sexing silkies - Page 3

With mine, I got a pretty good idea by running my index finger up the beak and comb. My 2 boys had a bump toward the top, the girls were smooth! Now they are older and I was right, 2 boys, 6 girls. The girls are still somewhat smooth and the boys "bump" got bigger and they grew their streamers!  Mine are SQ birds    They are almost 15 weeks old now!  I know this isn't a sure-fire way to tell but the breeder I got them from said he can usually get a pretty good guess by doing this.

I thought I had three four roosters. I have 8 young silkies, I bought them from two different breeders so they vary in age. We notice only one had a waddle.

I have a 6 week old silkie chick. It already has a comb, does that mean it's a boy?  

I tried the toe thing and they were the same length.  

 

I can't have any roosters and I only have this one silkie chick so if it's a boy I need to give it away and get a new one before spring is over and the shops stop selling them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That really looks like a boy to me

Another trick that works sometimes is watching behavior.  Males tend to  stand taller and keep head up when somthing startles them.  Someone else mentioned tendency to stay between perceived threat and hens.  I agree that the white male with grey spot just above beak is probably a roo.

 

Thanks for your replies.

 

What makes you think it is a boy?

 

I just want to be sure it is before I give it to someone else.

 

The comb, the feathering, the crest.. I would be surprised if it turned out to be a pullet

NOOO!!

 

I thought the feathers looked like a pullet. The tail is round and the crest isn't slicked back. It doesn't puff itself up like a rooster and usually sits by itself when all the chicks are running around, which sounds like a pullet to me, so maybe there is hope?

Thanks for your reply though, very helpful to get some ideas, I welcome all.

My silkie rooster is very laid back. At this age, you wouldn't likely see any rooster behaviour signs.

I have yet to see a silkie pullet with that big of a comb at that age. It's wings also look very ragged which reminds me of my boy. My girls look much more delicate.

If you want to compare your silkie to mine (she was 8 weeks in the picture), feel free.







I don't have any at this age of my rooster I could tell the boys from the girls when I picked my two pullets out. Maybe I thought I could, and just got lucky..

I have 11 due to hatch next Friday, so I will be able to keep records of which ones are likely males.

I've been very good at sexing my own chicks. I could tell my houdan was a boy at 1 week old. They are just as hard to sex as silkies - those crested breeds can't be sexed as easily by the comb. I also believe that girls feather quicker than boys, and your silkie looks behind in feathering for the age. I am not an expert or anything. Just speaking from experience. All my boys feathered out slower.

WOW good to know the toe thing! Thanks!