3wk old Silkies: who to keep??

[gaeamama]

hmmm.. I'll have to go check their toe feathering... I can start there. they do all have five toes, some separated better than others.
they're all developing the same, except for that one on the far right, it's slower, but it's also having some sort of poop issue - it always has the white stuff stuck to its behind, like it was runny and stuck there. I've seen it poop and it looks normal. I keep cleaning it off and it comes back. I'm thinking that's why it's developing more slowly, but I don't know.

They're almost in the same position in all the photos, but I think the last two are the same, first one a bit diff. there are two with darker heads, two a bit lighter.

thanks for the suggestions and info... it does help!

 

[Elite Silkies]

I do not see that any of them have feathering on the middle toe, so I would choose the ones that have the best spacing. I would wait until I knew wether they were male or female before choosing. You might end up with two males or two females, then you'll have to hatch somemore.

Cute little guys! You can put some Vaseline or Mineral oil on that ones butt and see if that helps it to stay cleaner.

 

[gaeamama]

yeah, you're right. I was figuring on keeping the "poopy one" because I wouldn't feel right about handing it off to someone else.

Gaaahhh! Why do Silkies have to take so long to figure out? And why, oh why, are they so darn endearing?!? Maybe I will just keep them all until they grow out. I bought two last year, both turned out to be roos. Then I bought one in January that had promising pullet characteristics, but it seems that one's going to start crowing soon too. I just want a Silkie girl!!! Ok, Ok, I think I just convinced myself to keep them!

Oh, and I do have another... an adorable 1wk old grey, not with complete toe feathering though. Pardon my ignorance, but is it called grey or blue or ???

thank you all

 

[Sachasmom]

I have a batch of chicks to go thru too (12 of them!) Here I thought they were all whites, but now I think some are Splash.

What is more important, toe spacing/feathering or body type? Not that I can tell anything about their body type at this age, I was just hoping to be able to not have to feed all 12 until 6 months of age!

I'm so hoping some of my Silkie eggs actually HATCH this time, I think I have set two dozen eggs, and last time was the first time any of them even developed (it didn't make it out of the egg even)

I had a bunch of blacks and blues last year that I held onto forever since I couldn't tell which were males, and which were females. Then Mr Fox broke into my pen and that was that. He tried really hard to eat my white Roo (twice) by pulling his head thru the pen wire, I had to put them in a cage.

I hear ya about the girls though, I *thought* I had one white Roo and four girls, only one of the girls isn't anymore!