Silkie Question

[ChickenChick46]

Is Pippin feathering in correctly? He/she is 6 weeks old now. I know silkies don't have feathers that are the same as other breeds, but do they feather in more slowly? Poor Pippin just looks so ragged. Around the head, especially, is so uneven. I want to make sure he's alright. The other 6 week olds from Pippin's batch are basically fully feathered now.

 

[ella2025]

Silkies can be slow to feather, especially the cockerels. Here's mine at 6 and 8 weeks:

She's totally normal and her feathers should grow in by 8 weeks old.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Silkies can be slow to feather, especially the cockerels. Here's mine at 6 and 8 weeks:
View attachment 4222289View attachment 4222287
He's totally normal and his feathers should grow in by 8 weeks old.

Thank you so much! That's a relief. He looks very similar to yours at 6 weeks. Poor thing came home with a pasty butt, and we fought that for several days. I was hoping he wasn't going to have any other issues.

I do think he may be a he. I know there's no way to know right now. I just have this feeling, lol.

 

[ella2025]

Thank you so much! That's a relief. He looks very similar to yours at 6 weeks. Poor thing came home with a pasty butt, and we fought that for several days. I was hoping he wasn't going to have any other issues.

I do think he may be a he. I know there's no way to know right now. I just have this feeling, lol.

I'm glad he got better! He looks to have a single comb and if thats the case he's likely to be a she because it's not that big yet.

 

[Debbie292d]

Silkies can be slow to feather, especially the cockerels. Here's mine at 6 and 8 weeks:
View attachment 4222289View attachment 4222287
She's totally normal and her feathers should grow in by 8 weeks old.

I agree.

I've got some a couple of months old that still are looking kind of gangly. They do get better with age.

Not sure what you're feeding as most layer is just fine. With our group ranging from newly hatched to 7 years old, and two ducks included, we used Kalmbach's Flock Maker for all of them. That's 20% protein, but lower calcium. Higher protein helps with feathers, among other things.

The lower calcium is great for chicks and roosters, but the hens need calcium supplements. We just put a separate bowl of oyster shell out for them.

Pippin is a cutie!

 

[ChickenChick46]

I'm glad he got better! He looks to have a single comb and if thats the case he's likely to be a she because it's not that big yet.

I thought the comb looked single, but then I was second guessing because I thought silkies had walnut combs. Or is the single comb recessive? So much to know! I would prefer a pullet only because I need a balance in my male to female ratio.

 

[Debbie292d]

I thought the comb looked single, but then I was second guessing because I thought silkies had walnut combs. Or is the single comb recessive? So much to know! I would prefer a pullet only because I need a balance in my male to female ratio.

Where did you get Pippin from? If indeed that's a single comb, it might be "pet quality". All silkies have walnut type combs, never single, and that isn't recessive unless mixed breed parents.

From what I can see, I'd give it time and it might wind up looking more mashed down.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Where did you get Pippin from? If indeed that's a single comb, it might be "pet quality". All silkies have walnut type combs, never single, and that isn't recessive unless mixed breed parents.

From what I can see, I'd give it time and it might wind up looking more mashed down.

I got Pippin from Rural King in the assorted bantam bin. He or she does have 5 toes on each foot, but 2 of them are kind of fused together on one foot. But it doesn't seem to bother him at all and they look otherwise healthy.

 

[Debbie292d]

I got Pippin from Rural King in the assorted bantam bin. He or she does have 5 toes on each foot, but 2 of them are kind of fused together on one foot. But it doesn't seem to bother him at all and they look otherwise healthy.

That's a silkie, but it just wouldn't be "show quality." I have show quality and pet quality both here. They're all beautiful to me, but I only breed the show-quality ones.

If you're not into showing birds someday, then Pippin is just fine!

 

[ChickenChick46]

That's a silkie, but it just wouldn't be "show quality." I have show quality and pet quality both here. They're all beautiful to me, but I only breed the show-quality ones.

If you're not into showing birds someday, then Pippin is just fine!

I definitely don't plan on showing bird as I know nothing at all about that, and I don't have any silkie breeding plans, so Pippin should be good to go.

Thank you!