Help with Silkie sexing

[murphynhazel12]

Posting a new thread to update: here are pictures of my 14 week old silkie "pullet" that I'm starting to think is a cockerel. I need help definitively determining gender because if he is a rooster I need to talk to the seller and replace him.. lol. Yeah I know that she has a single comb and isn't standard too.

 

[ella2025]

Looks like a cockerel to me, but could change in the next few weeks. Is the bird from a hatchery/feed store or from show quality parentage? If you have other silkies, do this bird stand more straight and upright? Does it "act like a Cockerel"? I'm talking grabbing onto hens necks and not letting go, chasing them around, puff neck feathers and fight with confirmed cockerels.

 

[JedJackson]

Silkies are really difficult. The comb seems pretty big for 14 weeks, and the fact that it has wattles when bearded birds usually don't get them kind of points to male for me. IDK, it's a close call.

 

[murphynhazel12]

Looks like a cockerel to me, but could change in the next few weeks. Is the bird from a hatchery/feed store or from show quality parentage? If you have other silkies, do this bird stand more straight and upright? Does it "act like a Cockerel"? I'm talking grabbing onto hens necks and not letting go, chasing them around, puff neck feathers and fight with confirmed cockerels.

The bird is from a breeder, but I don't know where they get their birds from. This one does seem to stand tall, but there are plenty of confident pullets out there, lol. They're definitely something of a bully because they like to peck, chase, and fight the other birds.
If it is a cockerel, I need to look into rehoming him.

 

[ella2025]

The bird is from a breeder, but I don't know where they get their birds from. This one does seem to stand tall, but there are plenty of confident pullets out there, lol. They're definitely something of a bully because they like to peck, chase, and fight the other birds.
If it is a cockerel, I need to look into rehoming him

Yeah he's definitely a Cockerel. Does it have nubby spurs coming in?

 

[rural mouse]

Yeah he's definitely a Cockerel. Does it have nubby spurs coming in?

Hens can grow spurs too.....and sprus don't usually start growing until 8 months or so.

 

[ella2025]

Hens can grow spurs too.....and sprus don't usually start growing until 8 months or so.

Just basing off personal experience. I had my cockerels spurs get a little bigger starting at 14-18 weeks. My 22 weeks olds now have like 1/2 an inch of spur on them.

 

[murphynhazel12]

Yeah he's definitely a Cockerel. Does it have nubby spurs coming in?

I don't see any spurs yet. But if you all are sure he's a cockerel, he won't be staying with us much longer... but does anyone know any Silkie breeders by Maryland?

 

[ella2025]

I don't see any spurs yet. But if you all are sure he's a cockerel, he won't be staying with us much longer... but does anyone know any Silkie breeders by Maryland?

I think you should wait until a crow or an egg. I'm really not sure with it being a silkie from a breeder, so maybe don't make any decisions yet.