Possible Silkie/Pheasant cross???

BeastyBird

In the Brooder
Nov 13, 2015
62
15
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So my ringneck pheasant very much loves my Silkie hens, I have seen him mate with them on multiple occasions and my hens treat him as they do the roosters (I only have silkie roos btw and he is my only pheasant). He very much favors the white hen, he follows the white Silkie hen most of the day mating with her frequently.

I hatched a white chick that caught my attention immediately because it lacked the extra toes and dark skin, I am 90% sure the egg is a Silkie egg as all three of my Old English bantams lay eggs that are almost white and are more pill-shaped, and my Cochin lays much smaller darker tan eggs.

Now that the chick has it's wing feathers coming in I am very curious if it is pheasant mix, it is a mix of some sort as those are not Silkie wing feathers. I have hatched out several Cochin and Old English mix chicks now and none have looked like this, though I will admit there is a chance that this chick is part Old English or Cochin.

I know it is too soon to tell, and I know that pheasant-chicken mixed chicks are rare and that this being such a mix is unlikely, but here are the photos for your discretion (note the bit of very-pheasant-brown coming in on the wing) I also included a pic of a purebred Silkie and a Cochin/Silkie mix for wing feather comparison (the Cochin mix is a few days older)

















 
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They bout have to be. To get white skin and loose the fifth toe. And the do have more of a pheasant shaped head.
 
I would think even if it were a silkie x pheasant, it would have some silkie characteristics. I'm not seeing the fifth toe, the dark skin, a crest or beard. I'm thinking it's much more likely it's a Cochin chick.
It would be interesting to see how it develops.
 
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The tan and brown color coming in on the wings is looking very pheasant chick to me.



This chick either has to be from my white Silkie and is a pheasant mix OR it is a Silkie mix from my splash Old English, which again the egg is not like my Old English eggs and the head shape on this chick is also nothing like any of the other Old English/Silkies I have bred (and my Cochin is a buff and my Silkie roos all dark so it can't be Cochin mix) so I do have my fingers crossed it is a hybrid.

Only time will tell, if it gets the pheasant tail and no comb as it matures then it is a pheasant mix :D
 
The tan and brown color coming in on the wings is looking very pheasant chick to me.



This chick either has to be from my white Silkie and is a pheasant mix OR it is a Silkie mix from my splash Old English, which again the egg is not like my Old English eggs and the head shape on this chick is also nothing like any of the other Old English/Silkies I have bred (and my Cochin is a buff and my Silkie roos all dark so it can't be Cochin mix) so I do have my fingers crossed it is a hybrid.

Only time will tell, if it gets the pheasant tail and no comb as it matures then it is a pheasant mix :D
So cute!
 

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