Help! Gender/Sex of 2 Silkies? 🙏🏼😄😭❤️🐣🤷🏼‍♀️

[hannahsocal]

Hi! I’ve heard that silkies are notoriously hard to judge the gender of until they’re older but I was wondering if anyone on here was a Silkie expert or had any ideas from experience on what gender my silkies might be! Photos down below!!

They are siblings and the white one is vaulted while the splash is not vaulted. Any suggestions on what the genders might be would be greatly appreciated THANK YOU!!!

I’m new to silkies and I have them both in with some chicks right now as “adoptive moms” since they were getting along with the chicks so well (ofc I monitored to make sure everyone was doing well and everything was okay before letting them stay together). They both seem like great “moms” (the white one a bit more motherly than the splash) but since they’re 10 weeks old and I’m new to silkies, I can’t really tell if they’re girls or not. Any advice? And please excuse the poop on the roosts I’m sorry!! I haven’t figured out how to scrub it off yet, I tried a bleach spray and soap and it’s still there

 

[Backyardhomestead921]

Both look to be pullets.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Hi! I’ve heard that silkies are notoriously hard to judge the gender of until they’re older but I was wondering if anyone on here was a Silkie expert or had any ideas from experience on what gender my silkies might be! Photos down below!!

They are siblings and the white one is vaulted while the splash is not vaulted. Any suggestions on what the genders might be would be greatly appreciated THANK YOU!!!

I’m new to silkies and I have them both in with some chicks right now as “adoptive moms” since they were getting along with the chicks so well (ofc I monitored to make sure everyone was doing well and everything was okay before letting them stay together). They both seem like great “moms” (the white one a bit more motherly than the splash) but since they’re 10 weeks old and I’m new to silkies, I can’t really tell if they’re girls or not. Any advice? And please excuse the poop on the roosts I’m sorry!! I haven’t figured out how to scrub it off yet, I tried a bleach spray and soap and it’s still there

Beautiful birds!
At 10 weeks of age these both appear to be female. This is unfortunately fairly meaningless with Silkies. With well bred Silkies, many males can be late bloomers. I have had birds that I was convinced were female at 12 weeks all of a sudden look very male a few weeks later. Biggest change in features that can help you identify male versus female happen between 12 to 15 weeks usually. Sometimes later.
With some lines of Silkies there is an association between vaulted skull and female gender but this is not a reliable indicator. I have had many females that did not have vaults as well.
Hold out a few more weeks and then you will know.

 

[Faithful flock]

Currently look like pullets but update us in a couple weeks!

 

[hannahsocal]

Beautiful birds!
At 10 weeks of age these both appear to be female. This is unfortunately fairly meaningless with Silkies. With well bred Silkies, many males can be late bloomers. I have had birds that I was convinced were female at 12 weeks all of a sudden look very male a few weeks later. Biggest change in features that can help you identify male versus female happen between 12 to 15 weeks usually. Sometimes later.
With some lines of Silkies there is an association between vaulted skull and female gender but this is not a reliable indicator. I have had many females that did not have vaults as well.
Hold out a few more weeks and then you will know.

That is so interesting! I’ve never heard of the vaulting being correlated with gender. I’ll have to keep an eye out for that! If they’re both females then the white one is way more motherly than the splash lol. Unfortunately the splash likes to JUMP off of the low roost that I have in the brooder with force, and I think she may be the reason I lost a few chicks this batch (stepping on them or landing on them). Idk if this is because her crest is so big she can’t see where she’s going or what, because she seems to be a great “mother” when she’s on the ground. :/

 

[LadiesAndJane]

That is so interesting! I’ve never heard of the vaulting being correlated with gender. I’ll have to keep an eye out for that! If they’re both females then the white one is way more motherly than the splash lol. Unfortunately the splash likes to JUMP off of the low roost that I have in the brooder with force, and I think she may be the reason I lost a few chicks this batch (stepping on them or landing on them). Idk if this is because her crest is so big she can’t see where she’s going or what, because she seems to be a great “mother” when she’s on the ground. :/

Sounds like it’s time to move the bigger ones out and not have them with the smaller chicks. You can also trim the feathers around her eyes so she can see better.

There seems to be an association between certain breed lines and the vaulting and gender but it is not reliable as I previously stated.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

Got an update? For some reason the darker one to me looks a little bit like a cockerel.

 

[Blyth-new chick mom]

Got an update? For some reason the darker one to me looks a little bit like a cockerel.

I’m excited for an update as well bc I was kinda thinking the same thing about the splash silkie looking a bit more on the male side. Fingers crossed for an update soon

 

[chickenqueentrishapaytas]

Hi! I’ve heard that silkies are notoriously hard to judge the gender of until they’re older but I was wondering if anyone on here was a Silkie expert or had any ideas from experience on what gender my silkies might be! Photos down below!!

They are siblings and the white one is vaulted while the splash is not vaulted. Any suggestions on what the genders might be would be greatly appreciated THANK YOU!!!

I’m new to silkies and I have them both in with some chicks right now as “adoptive moms” since they were getting along with the chicks so well (ofc I monitored to make sure everyone was doing well and everything was okay before letting them stay together). They both seem like great “moms” (the white one a bit more motherly than the splash) but since they’re 10 weeks old and I’m new to silkies, I can’t really tell if they’re girls or not. Any advice? And please excuse the poop on the roosts I’m sorry!! I haven’t figured out how to scrub it off yet, I tried a bleach spray and soap and it’s still there

Look like hens to me, grey one looks a little more roosterish so maybe male??