Silkie Chickies... hoping to sex

[RachsChix]

I am absolutely dying to know who's who with my 5 Silkie chicks. Hoping they might be old enough

 

[Fbkchicks15]

what age are these chicks?

 

[RachsChix]

I want to say 6 maybe 7 weeks-ish. To be completely honest... we had about 4 different sets and I can't remember which date my silkies were. I think the very beginning of March... maybe around the 5th.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Way too early to sex with any confidence. Most breeders wait until 3 to 4 months, at the earliest.

Watch the combs. Female Silkies never really get much comb or wattle. Males will.

Generally, but not always, males have a mowhawk crest while females have more of a pom pom. Males tend to stand tall and lanky while females are more tear drop and lower, squattier.

It is best to see a Silkie in profile standing on its own feet to see those stances, then look at the comb/wattles, then look at the crest.

But with Silkies, it is very hard to know. Sometimes you've got to wait for a crow or egg.

ETA: right now, just from combs as you haven't got much else to tell by, I'd watch #1 and #4 as possible males.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

 

[drumstick diva]

Agree. Silkies are one of the most difficult breeds to sex before 4-5 mos. of age and sometimes not till their crow or lay eggs.

 

[RachsChix]

Bummer

Thank you!

 

[RachsChix]

Any luck now

 

[MagpieDucks]

Last one is definitely a boy as far as I can tell. Where did you get your silkies? I'm thinking they aren't quite pure silkies hence the single comb and lack of crest. Maybe just pet quality?

 

[RachsChix]

My husband got them from a friend of a friend. I wanted polish chickens and we compromised on silkies.