and wonder about the ones I let go too soon like the one that just took Best of Show at the local fair.
They are lookin' good!!
Did I mention that I'm jealous of your free range situation!
Yes you might have said that. Still going well.
I think the first two are boys and the last one could go either way :/ Sorry!Anyone want to guess on the genders? I posted pictures I think 2 pages ago. I hope they're not all roosters
my son is going to be CRUSHED!
ALLLLL the time though?
I hope! LOL. I am pretty sure the one that isn't chest bumping is a male. just looks male to me. that one is snowcone.
They do, but generally not as intense or as long as the boys.
Originally Posted by aoxa
Even poor quality breeder birds are MUCH MUCH better than hatchery. I really don't like hatchery silkies. In my opinion, the silkies from a hatchery are the worst quality of any breed they sell. The crests are just so tiny and they aren't fluffy at all. Lots have problems with silkie chicks from a hatchery missing their extra toe, and cross beak, etc.
Now that I've mentioned that, has anyone ever got a hatchery silkie that was decent quality? If so, which hatchery?
Before I read more, I got some silkie chicks from a feed store. They were from Ideal. In a nut shell, the buff and blue were not good with regard to crests and beards. The blue was the worst in that department but the buff had poor foot feathering. The black has a respectable beard, very nice foot feathering, but a small crest. [However she is the nicest most lovey dearie and I kept her because of that. Just loves to be held and runs up to me. Falls asleep in my arms. She is precious, and very black with a little beetle-sheen in the sun.]
The whites however, and I got two of them two weeks apart so not the same hatch, were really quite nice, oddly enough. The female looked "rattier" as a youngster than the babies I hatched from a breeder, but once she was about 4 months, she was pretty nice.
Here's a few pictures of the white pullet:
Whites generally have bigger crests than other colours anyway, so that is probably why they were okay. Type isn't great on them, but they are a great deal better than some hatchery silkies I've seen!I agree with Basel. I too got some feed store chicks that came from Ideal, two white pullets and a black cockerel. I also think the whites are better than the other colors, though the black boy wasn't too bad. They actually turned out better than chicks I bought from an active shower and breeder. I'm sure this is the exception rather than the rule, but it is possible.
Between two and three months old:
Here between four and five months old:
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these are some nicest feedstore silkies ive seen one feedstore silkies i see have 12 toes are non beared and hugly as sin give them timeI agree with Basel. I too got some feed store chicks that came from Ideal, two white pullets and a black cockerel. I also think the whites are better than the other colors, though the black boy wasn't too bad. They actually turned out better than chicks I bought from an active shower and breeder. I'm sure this is the exception rather than the rule, but it is possible.
Between two and three months old:
Here between four and five months old:
