808BackyardChickens
In the Brooder
Here in Hawaii we have lots of feral chickens. I adopted 5 rescued chicks that appear to be silkie crosses. They are very friendly little birds and have varying degrees of silkie traits (dark eyes, 5 toes, black, skin, head puffs) but also some with non-silkie traits : single comb, willow feet, single comb, color leakage.
2 black with gold leakage, 2 greyish with gold leakage, 1 gold with black leakage/barring.
They are all small compared to my heritage breed chicks so I suspect that the other parent may have old english or other bantam genetics. It will be fun to see how they grow, find out who's a cockerel and who's a pullet, and see how their feathers and colors develop. I know that F1 chicks won't show silkie feathers unless the non-silkie parent is a hybrid and carrying a recessive silkie feather trait.
Any ideas about the crosses and what's what? Pics from ~1-1.5 weeks old to follow
1. Gold and black, black skin, willow comb and feet with 5 toes, single comb
2. Gray with gold leakage: black skin, slate comb and feet with 5 toes, single comb
3. Gray with gold leakage and "eyebrows", black skin, slate/black feet with yellow soles and 5 toes, walnut/mulberry comb?
4. Black with gold leakage, black skin, slate/black feet with yellow soles with 4 toes, single comb
5. Black with gold leakage, pink skin, slate/black feet with yellow soles and 5 toes, single comb
2 black with gold leakage, 2 greyish with gold leakage, 1 gold with black leakage/barring.
They are all small compared to my heritage breed chicks so I suspect that the other parent may have old english or other bantam genetics. It will be fun to see how they grow, find out who's a cockerel and who's a pullet, and see how their feathers and colors develop. I know that F1 chicks won't show silkie feathers unless the non-silkie parent is a hybrid and carrying a recessive silkie feather trait.
Any ideas about the crosses and what's what? Pics from ~1-1.5 weeks old to follow
1. Gold and black, black skin, willow comb and feet with 5 toes, single comb
2. Gray with gold leakage: black skin, slate comb and feet with 5 toes, single comb
3. Gray with gold leakage and "eyebrows", black skin, slate/black feet with yellow soles and 5 toes, walnut/mulberry comb?
4. Black with gold leakage, black skin, slate/black feet with yellow soles with 4 toes, single comb
5. Black with gold leakage, pink skin, slate/black feet with yellow soles and 5 toes, single comb
