13 weeks--are my silkie and golden laced Polish chicks pullets?

[Keylime]

I got two straight run chicks this year and have had them since the day they hatched (I did my best to pick females based off of some of the sexing hints I found online). Now they are 13 weeks old and look exactly like little hens. My polish's crest and saddle feathers are round, she has no comb, no red feathers at the shoulders.

My tiny silkie has a round poofy crest, no comb, no streamers, is extremely docile and tame. She general walks around in a squatty position. (Both chicks are bearded, so they have no waddles).

I know with these hard to sex breeds they say you don't know until they crow or lay an egg, but at this point, with absolutely all signs pointing to pullet, can I make the call? I would love to stop worrying as we can't have roosters.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Pictures needed.

 

[Keylime]

Ok, posting some photos I just took...it never ceases to amaze me how hard it is to photograph chickens. I had chickens goosing me, pecking the phone (one of my chickens literally took one of these photos, and trying to hop on my lap the whole time
Also, today was maybe a bad day to take photos of the silkie. She just had watermelon and some of her crest feathers are sticking together and looking like streamers, but they aren't.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

They both look like pullets.

Note: I don't know what little sexing tricks you used when picking out, but there isn't anything that works for these breeds at such a young age. Leg size, spurs, crest size, etc, don't have anything to do with the gender. It would just be coincidence that you got girls. Also, feather sexing only works for specifically bred hybrids.

 

[Keylime]

Pictures needed.

They both look like pullets.

Note: I don't know what little sexing tricks you used when picking out, but there isn't anything that works for these breeds at such a young age. Leg size, spurs, crest size, etc, don't have anything to do with the gender. It would just be coincidence that you got girls. Also, feather sexing only works for specifically bred hybrids.

General consensus is you can't sex them as new hatches, but I read about people using the shape of the crest of freshly hatched polish chicks, and definitely noticed two types of crests. With the silkies someone said head shape and wing tip length can be an indicator. I figured I had nothing to lose. Maybe I just got lucky.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

General consensus is you can't sex them as new hatches, but I read about people using the shape of the crest of freshly hatched polish chicks, and definitely noticed two types of crests. With the silkies someone said head shape and wing tip length can be an indicator. I figured I had nothing to lose. Maybe I just got lucky.

Yeah, those things aren't reliable.
Only reliable way for those breeds at hatch, would be vent sexing. Only trained people should do this though, and the silkies may be too small for it.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

General consensus is you can't sex them as new hatches, but I read about people using the shape of the crest of freshly hatched polish chicks, and definitely noticed two types of crests. With the silkies someone said head shape and wing tip length can be an indicator. I figured I had nothing to lose. Maybe I just got lucky.

Yes I don't believe they can be sexed at hatch but nothing wrong with trying.

But at 13 weeks old it looks like a Silkie pullet and a Polish cockerel.

Pull back head crest so I can see comb real well on the Silkie to confirm. I could confidently say pullet by this age in MY line.

The polish... reason I say cockerel is lace pattern should be clear lacing on females. But what you have there is splotchy barring on the shoulder area, typical of males but *sometimes* just poor quality breeding choices for the lace pattern.

ETA: can't see sickle feathers yet... but may still be early.

 

[Keylime]

The polish... reason I say cockerel is lace pattern should be clear lacing on females. But what you have there is splotchy barring on the shoulder area, typical of males but *sometimes* just poor quality breeding choices for the lace pattern.

ETA: can't see sickle feathers yet... but may still be early.

I sure hope not. The polish is the lowest on the pecking order, lower than the silkie who is half her size. I don't know if that says anything. Also, wouldn't the comb be growing by now if it was a cock?

 

[Alabama Fly]

I sure hope not. The polish is the lowest on the pecking order, lower than the silkie who is half her size. I don't know if that says anything. Also, wouldn't the comb be growing by now if it was a cock?

I have 15 twelve week old polish chicks,wcb,buff laced and silver. One cockerel ordered for each set of 4 hens. Cockerels marked by hatchery. I banded each male and at 7 weeks all 3 males had obvious red combs . None of the others are showing any red at all. I realize some boys can be slow maturing but i think this hatchery was spot on.I think you have a hen,she looks very much like my girls.

 

[drumstick diva]

Need pictures of the silkie facing forward with crest held or pulled back, to show full extent of comb. I am not that familiar with Polish