hatchery Silkies gallery! :)

[phasianidae]

This was my ugliest Silkie out of 13 from Welp:

 

[exop]

It's interesting how our idea of what a Silkie should be has changed over the past 80 years or so.

Here are some photos taken in the 20s and 30s by British photographer Arther Rice:



These are all top show winners of the time!
Today some might look at these pictures and say, "hatchery". And that's simply because, exhibition breeders (not hatcheries) have been selecting for a pom pom like appearance which is not how the breed originally looked.

Hatcheries have been guilty of some other things, one hears rumors that some places have crossed in Leghorns to increase the number of eggs laid and baby Silkies to sell... but over the years some exhibition breeders have crossed in Polish (that's where the large vaulted skulls come from) and other breeds such as Cochin, Brahma and D'Uccle (to bring in interesting feather colors).

So don't let anyone make you feel bad about your hatchery Silkie, when what you have is a heritage style Silkie!

One last picture, an artist's rendering from the magazine Feathered World in the 20s or 30s of "perfect" Silkies posed in a pretty setting:

 

[Peaches Lee]

exop--Thank you for posting that, how interesting! I came by hatchery Silkies accidentally--it was truly a breed I never wanted to own because I live on a farm and things can be rough. They have been so much fun though, and hopefully because they don't have the excessive feathering they can do okay with monitered foraging.

 

[gootziecat]

I like the hatchery Silkies for the very reasons you gave in the beginning, Exop. Thank you for starting this thread. I think these Silkies are more rugged. Here's the one that co-operated long enough for a snapshot. It came from Tractor Supply.

 

[henney penny]

I to thank you for the info. I would not want one of those silkies that can`t see because of all the poof on its head and face.Mine look like the pictures from the 20s and 30s

 

[Lacey1988]

This is the kind of silkie I want I couldn't have too fancy of a chicken lol wouldn't be able to keep it clean...It seems like people look down at them because they're not "show quality" I think they are cute though

 

[phasianidae]

These are also from Welp Hatchery

 

[Teresaann24]

Quote:
I love that big beautiful rooster.

 

[exop]

Does anyone out there have white silkies from Privett or Welp... pretty please? I would love to see photos,

 

[henney penny]

These are my new babies a day old except for the little polish(he needed a mama)All mine asume are hatchery stock somewhere down the line.I`ll post pictures of mine.