Albino Silkie? 🤍 (Light Blue Pink Skin and Purple Ears)

[FluffySun]

My newest Silkie has:
•very light blue-ish pink-ish skin
•light beak
•light purple ears
•light gold eyes
•and a lavender color in her feathers (was told she was "mauve")..not white
•5 toes on one foot and 4 on the other (so assuming a mix)

Is she albino? What chickens have this color skin?

Also wouldn't mind if anyone had a guess as to she or he (I know silkies are tough haha) Looks between 4 and 6 weeks old

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

Albino means there is NO coloring in the animal. Pink eyes are the biggest giveaway. Your silkie is not albino

 

[FluffySun]

Albino means there is NO coloring in the animal. Pink eyes are the biggest giveaway. Your silkie is not albino

I hear you. I think I'm just wondering where this color skin comes from Google was no help so I came here haha

 

[FluffySun]

Albino means there is NO coloring in the animal. Pink eyes are the biggest giveaway. Your silkie is not albino

I wondered because silkies usually have black skin and blue ears if this was a desaturated version....or if it's a mix with something that has this color

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I hear you. I think I'm just wondering where this color skin comes from Google was no help so I came here haha

Welcome to BYC!

I agree, not albino.

Poor breeding quality (no rudeness here!).. also indicated by the 4 toed foot. There's not enough melanin to make the skin black (giving it that light blueish color instead of nice and dark. Also an outcome of breeding project colors. The lav effects melanin (I believe). but lav isn't used for mauve.. splash and white birds are often missing melanin as well like there's some dermal inhibitor) If you want an exact answer post your question to this thread..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/25342522

Blue ears are a key feature of Silkies.. the purple you're sensing is a shade of blue.. laid over the pinker skin. It would be darker blue if the skin under was darker.

Chicken skin color comes in white, yellow, black. Pink is blood vessels etc shining through the white skin. White skinned birds are Marans, Orpington, Sussex, Ameraucana. Yellow skinned birds are Rock, RIR, Wyandotte, Leghorn. Black skinned birds are Silkies, Ayam Cemani, Sumatra.. just for example. I'm sure there are more in each category.

A link to nice discussion about "mauve"..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-how-do-you-breed-mauve-orpingtons.1292627/

Regarding if it's mixed to something else.. first generation crosses would be hard feathered not silkie feathered.. because the silkie feathering gene is recessive. It looks pure bred.. Breeding high quality birds is a challenge and part of the fun of working to develop project colors that will eventually meet and hopefully be accepted and added into the standard of perfection so they can be shown and such.

The bearding gene inhibits wattle size but not color.. you should be able to see easily on the light skinned bird when that happens. There's nothing currently notable about gender.

 

[Aquira]

I used to have a light skinned silkie. I'll see if I can find some pics of her. She came from TSC so no idea on her lineage or anything

 

[Chicken poppy]

My silkie had this. Just a bit darker for the face. Not albino, not super unusual, very pretty chicken though.

 

[Aquira]

The most recent pic I could find of her

 

[FluffySun]

Welcome to BYC!

I agree, not albino.

Poor breeding quality (no rudeness here!).. also indicated by the 4 toed foot. There's not enough melanin to make the skin black (giving it that light blueish color instead of nice and dark. Also an outcome of breeding project colors. The lav effects melanin (I believe). but lav isn't used for mauve.. splash and white birds are often missing melanin as well like there's some dermal inhibitor) If you want an exact answer post your question to this thread..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/25342522

Blue ears are a key feature of Silkies.. the purple you're sensing is a shade of blue.. laid over the pinker skin. It would be darker blue if the skin under was darker.

Chicken skin color comes in white, yellow, black. Pink is blood vessels etc shining through the white skin. White skinned birds are Marans, Orpington, Sussex, Ameraucana. Yellow skinned birds are Rock, RIR, Wyandotte, Leghorn. Black skinned birds are Silkies, Ayam Cemani, Sumatra.. just for example. I'm sure there are more in each category.

A link to nice discussion about "mauve"..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-how-do-you-breed-mauve-orpingtons.1292627/

Regarding if it's mixed to something else.. first generation crosses would be hard feathered not silkie feathered.. because the silkie feathering gene is recessive. It looks pure bred.. Breeding high quality birds is a challenge and part of the fun of working to develop project colors that will eventually meet and hopefully be accepted and added into the standard of perfection so they can be shown and such.

The bearding gene inhibits wattle size but not color.. you should be able to see easily on the light skinned bird when that happens. There's nothing currently notable about gender.

Wow! I love how detailed and informative your response was! This was exactly what I was looking for! I'll definitely be combing through the links you sent as well! Thank you!

 

[MeanCheek]

With their dark skin, don't normal Silkies have some degree of Fibro Melanism? If so, could light Silkies just not be melanistic?