How do I know if I have a rooster??

[Lots A Cluckin]

yep that is a rooster on the left and a hen on the right I can see little baby silkies running around now!

 

[Tricoglossus]

Yup Tricoglossus- mine DO look like yours. So, it seems mostly people think your chicks (Lannister AND Bump) are boys. If they are basing this on the looks of their combs, then I just might have more cockerels than I thought! I'll go take a picture of my buff "girl." I am pretty positive it's a she, as she has no comb, and she is tiny!! My 2 splashes are so big compared to her. They are all supposedly the same age.

You must be quite disappointed that some of your "hens" are boys! Especially as you ordered only hens. Another sign is that the boys tend to put on weight really fast, and they also have bigger feet and thicker legs compared to the girls. The size difference could be due to the difference in growth rate rather than age.

 

[Silkie75]

Tricoglossus I'm not so much disappointed in my little flock. I'm more confused I guess as to why they would confirm all were hens at 2 days old (when I'm finding that it's pretty hard to "sex" them at that age. Actually, I received them when they were 2 days, so the hatchery said they were hens at 1 day old.) I called our town hall to make sure we could have chickens and assured we would have no roosters. I'm finding out that I'm pretty sure we have 4 roosters and 3 hens. Things may change... but that's what it looks like now. The 2 whites and 2 splashes are so big. And I'm almost positive the one black (Midnight) is a cockerel. We'll see how loud they get and how my neighbor is with the crowing. We have 2.5 acres but the land goes back (trees and a river/swamp.) And the coop is closer to the house in the yard.

How are yours??

 

[Silkie75]

Lots A Cluckin LOL!! That seriously just made me laugh!! Thanks, you kind of confirmed it. I really didn't want any roosters, but I think I have more than I bargained for! I guess little silkie chicks wouldn't be so bad... and afterall, we still have the little aquarium we raised the 7 in with the heater, etc. So, this is how it all starts I'm assuming...

 

[Silkie75]

LOL!! That seriously just made me laugh!! Thanks, you kind of confirmed it. I really didn't want any roosters, but I think I have more than I bargained for! I guess little silkie chicks wouldn't be so bad... and afterall, we still have the little aquarium we raised the 7 in with the heater, etc. So, this is how it all starts I'm assuming...

 

[Tricoglossus]

Ah well, mine haven't started crowing yet. I hope they don't start for a while longer! We have their playpen (yes, a baby's playpen) in the living room and they sleep in there at night and go outside during the day. We have 3 older pullets, one of them is a white silkie, Fifi, and she rules with an iron beak. I don't want the chicks outside permanently yet, besides I like to have them to cuddle with in the evening when they come inside!

So if/when the crowing starts, the noise will be in the house. Perhaps we could get away with it for a while. We initially got 4 pullets before we got the silkie chicks. One of those was a gorgeous frizzle polish, and she turned out to be a he, and crowed for a little while before we re-homed him (he is now a lucky stud boy!) The neighbours never said anything, but he wasn't too loud though. We live in suburbia and have a reasonable sized back yard with neighbours on all sides. The coop is nearer to our house, but the chooks can all wander right up to the neighbour's fence.

 

[Silkie75]

We don't live in a development, but the side of our closest neighbor is pretty close and we have the coop on his side... only because our dog yard is on the other side of the house and we wanted to keep them as far away as possible, and not tease the dogs. I'll have to see how the crowing goes, I can't wait to get up tomorrow now that we are both prepared to walk down the deck stairs and "look" to find the crower(s)! I would've loved to keep my little silkies inside longer, but at 6 weeks (when we were told it was okay for them to live outside) it was time. They were living on the island of our kitchen in an aquarium (with a lamp and a wire mesh floor leading down to newspapers for daily cleaning.) I love your playpen idea! My problem would be, my Great Danes would think the chicks were bobbing apples (as their heads would definitely be able to reach over the playpen.) And my chihuahua/rat terrier would find her way in there overnight. So we had to keep them up and away until they were 6 weeks. They seem really happy outside now. I bring them snacks all the time- my boyfriend was like, "Um, you "buy" fruit so your chickens can eat it... I think you're "supposed" to give them what fruit you can't eat from your fridge." LOL! I bring them inside a lot too (dogs outside)... my splash lays with me and stretches her neck on my neck and goes to sleep. Unfortunately, they do poop/pee in the house. hmmmmm.....

 

[Silkie75]

When you say "cuddle" do you mean you cuddle with them or they cuddle with each other?? If you do cuddle with them, what do you do about the poop/pee?? I've been just putting a towel or sheet down... but when they go, it really smells! LOL.

 

[Tricoglossus]

They are gorgeous aren't they! We have no other pets in the house so they are safe in their playpen, and their heads bobbing up and down to look out the top are so funny. When I say cuddle I mean I can sit one on my knee (on a towel) and stroke it while it falls asleep or just sits there. The towel is in case any accidents happen, and when they do I just quickly get rid of it with a tissue into the bin.