Do silkie chicks have lumps on their head?

[Kantesh]

Silkies should have dark skin on their feet and dark beaks (as in black or dark grey). Is pic 1 a mix? Or maybe a different breed?
Looks like a cute normal silkie in pic 2.

The pet store said they were all from the same mother.Out of the 4 that hatched 2 have dark feet and dark beaks.But all of them have 5 toes.Im guessing they might be silkie cuz of the 5 toes but what breed do you think they are?

 

[Kantesh]

It has only a few visible veins like this one,should i still keep it or throw it out?

 

[Silkie2005]

My second silkie chick just hatched and I noticed a bulge on its head. Is this normal? My first chick had nothing of such sort.

It is vaulted which as @Mylied has already said is to do with the brain not being entirely covered. It won't effect the chick in anyway apart from their heads being a little more delicate.

Also in answer to your other question I keep show quality silkies and I am based in England so I can tell at around 5 weeks old sometimes 4 but usually 5. The males start to get chunkier legs. They usually weigh more as well by that point. Within the next few weeks the males grow larger and they get noticable combs and wattles. Their crest shape is also different. It is harder to tell with the American version because they are more fluffy and tend to be very thickly bearded so it takes away all the signs. I don't agree with all these people who say you have to wait until it crows or lays and egg. With the American type I would agree with @Mylied and say 2.5 - 3 months. With the English type I would say 4 weeks upwards.

 

[Silkie2005]

View attachment 2200394
It has only a few visible veins like this one,should i still keep it or throw it out?

I would keep that. Some of them look like they have quit but are actually very much alive and it is heartbreaking killing them.

 

[Rakaiachick]

I think that egg is viable. Got good veining. Chick could just be sitting at the bottom of the egg.

 

[Kantesh]

I think that egg is viable. Got good veining. Chick could just be sitting at the bottom of the egg.

A few days ago it had veins all over,now there are only a few left.There is goo floating all over.Its not even moving anymore but I'll still incubate it for a few days and see what happens.

 

[nanook100]

I also feel like the first picture is a mix. I've had silkies before and 99% if not 100% have dark grey/black beaks!

 

[Kantesh]

Pics of all the 4 chicks,what breed do you think they are mixed with? The pet shop owner said that they are all from the same mother.All of them have 5 toes except the last one, on one foot it has 4 and the other it has 5.

This is the first chick ,10 days old.


2nd chick , 2days old


3rd chick, 1day old


4th chick, 1 day old.

 

[BiddyBiddy]

View attachment 2200394
It has only a few visible veins like this one,should i still keep it or throw it out?

I would keep it just in case. I recently thought a chick was dead and cracked it open to look at the stage of development when it died or for abnormalities. It wasn’t dead!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Pics of all the 4 chicks,what breed do you think they are mixed with? The pet shop owner said that they are all from the same mother.All of them have 5 toes except the last one, on one foot it has 4 and the other it has 5.

This is the first chick ,10 days old.
View attachment 2200688View attachment 2200689

2nd chick , 2days old
View attachment 2200840View attachment 2200861

3rd chick, 1day old
View attachment 2200860View attachment 2200880

4th chick, 1 day old.
View attachment 2200863

The 5 toes are an indicator of silkies, but they need black skin if they are pure. There are some others with 5 toes, but wouldn't have black skin, like a polish (very cute bird). They can also sometimes have one less or extra toe, and still be part silkie (or polish). I have a hunch yours with dark skin are pure.. and I am really curious about your last one. Can you post in another in a week or two?

I also got what I thought was a trio of silkies, but one ended up being a d'uccle (another very small bird, so sweet), but in the process, I got very good at discerning between different bantam types as I was over-analyzing on a daily basis . If they are bantams, I wouldn't worry too much, they will all be cute and tiny. And they will be BFFs since they are being raised together.