daisyhistory

History of the California Daisy

by Jennifer Floyd

   As a sidenote to the influence of the Silkie breed, I've got a little project, where I've got a breed I'm working on developing, the California Daisy. I used blue, black, buff, and white Silkies, and red Cochin frizzle bantams from Murray McMurray (1998), and large Easter Eggers (non-Standard Americauna, in blues, splashes, & whites), mostly originating from Belt hatchery (Fresno, CA), that a friend had been working with for some time (1997). I got the bantams to use as pheasant brooders, and the nicest cockerel was a little red and blue Silkie, so I kept him. One thing led to another, these all being very determined setters, so I ended up with some crosses between the Cochins and Silkies, a couple of which were about 3/4 Silkie and 1/4 Cochin (daughters bred back to their sire); pretty birds, with really tame dispostitions. I ended up keeping a cockerel who looked much like the original, but with frizzled, non-silkie plumage, and, deciding that I needed to cut back a bit, thought I wouldn't have to keep a separate pen of Easter Eggers, if I could get the denizens of my broody pen to lay blue/green eggs. The little frizzle cockerel was put over the pen of big hens, and many of the results had inherited the colored egg gene.
   Basically, I want structure intermediate between Silkie & Favorelle, Silkie pigment (5 toes, dark skin and eyes, turquoise lobes, feathered legs, *small* crest, beard and muffs) with frizzled feathering, colored (blue-green) eggs on a 3 1/2 to 4 pound frame.
   Temperament is very important; they should be very tame and mellow, and also lay blue/green eggs (there are still some pink egg layers in my flock, though). While a bit variable yet, they doing pretty well - I have over 20 of these - plus some eggs that are being sat on - not that I *need* more this year, but the eggs are so *pretty*, and they're already being sat on...<sigh> the Daisies are like tomato plants, turn your back and there's "volunteers" everywhere. :) Both the Silkie and the Cochin blood have been instrumental in producing a strong broody instinct, although they lay pretty well most of the time. I liked the dark pigment of the Silkie, but wanted a little larger bird, with the frizzling, plus colored eggs. This is part of my proposed description, if they make it into the Standard someday:

California Daisy:
   This is a breed (currently in development), originating in California in the 1990s. It has been developed from bantam frizzled Cochins, Silkies, and large non-Standard Easter Egg layers, primarily as an ornamental layer and pet, with excellent brooding and mothering skills. The tameness and calm disposition of this breed is one of its most important characteristics, making it ideal for the small family flock.
Economic Qualities:
A general purpose fowl, producing eggs, meat, and useful in rearing chicks. Color of eggs, blue to blue-green.