Hatchery Silkies and giant wattles already?

[Realtree4]

These are obviously the first silkies I have had and I'm now thinking I have at least 4 boys out of 6 But these are hatchery silkies and so we all know how that goes.....

3 have straight combs. Yes, straight combs. And 1 has 3 rows of a straight comb....kinda like an Easter Egger roo, but this was has pointy ridges. And their combs are big!

My question is that 4 of them have very, very big wattles and they are only 10 weeks old. Are these very big telltale signs of Roos for me? I don't know silkies at all and having them being so different is confusing me.

I will add some pictures, but I do apologize.....they're with our iPad and we took them fast because a storm was rolling in

 

[Hatching]

The second picture and 2 in the last picture are males. Silkies are normally very hard to sex but if they have single combs they are crosses and will probably develop faster than pure silkies which is why we can sex them already

 

[Realtree4]

Thank you So I'm looking at the ones with the very developed wattles and those are definitely boys...correct? Since they are crosses, does the same rule apply that if they already develop combs/wattles, they should be Roos?

 

[Hatching]

Thank you So I'm looking at the ones with the very developed wattles and those are definitely boys...correct? Since they are crosses, does the same rule apply that if they already develop combs/wattles, they should be Roos?

Probably. No one knows for sure what they are crossed with but in general single comb birds seem to develop combs faster. But yes I was talking about the two middle birds with large combs and waddles. Another helpful clue would be age, for example if they were only 5 weeks then I would assume that birds looking like the one in the first pic would be male but if they were 12-15 then I would assume female.

 

[drumstick diva]

Well at least they appear to have black skin. Do hatcheries pass these off as Purebred silkies?

 

[drumstick diva]

I would think with the prominent combs and big wattles they are boys. But, I wouldn't use them or any females combed like that for breeding. It will set you back, many years.

 

[Realtree4]

I would think with the prominent combs and big wattles  they are boys.  But, I wouldn't use them or any females combed like that for breeding.  It will set you back, many years.

The hubs got them for me at our feed store for our anniversary and they get all of their shipment from a hatchery.... He knew I had been wanting silkies I'm not worried about breeding or anything like that, I really wanted some because of their feathering and hoping for some good brooders. But you're right, I wont be trying to breed these ones. The one with the appropriate comb has deformed toes and a curved leg and of course, she is a girl and has an awesome poof on her head. But bummed leg. Then I have four with messed up combs and one that seems to be "okay".

Now I know why the feed store hurriedly snatches them up and boxes them for you without letting you look at them first but I do still like them and it's a good thing I don't worry about anything purebred, because boy would I be mad

I have all six of them in my smaller coop, separated from my other flock that free ranges and I am wanting to get rid of all boys (except one) and free up space. I just need to know which ones

 

[Wyandottes7]

The ones with large combs and wattles are cockerels.

 

[BantamLover21]

The ones with large combs and wattles are cockerels.

Agreed