How do I know if I have a rooster??

[Silkie75]

I am a first time owner of Silkies and I brought home seven "hens" on June 8th 2012 (born June 6th 2012). I ordered hens, but the other day a very strange sound came from the coop. It sounded like a kazoo. Then, a few days later, we heard it again, but it sounded more like a crow sound. Is there any way for me to tell if I have a rooster?? They all kind of still look similar- as they are only about 3 months. Any help would be appreciated!!

 

[folgerrd]

By three months "he" should look different and be crowing. I don't think you have rooster, unless "he" is developing slowly.

 

[Silkie75]

Thank you. I'm hoping not- only because I don't want to be breeding (and I don't want crowing in the a.m.! It was a very unfamiliar sound we have heard 2 times now. And if I have to give him/them away- I will be sad as I have grown attached to these little ones. Two of them have a larger lump of skin on their forehead and they are the ones I suspect. But it's not that much different from the others where I wouldn't even say, as it's minimal. The feathers/tails of all seven are all the same.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Do you have any pictures???

 

[Tricoglossus]

Hi well I also have 7 silkie chicks, roughly the same age as yours. Mine were purchased unsexed from a hobby breeder. Silkies can be very hard to sex, even at three months old. You may have to wait a couple more months to know for sure. That sound could be a young cockerel trying to find his voice. I suspect some of mine are young cockerels. Mine are not bearded, and some of them have started to grow prominent wattles (the two flaps of skin that hang under the lower beak) and have also started to develop larger combs (the fleshy skin above the forehead). These are signs of being boys. My cockerel suspects also play fight and chest bump when I first let them out in the morning, more so than the other chicks. Pullets can engage in this behaviour as well however. Anyway I posted a week ago on the forum here regarding my two cockerel suspects, have a look at the post here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/702112/silkie-chicks-10-weeks-old-what-gender as there are some pictures of them and you will see the wattles and combs. Do any of yours have these features?

 

[AraucanaAnnie]

It sounds like you might have a cockerel...

 

[Silkie75]

Here is a picture of my 2 black Silkies. I suspect the one on the left to be a male... his comb is much larger than the one on the right (the one on the right doesn't have one at all.) I also noticed today on one of my white ones, his/her comb is quite large and is developing ridges on it. This is the only one with ridges so far. When I went out to the coop today to let them free range for a bit, they saw me coming and "someone" crowed 3 times!! My boyfriend even heard it and he was in the house! Is it difficult to keep hens AND roosters?? I have a feeling I have at least 3 if the looks of the comb are a big sign. Tricoglossus, my 2 white silkies do the chest bump a lot! LOL. I haven't looked at your pics yet- I'm going to now!! I'll let you know if mine look similar- although all of mine are bearded.

 

[BrendaJ]

I dont have any silkies but did experience the same thing. I got a few new chicks to add to the flock about 5 months ago. They were all supposed to be hens. about 6 weeks ago 1 of them started to crow. As i watched them grow i noticed i have 2 roosters out of the new group. They are both very beautiful Roo's. They crow & strut their stuff.

 

[Silkie75]

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.

 

[hdowden]

the black on the left appears to be a cockerel