I'm getting silkie chicks what colors and what genders???

[Gigachad poultry]

To take guess, I'd say around 1 month-2 months. They are quite small but they have all their feathers and almost no more pin feathers.

 

[jBabychickn]

So quick question...can you sex a silkie from if they have a blue earlobe or not? Peep had a pretty big and bright blue earlobe and I'm worried Peep isn't a hen!!!

My hens have bright blue earlobes too, although it took until they were almost a year old, so they do get them, perhaps it varies widely on “when” they get them…

 

[Gigachad poultry]

My hens have bright blue earlobes too, although it took until they were almost a year old, so they do get them, perhaps it varies widely on “when” they get them…

Cool! I wonder if you're right and depending on gender and age the blue might come in quicker. What colors do you have? Do they go broody every year and if so how many times a year?

 

[jBabychickn]

Cool! I wonder if you're right and depending on gender and age the blue might come in quicker. What colors do you have? Do they go broody every year and if so how many times a year?

Oh, let’s see… I have White, Black, Mottled, Splash, Silver Partridge and Paint ...

Broodiness is a huge thing for them. It can effect their health, so you gotta be careful and only let them be broody if your letting them sit & hatch eggs. Even then, I’d be very careful and to space that out. They are just so little, and their bodies can only handle the 21-day stressors of tending a nest every so often.

You’ll need to make yourself a “Broody Pen” for when you need to break their broodiness.
If you search/google the terms: Broody pen, Broody Jail, or Broody Breaker…
You should find plenty of examples along with all the steps to take. Or, if you’d like, let me know, and I’ll explain it completely for you…

But, the main concept is to cool their body temperatures down to stop the broody cycle. This is done by getting them away from the nest and nesting materials. — You’ll need a dog cage or rabbit hutch with a wire bottom. You’ll use that wire bottom to create air flow underneath them. It usually takes 2-3 days.
Some ppl leave them in there for that time.
I, personally, take them out in the evenings/overnight and let them roost with their flock just like usual; I do make sure there’s NO access to any nesting boxes that they can get into…

Real life examples —
My two egg-producing Silkies; Pippa & Blossom, were also my two Broody mothers this Spring. They both hatched out babies: (2) littles hatched on April 3rd and (3) littles hatched on April 25th

— Since then, not counting the broody cycle used for the chicks incubations, Pippa has gone Broody Three times; Miss Blossom has been Broody Twice! — So, that would be between April-August. However, they don’t really go broody in the wintertime. You definitely have a “down season”. (Sorry, I’m just thinking this thru as I type) — With this in mind, I’d estimate mine go Broody 5-7 times a year

— They’re 1yr to 1 & 1/2 years old, so they are definitely in their prime right now as far as wanting to reproduce. I’m pretty sure their broodiness wanes with age.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

Oh, let’s see… I have White, Black, Mottled, Splash, Silver Partridge and Paint ...

Broodiness is a huge thing for them. It can effect their health, so you gotta be careful and only let them be broody if your letting them sit & hatch eggs. Even then, I’d be very careful and to space that out. They are just so little, and their bodies can only handle the 21-day stressors of tending a nest every so often.

You’ll need to make yourself a “Broody Pen” for when you need to break their broodiness.
If you search/google the terms: Broody pen, Broody Jail, or Broody Breaker…
You should find plenty of examples along with all the steps to take. Or, if you’d like, let me know, and I’ll explain it completely for you…

But, the main concept is to cool their body temperatures down to stop the broody cycle. This is done by getting them away from the nest and nesting materials. — You’ll need a dog cage or rabbit hutch with a wire bottom. You’ll use that wire bottom to create air flow underneath them. It usually takes 2-3 days.
Some ppl leave them in there for that time.
I, personally, take them out in the evenings/overnight and let them roost with their flock just like usual; I do make sure there’s NO access to any nesting boxes that they can get into…

Real life examples —
My two egg-producing Silkies; Pippa & Blossom, were also my two Broody mothers this Spring. They both hatched out babies: (2) littles hatched on April 3rd and (3) littles hatched on April 25th

— Since then, not counting the broody cycle used for the chicks incubations, Pippa has gone Broody Three times; Miss Blossom has been Broody Twice! — So, that would be between April-August. However, they don’t really go broody in the wintertime. You definitely have a “down season”. (Sorry, I’m just thinking this thru as I type) — With this in mind, I’d estimate mine go Broody 5-7 times a year

— They’re 1yr to 1 & 1/2 years old, so they are definitely in their prime right now as far as wanting to reproduce. I’m pretty sure their broodiness wanes with age.

