2024 Christmas Hatch Chicks

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This is Gumdrop.

I have gone back and forth with him, guessing whether boy or girl. I do think that he’s a boy, but only because I have seen him beating up on Jubilee, the much larger lav silkie chick.

Gumdrop hatched out of an egg from the same shipper as Jubilee. He struggled as a chick and I thought he would be failure to thrive. But somehow he pulled through and is perfectly fine now, albeit one of the smallest chicks in the batch. But he seems to be pretty bossy which is why I lean towards male.

He has pretty dark eyes and a moderately sized comb. Still has a few light toes. If he is a male, I’m not sure if I will keep him or Jubilee or both. He has always been one of the first to run to my hand when I have food, another sign pointing towards male.

 

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This is Trifle.

Another one that I am still guessing on gender. I think it’s a girl, but would not be surprised if boy.

This satin silkie hatched from shipped eggs from a show breeder, and she is really beautiful. She has perfect feet and silkie features. The things that make me pause at that the comb is kind of large, and the chick itself is very large! So I don’t know, I could end up surprised. But this chick can definitely be an asset to the breeding program, whether male or female, as black is always needed for a lavender project.

She has a vaulted head and huge crest, which I have trimmed way back already at 10 weeks.

 

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This is Goose.

I think she’s a girl, because compared to her brother Swan, she has a smaller comb. She does have thick legs though so I am not 100% positive.

Her mom is an olive egger and her dad was a black NN silkie frizzle. I’m excited to see what color egg she lays!

This bird is so ugly that she’s cute lol! I hope she grows a bit more crest because she looks like an alien. I wish the pigment on her neck was darker but overall she’s just kind of a fun bird to have around.

 

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This is Comet.

I thought for awhile that Comet was a boy but now I think she’s a girl. She is small and lightweight and has thin legs and just seems girly now. Her comb is a little wide but I still think girl.

Comet is a cross between my paint NN silkie hen and I suspect that her dad is the 1/2 silkie 1/2 ameraucana bantam boy. It is possible though that her dad was a NN silkie. If she has a blue egg or any lavender offspring then she is from the cross rooster.

She has very dark eyes and is a cutie. She has dark black spots and overall I’m pleased with her, whether she is full silkie or 3/4.

 

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This is Goldie.

Of the three black 1/2 silkie 1/2 ameraucana bantam chicks that I still have (Goldie, Frankincense and Myrrh), Goldie is my favorite.

She has the biggest crest and cheeks so far, and is the friendliest. She has a walnut type comb and is very cute.

She has a purple sheen to her feathers. I have an older pullet that is this same cross but different bloodlines and she has a green sheen. So it is fun to see purple on one and green on another. I wonder if the color of sheen means anything on black chickens?

 

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This is Figgy.

She is an adorable lavender satin banty. She is also a cross between lavender ameraucana bantam and silkie. She is from shipped eggs.

She has a tiny comb that looks closer to a pea comb to me. She is also getting adorable cheeks (especially on the R side) and she has a little crest. She has better foot feathering than my other two lavenders of the same cross (Minty and Noggy)

She will help so much in my
“Lavender bird that lays a blue egg” project!

 

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This is Myrrh.

She is from shipped eggs and her parents are half lavender ameraucana bantam and half silkie.

She is really adorable. She has a small pea type comb. I just love these adorable little black bantams. I hope her crest and cheeks fill in a bit more. She carries lavender and will lay a blue/green egg.

 

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This is Sugarplum.

Sorry for the picture overload but I love this bird! She hatched from shipped eggs from a show breeder, and I think she is just stunning. She has a short, cute black beak and a very cute comb. She also has very dark beautiful eyes. Her toes are amazing, though she is missing one toenail.

She will be a very good asset to my breeding program, being a lavender silkie with beautiful type.

 

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This is Frenchie.

She is sooo cute! I just love her. I have no idea where she came from lol! Jk I know she’s from either my gold birchen silkie hen or my paint NN silkie hen. Her dad is 1/2 ameraucana bantam 1/2 silkie. He is paint. If she came from my paint hen then it’s possible that she is dominant white. It is also possible that she is recessive white. I can’t wait to breed her to black and see if all offspring are paint (then she’s dominant) or if they are black (then she’s recessive).

I don’t know why she ended up with a yellow bill and pink comb instead of black. She does have black skin. She is also vaulted - which is so weird because none of her parents are. I haven’t seen that pop up when two non vaulted parents are bred together.

She has great toes, and a cute tail. She also has a very cute personality - she is the most eager to explore of the whole back. I am really pleased with how she ended up, even though I had not intention of keeping a white chick without black beak and comb. Oh and I wish her eyes were darker, they are light/medium brown.

 

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This is Noggy.

I saved her for last because she is sooo cute. She’s most likely a full blood sister to Minty and Figgy, and comes from shipped eggs. Her parents are a silkie and an ameraucana bantam.

Noggy was tested for the lavender gene at The Silkie Lab and she is lav/lav. She is also a satin frizzle and will lay a blue egg. Her comb looks like a walnut comb. And she is so friendly and sweet. She likes to sit on my hand and make cute noises!!

I am so happy to have her in my flock and she will be such a great asset to my breeding program!!