What color are week-old white silkies?

[devin0]

May sound like a stupid question, but what colors are white silkie chicks? Because I got 3, one of them is a dirty buff/grayish/lemon color, one's fully lemon-color, and the other one's in between. Will they stay this color when they grow up or will it just wear off and they'll all turn white?

 

[joe17]

I have no experience with white but I have read a lot of posts about this. Many white chicks hatch out silver or almost buff but turn out white. Yours will most likely turn out white. I think its because white is recessive or dominant (I think) lol

 

[racuda]

Most of my whites start out as yellow or tan and a month later turn white. These are now snow white:

 

[EricH]

any white bird is typically pure yellow when first hatched. then the white feathers come in.

 

[robin416]

Or they can hatch like this:

And have the greyish colored one grow up to look like this:

All three chicks came from the same two white parents.

 

[Elite Silkies]

My whites are born all different colors, and either turn white or carry the silver genes like Robin416's bird.

 

[robin416]

Except its probably not the silver gene but after a discussion with Sigi is probably dominate white. The gray chicks are always male and with each breeding the color becomes more pronounced, that little boy is an F2. The F3's have even more gray color to them.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
I gave one to SonRise Silkies, and I am pretty sure it's a pullet. I'll have to email her and double check. I also sold another one that was a pullet. So, I guess I don't know what color they are then. I've got one more, I'll have to keep it now, so I can see what sex it is. They are def. not white, which is why I thought they might be carrying the silver genes. Hmmmmmmmm....... now it's going to drive me crazy

 

[robin416]

Check out the discussion on the ASBC forum. In the genetics forum you'll see the topic where she explained what she believes is happening.

 

[swheat]

Quote:
I only have 2 color hatch from my whites, yellow and grayish(carring silver), but all mine turn white, I have never had an adult to keep greyish feathers though...hmmm Interesting. I believe I have had some grayish colored chicks to be pullets also, but not positive. I will keep a eye out when I start hatching some whites.

ETA- also my grayish chicks seem to resist the yellowing of the hackle & saddle feather due to sun exposure, they are bright white.