A fellow chicken keeper posts a photo of their new Silked Easter Egger from Murray McMurray Hatchery, and the caption reads like a mild lament. "I got one, it may be a roo, but she's not as funky looking as I expected." They confess they were hoping for something closer to the wild, fluffy birds they'd seen on My Pet Chickens. The irony? Murray doesn't even have photos of their own Silked Easter Eggers on their site. So you order based on a name and a prayer, and what arrives is… a regular chicken in disguise.
We get it. The disappointment is real, and it's also a little funny. You order a Silked Easter Egger because you want the feathery equivalent of a punk rock star, silkie-like fluff, maybe a crest, definitely some attitude. Instead, you get a bird that looks like it could blend into any backyard flock. And then there's the rooster possibility. That's the real kicker. You planned for a hen, and now you're bracing for early-morning crowing and a potential rehoming situation. It's the poultry equivalent of ordering a unicorn and getting a very nice pony.
This is a cautionary tale about expectations versus reality in the mail-order chicken game. Hatcheries like Murray are reliable for healthy birds, but "Silked Easter Egger" isn't a standardized breed. It's a marketing name for a mix that might carry the silkie gene, or might not express it fully. That lack of photos on the site? That should have been a red flag waving in the coop. If you're after a specific look, you're better off buying from a breeder who shows you the parents. But if you just want a friendly, egg-laying bird that might surprise you with a blue egg, this bird still delivers.
What would we tell a reader who asked us about it? Don't throw shade at the chicken. She didn't ask to be a letdown. She's just a bird, doing bird things. But do adjust your expectations before you click "add to cart." If you're after funk, ask for photos or find a local breeder. If you're after a reliable Easter Egger that might grow a tiny punk crest, Murray is fine, just know you're rolling the dice. And if your hen turns out to be a roo? Well, you've got a story. That's worth more than a perfect photo on a hatchery page.