Black banty hen...mutt?

[StruckBy]

This is a little black banty hen (pictured next to a standard NH Red for size comparison) that was one of my favorite birds ever. They were part of a flock that came with the house we bought 4 years ago (hence the scaly legs...they were quickly treated & cleared up but this is the only picture I can find of her). I was digging through old pictures and found this one and am thinking I'd like to get some more like her if I can find them. The gal I bought the house w/ flock from said they were just 'assorted bantams' at the feed store. And they were VERY assorted. This little one had a great temperament, was cute as a button, laid well, and when I missed collecting she ended up hatching & raising 2 adorable little silkieX chicks that she was ready to defend to the death in a flock of birds mostly 5X her size.

Any ideas?



(oh, and the feeder was just debris I hadn't picked up...I swapped them to a big feeder as soon as I moved in)

 

[chickenlver2013]

Could you possibly get a better picture? It would be easier if she wasn't black.

 

[StruckBy]

Could you possibly get a better picture? It would be easier if she wasn't black.

Unfortunately, it's the only picture I have of her. She's a bird I owned several years ago. I'll try at least uploading a higher res & see if that helps. She had the tiniest topknot with no comb, and black skin on her face, which made me wonder if she wasn't part silkie (there were several silkies in the group, along with another hen who looked a lot like this one but had a tiny red comb instead of a poof.) But I've never looked into how the genetics of silkie x normal work. Hmmm...sounds like a good project since I'm home sick anyway!

 

[chickenlver2013]

She looks part silkie

 

[sourland]

I would guess that she was a silky cross.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I would guess that she was a silky cross.

X2

 

[StruckBy]

Thanks everyone. I'm a little bummed to get confirmation she was a mix instead of 'oh, she's XYZ unusual breed & this person sells them' but it's what I was expecting. Guess I'll just have to continue keeping my eyes open for what people are selling that is old enough to have adult feathers so I can tell if I'm getting the silkie personality w/o the non-waterproof feathers. (I feel so bad for silkies in this climate...they look like drowned rats.)