Silkie Feathering

[MysticHedgeMama]

Hello again, I’m back with another question about another breed - Silkies. I have 3 but will only be discussing 2 of them as the 3rd is only a week and a half old.
These 2 were purchased from a private local farm. The gray (not sure on color names) is supposed to be your standard silkie, but is beginning to grow these interesting feathers that I was not expecting.
The black one is a silkie frizzle and the older it gets its beginning to look like a regular winged bird. Can I get some insight on if my silkies are looking okay? Also, are they considered gray and black? Total newb here still
They are both 3 weeks old.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Black and either a blue or splash. The black isn't a Frizzle or sizzle (silkied Frizzle). A frizzle looks like this as they start to feather in. They curl from the beginning. But a Frizzle is made by crossing a normal and Frizzle (or silkie and Frizzle to make sizzles) and each offspring from that pair only has 50% chance of getting the Frizzle gene

 

[MysticHedgeMama]

Black and either a blue or splash. The black isn't a Frizzle or sizzle (silkied Frizzle). A frizzle looks like this as they start to feather in. They curl from the beginning. But a Frizzle is made by crossing a normal and Frizzle (or silkie and Frizzle to make sizzles) and each offspring from that pair only has 50% chance of getting the Frizzle gene

So the black is just a silkie is what you’re saying?

 

[Aunt Angus]

My Silkies have some hard feathering. I got them from a feed store, so they aren't show quality by any means. I think that's just a sign of less-than-ideal quality. But they're still adorable and silly and sweet.

You can see some of the hard feathers in their wings in these pics.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So the black is just a silkie is what you’re saying?

No, it will just have normal feathers. Looks more like a cochin. Silkies would have a crest on its head

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

No, it will just have normal feathers. Looks more like a cochin. Silkies would have a crest on its head

Pretty sure they're part Silkie, at least. They've got the right skin color and it appears they have 5 toes.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Pretty sure they're part Silkie, at least. They've got the right skin color and it appears they have 5 toes.

I couldn't tell toewise. And it's possible it was a silkie and Frizzle bred together. It just didn't get the Frizzle gene and only has the one silkie gene so it only got normal feathers

 

[LynnaePB]

Your little grey silkie appears to be a white, and looks to be feathering in normally for a silkie to me. Silver based recessive whites can have that grey down as chicks. The feathers coming in that nice crisp white is a dead giveaway though!

This cutie although a little lighter than yours is a silver based white I hatched from another breeders eggs. The down can vary a lot with these guys from fairly light grey tinted to quite dark.

As a chick

And grown up

The little black would be called a satin if it isn't mixed in recent generations with anything other than a silkie or another satin. A satin is a project breed that is nearly identical to silkies other than having non silkied feathers. Lots of breeders breed their silkies and satins together and sometimes refer to the satins as silkies too since they are identical besides feather type. Satins can be frizzled as well but your cutie appears to be smooth feathered.

 

[MysticHedgeMama]

It’s crazy how fast chickens grow! I thought oh my I need to post a feathering update for Beauty (Sleeping Beauty) only to realize I just posted this a week ago.

 

[MysticHedgeMama]

Here is Snow (Snow White). Can you tell I have daughters