How Black is Black Silkie?

[silkielovr]

I have a black hen and a black roo both are BLACK, I hatched some blue chicks, [not from these two], and they are really blue.

Now I have hatched some supposed to be Black from the first mentioned blacks and they just hatched and seem not so Black!
Are the chicks lighter when hatched and get blacker?
also have some [blacks] a week or so old and they seem to have blue wing feathers coming in, they are really dark and much darker than the blues...am I concerned for no reason?
This is what I think Black should look like, my hen Sweething

How can I be sure her chicks are really black? Can you tell on the chicks right now somehow?
Thanks!
Cheryl

 

[silkielovr]

Can someone help please?
I looked real close at these two new chicks that hatched today, they SEEM to have silver grey heads and one has really light feathers on the middle toe of each foot.
Maybe I'm looking too hard and they are just real shiny on the heads.....

 

[destiny_56085]

In my experience, my black chicks are jet black. I have some really dark blues that are almost black. They were all hatched a coal black though. Its a duller color with a paler undertone. Its still really hard to tell them apart from the blacks unless I have them in the right light. Do you have any splash in the pen that the blacks could have bred with?

 

[silkielovr]

Yes I do, thats the problem, I wasn't sure that the Splash roo was breeding the hens. The black hen was in with the black roo till 10/5 then in a pen alone, she laid some eggs and I put them in the incubator as she laid them, they started to hatch the 27th, I hatched 3 one Nov 2 and one Nov 4 They appear black.
Then I set 5 more on 24th of Oct but the hen had now been in with the Splash roo about the 14th of Oct till now.
They hatched today ...three of the ??? color I sure can't say they are inky black!
I am going to set 6 more this time FOR SURE out of the Splash roo and I guess I'll see what color they are and compare.
Guess they sure could be out of the Splash roo but for some reason I thought they were not!
I'm losing it folks!

 

[silkielovr]

OK the last one just kicked off the shell, he looks coal black but he is wet.....I don't ever remember having this trouble...I DO know my blues were really blue when hatched, no doubt....I guess we'll see.
Thanks for the reply, I needed to talk to somebody!

 

[becky3086]

I am totally confused as to what is being asked here. I suggest showing pictures of the chicks and asking whatever the question is.

 

[Smoky73]

When my blacks and blues hatched out this year (about 30 or so) there was only one or two that I really knew were black, the rest all looked blue to me but the majority turned out black. I kept a black roo with blue and black hens so was not sure who the parents were, but I only ended up with about 4 blues out of the bunch, the rest were black. But yep, they looked blue to me as chicks, and I really wanted blacks, so for a long time, I was greatly disappointed. Maybe it was just my eyes, but I think do not worry about it.

 

[laughingllama75]

I have a dark blue hen, that IS blue. I got her as a pullet, so no chick pics but this is her now. hope this helps? It is hard to get a pic of her standing, she is always broody. LOL. she has a darker head, lighter body but very dark. I also have some blue's that are very light... go figure!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Most of my blacks are coal black and have that lovely green sheen, especially in their flight feathers. They were coal black when hatched. I do have a black hen that has brown in her underfluff. That is NOT as desired as the coal black w/ green.

 

[jimnjay]

Like Cara, I have had black birds grow out with the green sheen but they looked very blue at hatch. I also have some blues that are so dark they appear black. You can only tell if you separate the down and the underfeathering is lighter. Give them time they might surprise you.