njchickenkeeper
Hatching
Ugh! Really? A silkie? This is not ideal as we are raising for eggs. Any other possibilities? She is the same size as the BO we got from the same batch and the feathers are similarly patterned.
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It seems to be totally random. I've had breeder birds and hatchery birds just go. I think it's a chicken thing. Most of mine just die as opposed to looking sick before. Sometimes they act off the day before, but most time they look perfectly fine than I find them dead in the morning. My average life expectancy is about 4-6 years with a few living longer. My oldest birds currently are two hatchery buff Orpington hens who are 9 this year.
Definitely silkie in it, whether a large poorly bred purebred or a mix.
This doesn't look anything like a silkie or even silkie mix to me. We just keep silkies and buff orpingtons. Of silkie it would have more feathering on the feet or crest. Even a mix would. I think it looks more like a buff orpington mix or even just a hatchery stock bo.