12 week old Silkies

[WiseWoman]

Yes, I know...hardest breed to tell until the infamous crow or egg...but I still try to get opinions, if nothing else I continue to learn new traits to look for. I read the guidelines and am offering up the best pics I have available. Hopefully I have provided enough quality pics.
1. Poppy..giving me no clues...

2. Pepper...I am thinking pullet...

3. Olivia..I thought cockerel, but have been told pullet? So different from my other white (Ellie)

4. Ellie...I thought pullet but was told cockerel?

Pics of Olivia and Ellie next to eachother if that helps with anything.

5. Brownie...lost, just lost, gut says cockerel? Stance is the leading cause of my reasoning...and unfortunately I don’t have a good “face shot” (Brownie is the one who keeps the most “distance”, especially when I have the camera out. S/he has a bit of a green sheen coming through in the tail, not sure if that means anything...

5. Blue...Blue has already given his cockadoodle do. I’m am posting because I would love it if someone can point out traits that I am not noticing that would point to cockerel if he hadn’t said good morning yet.

Thank you for taking the time to play the never ending game of hen or roo!!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

The whites are male...

 

[WiseWoman]

Yes, I know...hardest breed to tell until the infamous crow or egg...but I still try to get opinions, if nothing else I continue to learn new traits to look for. I read the guidelines and am offering up the best pics I have available. Hopefully I have provided enough quality pics.
1. Poppy..giving me no clues...View attachment 2279476View attachment 2279477
2. Pepper...I am thinking pullet...
View attachment 2279478View attachment 2279480
3. Olivia..I thought cockerel, but have been told pullet? So different from my other white (Ellie)View attachment 2279484View attachment 2279486
4. Ellie...I thought pullet but was told cockerel? View attachment 2279489View attachment 2279490
Pics of Olivia and Ellie next to eachother if that helps with anything.
View attachment 2279516
View attachment 22795185. Brownie...lost, just lost, gut says cockerel? Stance is the leading cause of my reasoning...and unfortunately I don’t have a good “face shot” (Brownie is the one who keeps the most “distance”, especially when I have the camera out. S/he has a bit of a green sheen coming through in the tail, not sure if that means anything...View attachment 2279500View attachment 2279501
5. Blue...Blue has already given his cockadoodle do. I’m am posting because I would love it if someone can point out traits that I am not noticing that would point to cockerel if he hadn’t said good morning yet.View attachment 2279511View attachment 2279509
Thank you for taking the time to play the never ending game of hen or roo!!

I would also appreciate any knowledge you can give by pointing out how you came to your “conclusions” if you want to share.

 

[Matilda Belle]

The first partridge is female and the whites look male. The second partridge looks male as well.

 

[The Happster]

Whites are male, agree with Odd.
Brownie is male.
And you know Blue is.
I would say Pepper and Poppy have a chance at being female. Silkies are difficult to sex.

 

[WiseWoman]

The first partridge is female and the whites look male. The second partridge looks male as well.

What about Pepper? (Number 2)

 

[WiseWoman]

Whites are male, agree with Odd.
Brownie is male.
And you know Blue is.
I would say Pepper and Poppy have a chance at being female. Silkies are difficult to sex.

I know, out of 10 I shared three with a friend. And I’m down to two out of my remaining seven (1 already found a new home) that may possibly be girls. I haven’t checked with my friend to see what’s going on with her bunch.

 

[Matilda Belle]

If there is a red comb, it’s likely male.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So, I too have had difficulty sexing my silkies, like everyone.
I agree with the other forum member that your whites are likely male. I see a big comb space in both of them.
Things to look for are stance, development of streamers, puff type and comb. A true silkie will have a very dark mulberry colored comb. Boys develop them first and they will be bigger. Girls tend to have more of a rounder puff on their heads and boys tend to be more slicked back appearing. Streamers (longer feathers sprouting from their puffs) tend to be male, but I had a female with these, so not a sure thing. Chest bumping can also be a roo trait, though I have girls who do that, too!
If you must know what genders they are you can try sending feathers to IQbird testing. I ended up doing this with mine and my guesses on my 6 silkies were correct except for the one girl that I thought may be a boy because of the streamers, Good luck! Beautiful birds you have!

 

[WiseWoman]

So, I too have had difficulty sexing my silkies, like everyone.
I agree with the other forum member that your whites are likely male. I see a big comb space in both of them.
Things to look for are stance, development of streamers, puff type and comb. A true silkie will have a very dark mulberry colored comb. Boys develop them first and they will be bigger. Girls tend to have more of a rounder puff on their heads and boys tend to be more slicked back appearing. Streamers (longer feathers sprouting from their puffs) tend to be male, but I had a female with these, so not a sure thing. Chest bumping can also be a roo trait, though I have girls who do that, too!
If you must know what genders they are you can try sending feathers to IQbird testing. I ended up doing this with mine and my guesses on my 6 silkies were correct except for the one girl that I thought may be a boy because of the streamers, Good luck! Beautiful birds you have!

Thank you. My daughter is going to be heartbroken if Olivia is a cockerel. The other bird she “picked out” and named was 100% rooster from week 3. To lose another she may give up. I knew going into it silkies would be risky, but they were the top bird I had to have once I could get my own flock. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed that she is an odd one and rather lay an egg than lay a hen lol.