Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

Trying to get a head-count on silkie lovers...

  • ME! - I like silkies!

    Votes: 797 96.0%

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    Votes: 97 11.7%
  • Total voters
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Gammas Bearded Babies said:
They are so adorable!!!
So whenever things like different combs or less toes pop up does that mean in their genetics there is something different or are those things that can pop up because of humidity and temp in incubator?
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Polydactyly in chickens seems to be multi factorial in that it is partially genetics and partially incubation.
The single comb is recessive and can be hidden for several generations and then randomly pop up, so I do not know how far back this trait goes. But it must mean that my rooster and the mother of this chick must both be recessive for the single comb for it to be present in this chick. Interestingly enough I have hatched several chicks from this pair and this is the first time this has happened. 🙂
 
LadiesAndJane said:
Polydactyly in chickens seems to be multi factorial in that it is partially genetics and partially incubation.
The single comb is recessive and can be hidden for several generations and then randomly pop up, so I do not know how far back this trait goes. But it must mean that my rooster and the mother of this chick must both be recessive for the single comb for it to be present in this chick. Interestingly enough I have hatched several chicks from this pair and this is the first time this has happened. 🙂
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All this is so interesting to see what gets passed down vs what doesn't and what is hidden then pops up...just mind blowing!
 
This popped in my Facebook memories today. Same hen as before just 4 years ago. Mind you she never gets her feet muddy.

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Inky is about 8 weeks old now! She’s really a very cute little girl (I think I hope). She’s a tough little one! I have her in with my Orpington grow outs and my rooster Fluff and Fuzzbert the broody…she holds her own but only in the typical way all my sassy silkies do! I haven’t seen any typical warning signs of male behavior or stance…but I’ve never had a Silkie boy so I might be getting fooled 😆
 

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kurby22 said:
Inky is about 8 weeks old now! She’s really a very cute little girl (I think I hope). She’s a tough little one! I have her in with my Orpington grow outs and my rooster Fluff and Fuzzbert the broody…she holds her own but only in the typical way all my sassy silkies do! I haven’t seen any typical warning signs of male behavior or stance…but I’ve never had a Silkie boy so I might be getting fooled 😆
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Looks like a girl right now. Small comb and no tiny wattles forming. Even bearded boys usually get very small ones. I'd give another month to tell for sure a girl.

Some silkie boys are sneaky on their growth. Solid colors are the worst for it. With partridge at least even if they look like a girl the color gives them away fairly early.

If you're keeping her with other breeds you'll need to trim her crest when it comes in. Feather blindness is why they learn to dunk their heads in water bowls as well. That's why that hen of mine likes mud, because she figured out it lasts longer than just water.
 
Hinotori said:
Looks like a girl right now. Small comb and no tiny wattles forming. Even bearded boys usually get very small ones. I'd give another month to tell for sure a girl.

Some silkie boys are sneaky on their growth. Solid colors are the worst for it. With partridge at least even if they look like a girl the color gives them away fairly early.

If you're keeping her with other breeds you'll need to trim her crest when it comes in. Feather blindness is why they learn to dunk their heads in water bowls as well. That's why that hen of mine likes mud, because she figured out it lasts longer than just water.
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Thank you!! I won’t get my hopes up too high yet, I know silkies can be super sneaky with their gender 😆 And yeah, I had a Silkie that had to get her crest trimmed back a lot so she could see and feel normal. Poor babies!
 

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