Are these chickens pet, breeding, or show quality?

[Vnctan]

My hen doesn't have feathers on her feet. There are quite a few loose feathers in the pen and she happened to be standing on them. Also she doesn't have 5 toes, she only has 4 toes and her feet are more of a light gray than black. Hard to tell from the pics.

 

[Phage]

My silkie crosses look exactly like your hen. 4 toes, no feathers tuft on head. She is a cross. The rooster, even if he is pure, is pet quality.

 

[easttxchick]

Where did you get your birds? Maybe the person you got them from could help you ID them?

 

[DragonEggs]

I agree. You should get ahold of whoever sold you those birds. I hope you didn't pay a whole lot for them, because if someone told you something other than what everyone here has said then they don't know silkies very well and probably isn't someone you should consider buying from in the future.

Also, I checked the pics of the roo again and his eyes are half closed in both which is not normal unless he was sleeping at the time or getting ready to sleep. Check your birds thouroughly for mites or lice and any other signs of sickness. I would give them little sugar water or buy some vitamin/electrolyte powder for their water to get them perked up again.

I promise you those are cross breeds and they are pet quality. That doesn't mean they can't breed, because as long as they are together the rooster will try. Silkies go broody very often so theres a good chance she'll try to hatch her eggs eventually. Since she has a recessive silkie gene and he has a dominant silkie gene all your babies should be silkie, but finding homes for mix breed birds can be hard, especially if their roosters.

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
I'd probably go with the vitamin/electrolyte powder. From what I've heard sugar water will cause either Vitamin B or vitamin D deficiencies I can't remember which, I should start writing down and taking note since my memory has been faulty lately!

-Daniel

 

[ShrekDawg]

i dont know very much about this stuff but i agree they look to me to be simply pet quality and probably mixes, sorry...

that doesnt mean they cant be wonderful pets though and you can still enjoy them, theyre still kinda cute, just pet quality though but you can still enjoy having them as pets.

*edited for spelling

 

[Vnctan]

I got the hen for free from someone on Craigslist. I was told she is a Silkie but I immediately knew she wasn't just by look at her. I got the rooster for free from my grandmother. He is the offspring on her original stock which she bought from a neighbor. The only chickens she has are Silkies.

 

[muddyhorse]

Free is a good price. don't feel bad about your birds every breeder has odd stuff pop up in their breeding pens. out of a batch of chicks I might only have one or two that I really consider show quality. one might only have four toes, one might have a pink toe one will not hold its wings properly. sometimes we have to wait months before the problems show up too much hard feathering in the cushion is a good example. or red combs. I breed cuckoo silkies and I finally got one with a mottled black comb not totally dark yet but I keep trying.

Oh, the pictures one feathersite do not necessarily represent show quality birds.

huge comb way too red

 

[robin416]

Quote:
Then relax and enjoy them after you check the boy out and see if anything is up with him. I've been raising Silkies for some time now and he just does not look like he feels OK.

 

[DTchickens]

Places to look for show quality birds- http://www.poultrypress.com/images and you can probably find a club with pictures of them (at least the OEGBCA has this.)


Feathersite is a lot like here, it is a place to post pictures of birds from any background. Show, pet, etc. It doesn't have all of the correct information either on some breeds, since anyone can say "create this page please" and he'll do it with the pictures and information they provide. A lot of the information is good no doubt, some very serious breeders have made sure of that- but like all places it is best to read it with a grain of salt unless you feel otherwise/know the person is really knowledgeable regarding that breed.

I'm not knocking feathersite or anyone else, just giving my opinion on it. Feathersite is a good source of information I believe, and is even where I learned a lot of what I know on breeds (which I've seem to forgotten at times?)

-Daniel