Breeder, Mutts and Show...

[pattee]

Mine look like mutts of their breed.....

I have a silkie that looks nothing like the silkies I see on here... not even close.

My polish ~ one has a comb over (Ok pretty cute) and the other does look like a polish.

I did have an EE (turned out to be a rooster) but he looked like none I mean none of the EE's I've seen here....

None of mine are friendly and I handled them everyday since they came... 10 weeks ago.

I got them from MPC. I know they buy from breeders. But I'm so disappointed that what I got doesn't look like the pictures on the site... it's a first time chicken owner.... thing I guess.
I didn't expect show birds, but I didn't expect birds that didn't look at all like they said they would...

I love my chickens don't get me wrong....

So do I have to buy from breeders of the breed? Maybe so huh?

 

[eggcochin_freak5]

well. im sorry

 

[Grindlefamily]

remember that an EE is a mutt - they are a mix of breeds and what makes them an "EE" is their greenish colored legs and chubby cheeks. Mine actually has some tufts too (she's pretty cute).

LOL

Good luck

Louella

 

[Guitartists]

to answer... yes, if you want a show bird you must buy from a breeder of the breed

They actually take the time to insure that they are breeding top notch quality birds

But, I have some hatchery birds AND some mutts.... and they are some of my favorites!

And will always be my favorites

edited to add...... even if not show birds, if you want a majority of your birds to look close to the standard.. buy private... or order more birds than you want from the hatcheries so you can pick and choose and keep the ones that look best, because they will not all look like the stadard.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I have 6 EEs, and although you couldn't tell them apart as chicks (except for one, who was very distinctive), they look nothing like each other as adults. I have one that looks almost exactly like a wheaten Ameraucana, two that are really strangely colored, like three or four birds squished together and no muff or beard, one that looks partridge-colored with muffs and a beard that almost cover her face...

Just today I saw photos of EEs on this site that looked for all the world like little silkies.

I would bet that if you posted asking for photos of people's EEs you might see some that looked like yours.

 

[onthespot]

I have silkies that look nothing like the show silkies. They barely have a topknot, so they have no trouble seeing where they are going and staying out of trouble with other chickens. some of them have rasberry colored face and combs, odd numbers of toes, you name it. However... I didn't get them for their looks. They lay eggs mostly year round, and when they go broody they don't change their mind and get up off the eggs after two weeks. They have 100% fertility when I breed them, with no cutting the feathers or artificial insemination. Their eggs are so amazingly hard that if you drop on on the dirt from three feet up they don't crack. They are smart enough to be with bigger birds and able to hold their own in the flock without getting beat up. To me that is worth a lot more than some extra luff and a sassy pose any day.
Here is one of my "mutt" silkies doing her job, but not winning any beatuy contests...

 

[Guitartists]

I think she is pretty

There are issues associated with some purebred chickens, fragile vaulted skulls, etc.

Sometimes it's nice to have something hardier

Something sturdy, as opposed to something pretty

Every chicken, regardless of looks or breeding has its own merits

 

[RobinEgg]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My chickens are from hatcheries, MMM and Ideal, no they dont look like show birds and I have no ideal what breed one of them even is, but I enjoy them tremendously. I guess it does come down to, is it just chickens a person wants or do they want show birds. Show birds area very nice birds but I don't show nor plan to. But I can understand the disappointment, I was at first disappointed with my buff laced polish but given time they've turned into nice birds, not show but pets and thats all I wanted anyway. Give your chickens some time maybe they will grow on you .

 

[RobinEgg]

onthespot, I think your silkie is very pretty I'd be happy if she were mine, too. I've only had one silkie and he was a sweet little rooster not a show guy just an extra someone didn't want, he loved his little mixed banty hens and not one of those little ones realized they weren't for show.