Is this normal???

[Farm Frenzy]

I have three baby silkies that I hatched and I thought 2 were black, and 1 partridge. But now I see that they are getting their feathers, one of the black ones feathers are coming in RED??? I don't get it...does this sometimes happen? First time hatcher, it might be a dumb question but inquiring minds NEED to know.

 

[Farm Frenzy]

Sorry those are two bad pics, but I took them fast, I wanted you to be able to see it.

 

[silkiechicken]

Oh yeah, don't worry. Baby feathers and teen feathers can be way different than mature adult feathers.

Baby RIR's grow out speckled and striped red black and white feathers, but grow up to be all red. I've had black chicks grow up into black bodied with white flecks or even as much as red and white hackles. In a group of all black silkie chicks, ended up with a bunch of grey and red freckled roosters.

So it's normal, and any mix will be a mixed color bag too!

 

[ibpboo]

They sure are cute. And that's true what silkiechicken said about RIR's.

 

[Farm Frenzy]

Well that's good to know..thanks guys. I thought I had a freakshow on my hands.

 

[swtangel321]

Are they full silkie chicks ? Where did you get the eggs ?

 

[Farm Frenzy]

I ordered them from ebay. They look like silkies, I mean they have the extra toe and all, it's just that I wasn't expecting to have red feathers come from a black chick, it freaked me out. Maybe red feathers from a yellow chick, or a brown chick even, but black?? It's feet are black...everything is black, but now we have RED feathers. not that there is a problem with red, I just didn't know if that was the norm for silkies, these being my first....and I LOVE them!!!