Sooo... Random question, but at what age can you really get an idea of how well a silkie chick conforms to the breed standard? We have a buff that's dark/smutty but s/he is only 4 weeks old and from what I understand, they lighten up as they molt?
We got a splash and didn't notice thanks to the heavy feathering on his feet that one of his toes is...well, either half developed or he had an old injury that healed badly, because it looks scabbed over. Basically, only a tiny tip of the nail pokes out and it's facing upward instead of curving downward. ON top of that, the tips of his toes are pink.
What on earth could cause its toe to get twisted like that? Is it genetic or just an injury? Should I soak it to try to clean it up and see what's going on? I really can't tell if it's a deformed toenail or if he twisted it himself.