# New Silkie/Cochin mix?



## BamaChicks

I just got these 2 sweeties yesterday. They were hatched last Nov from the same batch. I was told they are Silkie with some Cochin genes. My question is, I thought the skin was supposed to be black. The smaller one is about 1/3 the size of the larger. It was pecked by other chicks and the feathers never grew out on its head (maybe a roo?). He still peeps like a chick but the larger one clucks like she should. Is there a possibility that there could be neurological problems from the pecking? Or does it take some longer to mature. I know that was several questions in one. These birds are so sweet! I bathed them and blew them dry. They seemed to enjoy it!! I think I am hooked.

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## pypy_chicks

I really don't know and never heard about anything like this but they are gorgeous !! I can't wait for my Silkie/ cochin bantams to grow up already !!! 


Current flock: 111


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## Fiere

Cochin skin isn't black, which is why you may be seeing different colour skin. As for the chick apparently being quite delayed, that probably has less to do with the pecking that it does with any number of birth defects. I should not think it was still maturing at this stage of the game. Are you sure they are from the same batch?


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## robin416

Some Cochin genes? How far back? Both of them look like pure Silkie. The only hard feathers I saw are in the wings. To have Silkie feathers you have to breed two Silkies together. 

Silkies can be slow to mature. It took me 8 months to determine one of mine was female because she was so delayed.


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## BamaChicks

Yep. The lady that I got them from hatched them herself. She said he was a lot smaller than all of the others which were all similarly sized. I wonder if maybe he could've been premature? Does that happen with chicks. He eats, drinks and walks normally. He is just tiny, still peeps and his head looks a little different than all of the others. I got 4 hens plus the larger Silkie and she gave me Tiny. I don't expect to breed him. 


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## BamaChicks

The lady said that there may be some Cochin back in the gene pool somewhere because of some brown coloration. They do have the soft, fluff all over except for the wings as you said. I know the mother and father were both Silkie. I saw the mom and her colorations were the same. The father died several months ago so I didn't get to see him. A friend who has Silkies said that it looks like pure Silkie to her also. I looked again at the skin on her belly and it is black. I guess what I was looking at when I thought I saw white was lighter feathers closer to the skin. Either way we adore her. Both were supposed to be mine but my son carries them around like babies and loves on them all of the time. He said I can have his RIR instead. Lol







This is my son Nate with Izzy







This is my son Charlie with Tiny- the one who seems delayed. Not sure if male or female.

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## robin416

That top one looks like its probably partridge. If the predominate colors are cold and black, that's what it is.

Tiny looks like its blue. 

Charlie looks like he has black feathers. 

If he's that attracted to them I'll bet he would like to show.


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## robin416

BTW, if you ever get the larger one wet and you see stripes then it is a partridge.


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## BamaChicks

Izzy does have some gold! 


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## BamaChicks

I meant goldish stripes. I bathed her today. 


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## BamaChicks

Stupid autocorrect. Goldish. Not goldfish. Lol


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## robin416

Then its partridge. I remembered reading that way back when. Silkie feathers prevent being able to see that they are actually striped but when wet and the feathers were laid flat they become obvious.


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## BamaChicks

Yep. When dry you can see just a hint of it but she has to be in the light. I will try to get a picture to show you in the sunlight tomorrow. I just got her yesterday but she is already so sweet and loves to be cuddled. She takes up for the smaller one that has problems. I'm trying to talk my boyfriend into raising them. We are putting our first batch of eggs in the incubator tomorrow- no silkies- and if they hatch out we may order some silkies to hatch. I've had several people see pics of her and ask about getting one. 


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