them under.  What I don\'t understand is that the adult silvers are just loaded with vigor.  I am getting quite frustrated with them.  I think it has alot to do with genetics and their age (cockerel & pullets of \'87).
     I raise the silver, whites, Milles & Seabrights together and have lost very few of the other varieties.  I have almost 30 whites hatched from a trio of pullets and an old cock.  They are well on their way and I am really proud of them.  I also really like the silvers - nice body type, good strong heads - the only thing I can fault critically are the females tails (quite upright instead of a nice fan) and the males peacomb is not tightly secure to the base of the skull...\"
Rande is best known as a top breeder of Ameraucana white bantams, but he did work with the silvers at one time.

we won\'t count those chicks before they are hatched - and grown

It seems like Jerry\'s problem of something happening to the best cock birds is an ongoing story from my experience.  Maybe this will be the year we see some real progress.
I believe Curtis Beck (of Indiana?) is also working with silver bantams.

[bantamhill]

Ironically it seems that the bird I am hoping to produce seems to appear from time to time and beat the odds. The greatest challenge I have is the pullets/hens being too dark of feather color. I have a nice little cockerel that is golden duckwing in color that is going to be put with my best (best is realative here!!) bantam silver Ameraucana hen and some  half bantam Old English and Ameraucana pullets pullets. If the odds work in my favor I may get a homogenious muff, slate legs, and correct color . . .