Buff silkies - If this doesn't sex them then I'm totally confused.

[Live2exell]

Stumbling thru chicken land I'm learning a lot. Silkies are tough to sex, ok but look... These 2 look cut and dry to me. Boy and girl. But.... A local breeder said looks like two little girls to me. Well now what the (****) ! I thought I had this figured out. One has combs and waddles the other doesn't. Aggressive'ish. Spikes -vs- ball poof. We lost our 2 favorite beep beeps to a possum attack this past week (awful week) and since I can't keep roos I need to get everyone prepped to say goodbye to the yellow twin if he's a he. They are about 3 mo old. Thanks for any opinions !

 

[chooks4life]

Stumbling thru chicken land I'm learning a lot. Silkies are tough to sex, ok but look... These 2 look cut and dry to me. Boy and girl. But.... A local breeder said looks like two little girls to me. Well now what the (****) ! I thought I had this figured out. One has combs and waddles the other doesn't. Aggressive'ish. Spikes -vs- ball poof. We lost our 2 favorite beep beeps to a possum attack this past week (awful week) and since I can't keep roos I need to get everyone prepped to say goodbye to the yellow twin if he's a he. They are about 3 mo old. Thanks for any opinions !

Hello and

I think you're right, that's a lot of wattle for a hen that age...

Not that many hens don't have large wattles, even Silkie hens can, but mostly they have a lot less, pretty much as a guarantee at that age they don't have anything too significant.

The spiky feathering on the neck may also be a gender sign, but I've known Silkie males without any neck or head spikes, and it's ambiguous enough in this bird.

Aggression is not a gender trait. It's one of the most unreliable ways to sex them.

Sorry for your loss of the others.

Best wishes.

 

[Live2exell]

Ya check "him" out! Thanks for the support on my thoughts. Now I just have to wait a while and research Chicken psychology and blended chicken families. Our little yellow girl may be alone then. The bigger ones will sit on her at night but poke during the day. All my littles will be gone but her.

 

[chooks4life]

I take it you're in America, your profile doesn't yet say (good to add that info sometime as so much disease, medical and legal info on chooks is region specific)...

American Silkies are often almost genderless in appearance for most of their adolescence, but if that were an Aussie Silkie it could be female.

I'm used to Silkies with strong and obvious and precocious secondary sexual characteristic development, it's taken me ages to begin to get used to the American ones. So, what country you're in could play a part in sexing it.

Best wishes.

 

[Live2exell]

You are correct these are silkies from the Midwest parts of America! And thanks for the tip I will update my profile I had no idea this website was international -very cool

 

[chooks4life]

It's great to be able to obtain info and perspectives from all around the world.