Gender on Silkies (I know, not an exact science)

[MizDiz]

I have five Silkie chicks of which I need to try to determine gender. They are from a mixed flock, hence the non-true colors. Any opinions would be appreciated, as long as you aren't of the opinion that every single chick is a boy (lol). I'm sure a few names will need to be changed as gender is determined. Oh, they are just over 12 weeks old.

Thanks!!!!
Sherry

Princess

Pip

Squeak

Poppa G (who wouldn't stand still long enough for a good shot)

Anonymous

 

[Guitartists]

I would say Pip is a girl... the rest possibly roos...but, I cannot see them that well... small pics. Can you get good close-up shots of their heads head on?

 

[MizDiz]

I will see if I can get them to cooperate a little more tomorrow. It would be my luck that they would be mostly cockerals. <sigh>

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

good luck with that one! I hate trying to sex Silkies... And I raise them!

Although I must say, judging by the pics, the only one I could say that I think for sure is a roo, is Squeak. And thats only because of the size and color of his comb in the pic.

Have you tried the "feeling the vent" thing. Supposedly the vent of a pullet will feel a little wider than a male, to accomodate laying of eggs.

HOWEVER, its never been a proven way to sex, so I don't know if it works or not. But I recently bought a pullet after using this method, so the only think I can tell you is, Good Luck!

 

[MizDiz]

I've had Silkies for three years now and still have a difficult time figuring them out. As far as behavior goes, Princess acts more like Prince. I've tried looking at combs/waddles, but then several of my Silkie hens have big combs/waddles. Hrumph! I may end up waiting for the old "egg or crow" method of determining gender.

 

[Tiel59]

I love my silkies! At one week we have a 90% sucess at a leg check most of the girls show a "finer leg". At one month the Roo's are a bit longer in the neck. Now this is a fun oddity at 8 weeks or longer carefully aquire a neck feather and wet it - the boys tend to be thiner, stiffer longer and come more to a sharper point. At about 3 months my roo's start to get a punk look with longer stray feathers on their heads. They also have a few(3-4) hard and longer tail feathers. Vent checks work at about this age too the girls start to get wider and a moist sheen. But we did have one roo go nine months as a girl because he was at the bottom of the pecking order. ( last to eat scared to crow) In my breeding records my hen's combs transfer to their sons. If they are small/large to sex so is the roo. The girls have a tendency to show their Papa's color and shape but smaller.
Sooo Princess may be Prince due to head, neck and the tail looks more long than rounded. Compare Pip's legs to Squeek if they look finer "is true" Pip's your girl. If Anonymous is with Princess in the second pic then Anonymous is either a girl or bottom of the pecking order. I have yet to have a hen do the wing dance. But I've had a roo act like he wants to make a nest.

 

[tiki244]

Wow Tiel59 I gotta copy that

 

[suzi]

sqeak boy
pip girl
popag looks like girl
princess ithink boy

 

[kentuckysilkies]

Pip and Anonymous are pullets. The other three are boys.

 

[alex]

I think all of them are girls, besides the white one, im not sure about that one.