How does one sex a silkie chicken??? Male-female????

[Juliechickens]

Can people give me advice on how to tell the difference of a female silkie vs. a male silkie???? I have tried looking at the organs and I just can not tell. Please, any advice would be helpful. Anything to look for, any traits, anything at all!!! Please don't hesitate to post a reply! I want to be able to tell one from the other. My silkies are now about 6 weeks old and still I am clueless!!
Julie

 

[silkiechicken]

Look at their head poofs and their tiny combs. The males will have a pointer ball of furr on their heads while the girls will grow a rounder one. As for combs, males will have ones earlier. 6 weeks is a bit young. Wait till about 3 months to tell for sure. Thats part of the silkie experince.

 

[Juliechickens]

silkie chicken,,,thank you for your reply,,,,I looked at them and to me,,,they all have pointy heads sort of,,,,I don't have one perfectly round,,,surely they aren't all roos! Who knows...I'm going to go back and feel their heads for combs,,,maybe they have something under that furrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! Oh their cute and I love em all,,,I just would like to name them and I keep waiting to tell who is who and I just have no idea! Going now to comb hunt! Will let you know! Julie

 

[Juliechickens]

Well,,,,,I think I saw what is going to be combs but I'm not certain! oh who knows!!!
My frizzles on the other hand all 3 have combs at 6 weeks. Does that mean they are all males??? Julie

 

[silkiechick]

I have 17 little silkies too and they were hatched May 2nd so they're not quite 4 weeks old. I can't tell either but from having them before and other chickens too, I can almost tell by the way they act. Those little roosters are just right up in your face and all cocky acting right from the git-go. Not a sure fire way but you'll notice the ladies will be a little more laid back. After you have chicks a while you can almost tell! LOL Mine do a lot of play fighting alreadyand you can just about bet those are roos!
Donna

 

[w8tn4fresheggs]

I am no expert, but over the past week or so there is a difference between the two I have.

Billy has a purple spot where a comb should be. There is no comb per se. Billy doesn't have the hair doo that the other one does. Also what I notice about Billy is when I pick him up, there is a bone that is long and narrow down the middle of his chest. My girl has the poofy hair doo on top. No purple spot on her nose. She is smaller too, even though they are the same age.

I was hoping for two girls. Oh well.

Hope that helps.

Steph

NOTE: They are six weeks old.

 

[Juliechickens]

Hey yall, thanks for the info. Yes, I can tell who I think might be roos too but I'm uncertain,,,,I guess it's just wishful thinking hoping for more hens. Seems like I got a flock full of males! Lots of play fighting. One frizzle thinks he owns the whole joint and everyone in it. They are fun to watch. If one dashes across the pen,,the others come running to see what it is then they all start popping their feet up at one another and nothing ever happend to begin with. They do the cutest things don't they. I love how they stretch that wing and foot out at the same time,,,,biggggggg stretch! I also love how when they lay under the red light they stretch a wing out to warm it I guess. The funnest thing is watching them with a bug. Moskito hawks in particular. It's halarious to watch them all run around chasing the one who caught it. They all want a piece of the action,,,and the moskito! Funny how little baby chicks know to catch bugs! Also, mine have already started dusting themselves. That's really cute too. I love em!

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, your luck can't be as bad as mine. 8 silkie chicks... 1 hen....

Give it some time.

 

[marie_martin]

When you guys figure it out let me know. I have two silkies that are over 5 weeks old and I can't tell either. Although I think one is a roo and one a pullet just from the size and weight of them and the way they hold themselves. The act so different. The sizzle on is more heavy and feels bigger boned and just seems more "in your face" than the other one. the regular silkie is very ligt and dainty looking, partially of course because she has silkie feathers, but she weighs less and just has more of a pullet appearance. Not ver scientific, just a guess, but we shall see. The three in the brooder are too young to tell anything yet. They are just two weeks old. So hopefully I don't get all roos. I do love them though.

Marie

 

[Poison Ivy]

When I drove out to buy my two white sikies i told the guy I wanted only girls. He showed me the difference in the combs of the 5 he had. At 4 weeks two of the 5 had a big differnce in the size of the combs on top of their head. He gave me the 2 with the smallest of combs on their heads and so far It seems I have girls. They still don't have much of a comb and I have a bearded & a non bearded one. They are the cutest things I've ever seen.