What's wrong with their feathers?

[Redcatcher]

Quote:
Nearby where? Where do you live? Are you near me? I still have these 3 originals that I just hatched.

I am in NH (though MO is home to me). I am not looking for sympathy or attention. I just want the chicks to go to a good home. I have to find homes for the rest of my birds too. Though I will hold onto the deformed chick and the chimera for as long as I can.

 

[alicefelldown]

Quote:
I'm so sorry to hear that, both about the baby chick and your health. Is it alright to ask publicly what is going on?

Is there anything anyone of us can do?

Also, where are you located? I hate to ask, but your profile doesn't state.

 

[averytds]

 

[alicefelldown]

Yes, my boy is confirmed to have leakage. I still think he's handsome though!

 

[Jubaby]

Hi everyone! I've been gone from the board a while, but still checking in occasionally. My summer has been hectic - We've done some traveling, and my mother's health has been in decline. She fell from her wheelchair several weeks ago and broke vertebrae in her neck - it's been an ordeal!

Anyways, here is an update on my chickens. I have lost a few this summer from the high temps. It's been 100-110 degrees for nearly two months. I am certainly looking forward to some cooler weather. Two of my younger silkied hens have died, and I had hoped they would be laying any day. I also lost a couple of my black/blue ameraucana hens that were laying, so I'm not getting many eggs from that pen either.

I have successfully hatched 10 of the F1 splits, so far. They are all blue with normal feathers, just like Kathy's. I have also hatch a number of the silkied splash chicks this summer, so the project is still progressing.

The original rooster that had the red patches, I went ahead and culled a while back, because I really thought I couldn't use him in the breeding project. However I hatched another one and it is looking like a hen:

So should I keep her? I'm not sure what to breed with her.

I also took a picture of my "dark splash" chick. I'm leaning toward this being a rooster, but still too small to be sure:

I also have one baby chick that is looking to be solid white so far. No grey/black specks, but it is still feathering out.

 

[kathyinmo]

Julie,
Sorry about your losses. This heat has been unreal this summer. I also lost one (a rooster from the original 3 I hatched) due to the heat. In all I have lost 3 birds this summer, all heat related I believe. I still have the 3 you brought me, and the 3 I just hatched.

Isn't it amazing, the variety you are getting? That white one is looking very white, for sure. I love that dark splash, too!

I will be sending out chicks next week .... to California and Idaho, (and maybe a couple other places).

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

Quote:
Great looking birds Julie!

if you decide not to keep the reddish pullet, please contact me. I think mentioned that I'm crossing mine out to some nice Wheatens from Jean Ribbeck to eventually make some silkied Wheatens. I'm sure it will take me a few generations to get something that is looking truly wheaten, so some extra red genes shouldn't hurt my project too much. I have one older pullet from Jean, and more chicks that arrive tomorrow! I'm just a bit excited.

 

[ray2310]

HI i came across this thread when trying to figure out why my new chicks feathers look different... 2 weeks ago I got 6 amercuana chicks (from a local breeder at our Poultry Show/Swap in uniontown, PA)
They are to be real ameracuans not EE.. but I just want tinted eggs..

Here are pictures of my 3 babies with silky like feathers..

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

Quote:
Very cool! Looks like there are some other birds out there with the same "condition." It would be worth checking with the source of your chicks to see if they hatched them from their own stock, or if they know where they got the eggs/chicks that grew into these. Do they have any more???

Keep us posted as they develop, and take some more close up pictures. They also appear to have pea combs, and the right number of toes. Do they seem to have any other silkie traits, or do they look pretty much like the others except for the feathers?

Even though Julie's first birds appeared to be pure splash, it would seem that there are some other hidden genes at play, given the red showing up on a few of them.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[ray2310]

We'll see the breeder at the next show/swap (3rd sunday in September) and will inquire...
Since I don't know anything about silkies, I can't comment on other similar traits.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!