Are these babies really silkies? They have feathered feet but no Pom poms! Are they mixed breed?

[roseydv]

 

[NatJ]

They are not Silkies, because they do not have silkie feathers.
Silkies have fluffy feathers that are like hair, while your chicks have normal (not-silkie) feathers.

I see some with frizzled feathers (feathers curled outward, two chicks with brown feathers). So their feathers are not really "normal," but they are not Silkies either.

As for whether they are mixed breeds-- where did you get them?

If you bought them from a store or hatchery, they are probably specific breeds and not random mixes. But if they came from someone's backyard flock, they might easily be mixes. It's common for people to have several kinds of hens and one or more roosters, which can produce many kinds of interesting mixed chicks.

 

[SilverBirds]

Not silkies. Where did you get them? I'm seeing what looks like cochins and a frizzled cochin.

 

[roseydv]

They are not Silkies, because they do not have silkie feathers.
Silkies have fluffy feathers that are like hair, while your chicks have normal (not-silkie) feathers.

I see some with frizzled feathers (feathers curled outward, two chicks with brown feathers). So their feathers are not really "normal," but they are not Silkies either.

As for whether they are mixed breeds-- where did you get them?

If you bought them from a store or hatchery, they are probably specific breeds and not random mixes. But if they came from someone's backyard flock, they might easily be mixes. It's common for people to have several kinds of hens and one or more roosters, which can produce many kinds of interesting mixed chicks.

NatJ
Thank you for your response, bought them from a store and was told they were silkies.
we will see how they blossom!

 

[roseydv]

Not silkies. Where did you get them? I'm seeing what looks like cochins and a frizzled cochin.

Thank you, bought them at Tractor Supply.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you, bought them at Tractor Supply.

Farm stores in general and TSC in particular are noted for mixing up breeds.

It's not always their fault -- sometimes customers mix them and I've seen them mix themselves. But often the employees in charge of them have little training and less experience. It's a good idea to go into a farm store armed with the knowledge of what the chicks you want are supposed to look like.

What you got isn't silkies, but they are adorable.

 

[roseydv]

Farm stores in general and TSC in particular are noted for mixing up breeds.

It's not always their fault -- sometimes customers mix them and I've seen them mix themselves. But often the employees in charge of them have little training and less experience. It's a good idea to go into a farm store armed with the knowledge of what the chicks you want are supposed to look like.

What you got isn't silkies, but they are adorable.

True, I’ve learned my lesson. Thank goodness I have plenty of room for two Pom poms!

 

[NatJ]

NatJ
Thank you for your response, bought them from a store and was told they were silkies.
we will see how they blossom!

In that case, I agree with @SilverBirds that they are likely to be Cochins (regular-feathered Cochins, and frizzled Cochins.)

Cochins come in two sizes, large and bantam. I'm not sure which size you've got. As they grow up, it will become obvious which size they are (bantams about 2 pounds, large ones several times that weight.)