Pic Heavy, what breed is this baby, plus silkie comb questions

Hopefully these pics are good enough you can tell, tried to take them with and without flash so you could see the colors properly. I have named this one Finchy, or Fin, he/she looks like a little finch to me in the face. So cute. This has been one of my babies in the hospital that was sick and has pretty much made a full recovery, he/she is VERY hefty, has a lot of meat on his or her bones!

Any ideas on breed? Too young to tell sex?




Also, I have a total of 7 silkies, all chicks, and they are the first silkies I have ever had. I know it is hard to sex them early on, but the two that I got first have super flat combs, no bumpy things on them, and they are black. My younger chicks, some of them have stgarted developing larger combs and they are getting pink/red. I was not sure if this was a sign of a roo, or if they just differ based on genetics. Sorry I am so ignorant! but i am here to learn!!

This one just started getting that red/pink at the top of his/her comb. Is this indicative of a male, or can it happen regardless of gender? These are approx 4 weeks old.


This one is just like my others... has a very black, flat comb.


Here is another one that has developed quite a comb and it also had a pink tint to it, tho it is hard to see in this pic.

This one is getting bumpies too.

Someone please tell me that this doesn't mean I am going to have a bunch of silky roos! I will still love them, but I want some broody girls too!! I know silkie sexing is not easy, but since I have never had one before, I thought I would ask. They have just started getting combs in the past week, my other 2 silkies that are quite a bit older, have no combs! So that is why I was concerned. THANK YOU for taking the time to look!!

Looks like a Golden Lace Wyandotte to me!

Golden Laced Wyandotte.

I would wait at least a month before trying to sex the Silkies.

Oh I do hope it is a golden laced, they are so pretty!!! I was thinking that might be what he/she was, but was not sure since the feathers looked so spotted, so I was just sure I was wrong lol.



and to the silkies... siiigh ok I *guess* I can wait another month or two.... or 3 or 4.... THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!!

Do comb sizes, colors, and types vary among silkies? I have zero experience with raising silkies but I learn something new every day. I have just noticed in some pics some of them have purple combs, some red, some have no combs. So confusing!

Agree the first bird is a gold laced Wyandotte. The feathers go through stages of development, the pattern doesn't really come out until they're a few months old sometimes.

Sorry, I've not dealt with silkies enough to say if those are male signs. I want to say it's just a genetic thing that gave them pink instead of black/mulberry like silkies should be, but I'm not certain.

I do want to compliment you on your photography skills, though! you gave us excellent pictures to work with, that's refreshing. Sorry we can't help more.

gold laced wyandotte


That one silkie has the strangest comb I have ever seen(tons of peas), you might want to run your photos past the folks at "Silkie thread," Are they hatchery birds? The weird comb makes me think so.

They do need time - best to try and sex silkies at 4-5 mos.

If you want to be positive of getting pullets, get point of lay girls or laying hens. Silkies are very tricky in terms of gender.

donrae said:

Agree the first bird is a gold laced Wyandotte. The feathers go through stages of development, the pattern doesn't really come out until they're a few months old sometimes.

Sorry, I've not dealt with silkies enough to say if those are male signs. I want to say it's just a genetic thing that gave them pink instead of black/mulberry like silkies should be, but I'm not certain.

I do want to compliment you on your photography skills, though! you gave us excellent pictures to work with, that's refreshing. Sorry we can't help more.

Click to expand...

X2 on donrae's post. )

donrae said:

Agree the first bird is a gold laced Wyandotte. The feathers go through stages of development, the pattern doesn't really come out until they're a few months old sometimes.

Sorry, I've not dealt with silkies enough to say if those are male signs. I want to say it's just a genetic thing that gave them pink instead of black/mulberry like silkies should be, but I'm not certain.

I do want to compliment you on your photography skills, though! you gave us excellent pictures to work with, that's refreshing. Sorry we can't help more.

Click to expand...

I was kinda thinking maybe the feather pattern we had now would not be what it would look like as an adult, which is why I asked, because I really fail at breed identification lol!! And thank you, I did try to take good pics so that I could get good answers

drumstick diva said:

gold laced wyandotte


That one silkie has the strangest comb I have ever seen(tons of peas), you might want to run your photos past the folks at "Silkie thread," Are they hatchery birds? The weird comb makes me think so.

They do need time - best to try and sex silkies at 4-5 mos.

If you want to be positive of getting pullets, get point of lay girls or laying hens. Silkies are very tricky in terms of gender.

Click to expand...

I'm not too worried about if they are roos or not, although I am going to be overrun with roos before long I do believe haha. Just as with any chick, the suspense kills me! I got these ones with the weird combs from Atwoods, so no idea where they come from but probably a big hatchery. Maybe one day I can find some "real" silkies, because the ones I have definitely do not look like the ones everyone else has They aren't nearly as fluffy which makes me sad, but i still love them. I want little poof balls, not an emu looking chicken lol, which is what mine look like. I only got the weird comb ones because they had pasty butt super bad and no one at the store was going to do anything about it. Did not realize until I got home that they were silkies. I really hope to get some pullets out of the batch, I want some broodies!

Thanks for all the help yall!! I think part of the fun with chicks is the suspense! And buying from a mixed batch of straight runs is always an adventure!

MESOFRUFFEH said:

I was kinda thinking maybe the feather pattern we had now would not be what it would look like as an adult, which is why I asked, because I really fail at breed identification lol!! And thank you, I did try to take good pics so that I could get good answers

Click to expand...

You're welcome.

MESOFRUFFEH said:

I was kinda thinking maybe the feather pattern we had now would not be what it would look like as an adult, which is why I asked, because I really fail at breed identification lol!! And thank you, I did try to take good pics so that I could get good answers

I'm not too worried about if they are roos or not, although I am going to be overrun with roos before long I do believe haha. Just as with any chick, the suspense kills me! I got these ones with the weird combs from Atwoods, so no idea where they come from but probably a big hatchery. Maybe one day I can find some "real" silkies, because the ones I have definitely do not look like the ones everyone else has

They aren't nearly as fluffy which makes me sad, but i still love them. I want little poof balls, not an emu looking chicken lol, which is what mine look like. I only got the weird comb ones because they had pasty butt super bad and no one at the store was going to do anything about it. Did not realize until I got home that they were silkies. I really hope to get some pullets out of the batch, I want some broodies!

Thanks for all the help yall!! I think part of the fun with chicks is the suspense! And buying from a mixed batch of straight runs is always an adventure!

Click to expand...

I would love to the outcome of your silkies gender - I know it's been a few years (lol) but I'm super interested!

I'm new to Silkies - started with 12 chicks, gave most away to friends and ended up with 4. I'm almost positive that I have 4 Roos and gave all my pullett a away! For free! You & I sound very much alike; I didn't keep the best looking ones.....in fact, the opposite! I too kept the ones with pasty butt because I knew that I'd takes care of their lil' bottoms! Some day maybe I won't be so generous (haha) and I'll end up with the Silkies that I've been dreaming of.

Really though, I'd love to know how things turned out for you - it's fascinating to me! Mine are currently 10wks and the only one that I thought was a pullett has begin to develop a nice comb & wattles (MEAN, actually! I've decided combs are mean! Haha ) over the last 3 days.