All about silkies

[chicken hawk 33]

How Canon u tell a roo from a hen

 

[slaw123456]

The combs and wattles — lobes of skin that hang from a chicken's head — of a male silkie generally will be larger than the females at a fairly early age. The difference can show up as early as 8 to 12 weeks. However, not all males have a large comb or wattle and they may be mislabeled as a female until they begin to crow on a regular basis.
Many silkie owners point to the distinctive crest of feathers on the top of the head. A female will have a rounded crest, almost in a globe shape. The silkie male will have streamers of longer feathers that stream backward from the lower part of the crest. These streamers are one of the first things an experienced silkie owner will look for to distinguish it from the female.

 

[chicken hawk 33]

If I bread a black silkie with a white silkie what color would I get

 

[Alex1010]

If I bread a black silkie with a white silkie what color would I get

I've been wondering the something

 

[chicken hawk 33]

Well I hope someone can answer what colors do u have

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

White in (most) Silkies is recessive, so requires two copies to present itself. White basically masks whatever other genetics the chicken carries. Think of it this way, your Silkies are soup cans. The black is clearly labeled black, but the white is missing its label entirely. So, you have no idea what's inside the can.

The short answer to your question is no one knows. The only way to find out is to breed them together and see what comes of it (unless you know your whites background and exactly what went into breeding it). I have 2 white hens in my blue pen. They came from my blue pen and when paired with other birds that don't carry white, they throw blue, black and splash. When paired with birds that carry white, I get blue, black, splash and white

 

[chicken hawk 33]

Well I will try it once they get older I have three solid black...someone I know has some whites so I think I will try later

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

And, as for sexing Silkies, you can disregard most of the things that you'd look at on most other breeds. If your Silkies are bearded, the cockerels combs and wattles will be smaller since bearding suppresses them. On the flip side, if they're non bearded, the hens combs and wattles will be larger. Look for swept back crests and streamers (longer feathers sticking off the back of the crest) for males. Females have round crests and tend to be more squatty, or lower to the ground. But, even those aren't always reliable indicating factors. If you want to be 100% sure, wait for a crow or an egg. Silkies are adorable, but they're an exercise in patience.

Good luck.

 

[chicken hawk 33]

Thanks is there eny specific tlc they need I was thinking of keeping them in a big rabbit hutch because I'm in Louisiana and it rains a bunch and I heard if they get soaked they can get upper respiratory infections I have been wanted some and I went to a swap here where I live and got them three for $20

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Nope, I don't do anything special for mine. When it rains, they go out and toodle around (and get soaked-they look pitiful, like drowned rats). Just give them a dry, draft free (but well ventilated coop) and they'll do just fine. I don't let mine free range, that's about the only thing they're limited on. They're always the first to be picked off by predators