8 Week Old Silkies - Girls or boys?

[alknoll]

Hi all!

I have 4 8 week old Silkies. This post contains 3 of them, as I was sick of getting covered in chick poo to get these photos, haha. The fourth has a single comb, perhaps is a Frizzle cross, so jury is still out on that one. What do you think of these 3 8-week-olds? Pullets or Cockerel?

#1 No visible combs or wattles, horizontal body posture. Thinking pullet? She also had a very round crown at hatch. She does have some reddish orange feathers on her neck.

#2 More upright posture, very obvious walnut comb. Not sure if I see wattles? Thinking boy?

#3 The hardest one to photograph... No visible comb or wattles, yet his/her posture is and has always been very upright. Not sure?

Thanks!

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

A bit young for Silkies, but in my opinion 2 looks like a cockerel and the other two pullets so far

 

[alknoll]

A bit young for Silkies, but in my opinion 2 looks like a cockerel and the other two pullets so far

I have heard they are particularly hard to sex (of course after I already hatched them), but why is that?

 

[EmmaRainboe]

2 is a cockerel. No signs of cockerel on the other two, but it's still quite early.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I have heard they are particularly hard to sex (of course after I already hatched them), but why is that?

It's the combination of the hyperpigmented comb/wattles that are already typically small in both genders with the silked feathers and slow maturity. The silked feathers make it really hard to discern feather colors/patterns that show gender and see any male sex feathering. With many breeds, comb size/color show gender pretty quickly with accuracy and Silkies we just end up waiting with

 

[Quaicken108]

I also think that 2 is a cockerel and wait a bit longer to be certain about the other two.

 

[Matilda Belle]

The splash looks like a boy but the other two appear female.