calling all silkie experts!

[bangor777]

Hi, I have 8 straight run silkies. They are two weeks old tomorrow. Exactly 4 have tail feathers, the other 4 have no tails at all. Is this possibly indicative of sex? Just curious. Also I notice they are still sooooooooooooooooo small! My other chickens (standards)
practically grew bigger in front of my eyes. They're still in with two packing peanuts and the boys are huge compared to them.

 

[KPort Chick]

My 2 silkies are still really tiny also, compared to my 4 Buff Orpington chicks which seem to grow bigger every day. I think that is normal. Mine are only supposed to be around 3lbs full grown.

 

[Chirpy]

Silkies are smaller than standard size chickens. So, yes, your chick will seem to be growing more slowly and will most likely never again be as large as your other chickens.

As for the tail feathers helping to ID the sexes. I've never heard of that but I'm not a Silkie expert. What I have heard is that Silkies are next to impossible to sex until they either crow are lay an egg!

 

[priszilla]

I am not an expert-I'd like to be-lol--but seriously I have not noticed any difference in tail feathering and I've been breeding them for 4 years.I can usually tell around 8 weeks old when the boys start to get streamers (feathers that stream down the back of their necks)

 

[bangor777]

Oh well, I guess time will tell. I was just surprised because exactly half have noticeable tail feathers, and the other half still have smooth, round downy butts! I'm actually glad it isn't telling, maybe i got really lucky and more than half are females! Time will tell.