Blue Partridge Silkies

[lauranickerson]

I'm buying some 10-week-olds tomorrow for only $5/pullet! Silkies in general are hard to come by around my area. They are giving the males away for free. Should I take one? Once my flock is fully grown, I will have a Sebright roo, and a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte roo. I currently have a Black Sex Link roo and a Red Sex Link roo that I'm not sure what I'll do with yet...

Will a male silkie even cause any trouble? I heard they're almost like a hen in many ways...

 

[keesmom]

How can they guarantee pullets at 10 weeks? Silkies are notoriously difficult to sex. I had a buff I was sure was a pullet until 7 months of age.

 

[lauranickerson]

How can they guarantee pullets at 10 weeks? Silkies are notoriously difficult to sex. I had a buff I was sure was a pullet until 7 months of age.

Hmm, I guess I'm not sure! Is there any way to really tell?

 

[lauranickerson]

I just emailed her. She said she's 100% sure. She can see different sized combs and the females have more of a puff ball where the males have more "streamers" on their heads. She said she'd show me the difference when I pick them up.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Even if she isn't completely sure of their genders, $5 each for 10 week olds is a pretty fair deal. If I were you I'd buy all girls, grow them out for a while and make sure they're all girls. Then, if you still want a Silkie rooster, get one. At this point though, it sounds like you've got more roosters than you need
Good luck, I'd love to see pictures!

 

[lauranickerson]

Even if she isn't completely sure of their genders, $5 each for 10 week olds is a pretty fair deal. If I were you I'd buy all girls, grow them out for a while and make sure they're all girls. Then, if you still want a Silkie rooster, get one. At this point though, it sounds like you've got more roosters than you need

Good luck, I'd love to see pictures!

True. I do have too many! She was actually out of the cockerels when I picked up the 'girls,' so maybe that's a good thing. She is going to keep my email address and she said she'd be hatching more in a few months. This is my first time with silkies (besides the chick I had that died at just a few days old) and I'm super excited! They are soooo cute!