Wow, thanks for explaining that in such great detail! I plan on only letting two broodiness hatch a year so I'm hoping one of those two will be either Peep or Cheep I'm going to do some further research on silkies and comparing mine too the breed standard as I might try to show them next year! I'm however kinda worried that one of them might go into the wood and either come back with chicks, or she won't come back at all. I have a friend whis ayam cemani left into the wood and came back with 17 chicks one spring!!! One of his other hens did the same but she was taken by a eagle owl or another type of large owl as they set up a trail cam once they found out where she was sitting. It was so sad!

 

[jBabychickn]

Wow, thanks for explaining that in such great detail! I plan on only letting two broodiness hatch a year so I'm hoping one of those two will be either Peep or Cheep I'm going to do some further research on silkies and comparing mine too the breed standard as I might try to show them next year! I'm however kinda worried that one of them might go into the wood and either come back with chicks, or she won't come back at all. I have a friend whis ayam cemani left into the wood and came back with 17 chicks one spring!!! One of his other hens did the same but she was taken by a eagle owl or another type of large owl as they set up a trail cam once they found out where she was sitting. It was so sad!

Yes, yes, allowing them the freedoms of free-ranging has its definite down falls. However, I think the benefits outweigh the bad. Even I’ve lost one to Hawk in my own Backyard! And, I live in a Urban neighborhood; I was fooled into a sense of safety out here away from the farms. But, those Hawks will find them anywhere, that’s guaranteed!
Needless to say, I’ve got a lot more Hawk deterrents out in the chicken yard now!
— “Lessons learned, Mother Nature”

 

[Gigachad poultry]

Yes, yes, allowing them the freedoms of free-ranging has its definite down falls. However, I think the benefits outweigh the bad. Even I’ve lost one to Hawk in my own Backyard! And, I live in a Urban neighborhood; I was fooled into a sense of safety out here away from the farms. But, those Hawks will find them anywhere, that’s guaranteed!
Needless to say, I’ve got a lot more Hawk deterrents out in the chicken yard now!
— “Lessons learned, Mother Nature”

I actually have little owl nest boxes in my chickens area and they breed there every year! They are extremely territorial, but they are too small to hunt anything smaller than a Serama so they keep all the hawks away. My chickens have actually become friends with the hooded crows. So every now any then like 5-12 crows will sun bathe with the chickens. It's really wierd, but sadly the crows are very skittish so getting a photo would take extreme skill I don't have. It has only happened a few times (that I know of) but the crows definitely have a friendship with the flock also keeping any hawks far away. The owls will attack the crows if they are flying around and not on the ground.

 

[jBabychickn]

I actually have little owl nest boxes in my chickens area and they breed there every year! They are extremely territorial, but they are too small to hunt anything smaller than a Serama so they keep all the hawks away. My chickens have actually become friends with the hooded crows. So every now any then like 5-12 crows will sun bathe with the chickens. It's really wierd, but sadly the crows are very skittish so getting a photo would take extreme skill I don't have. It has only happened a few times (that I know of) but the crows definitely have a friendship with the flock also keeping any hawks far away. The owls will attack the crows if they are flying around and not on the ground.

We do have Crows near us in the neighborhood, they have gradually moved-in over this past year and I do see what you mean. Those crows are so helpful!
They aren’t close to my chickens like in your situation. — But, they definitely DO HATE HAWKS and they will scream & chitter very loudly when a Hawk is around, making for a really good warning system!

I never really thought much about Crows before; now, I seriously come to like those cheeky little birds!!
I even have some fake, plastic Crows staked down into my yard as one of my many Hawk deterrents. — My goal is, from the sky above, it looks like Crows are actively forging in my yard… Ha!

PS — I’d love to have some Owl boxes in my yard! That would be really cool

 

[Gigachad poultry]

We do have Crows near us in the neighborhood, they have gradually moved-in over this past year and I do see what you mean. Those crows are so helpful!
They aren’t close to my chickens like in your situation. — But, they definitely DO HATE HAWKS and they will scream & chitter very loudly when a Hawk is around, making for a really good warning system!

I never really thought much about Crows before; now, I seriously come to like those cheeky little birds!!
I even have some fake, plastic Crows staked down into my yard as one of my many Hawk deterrents. — My goal is, from the sky above, it looks like Crows are actively forging in my yard… Ha!

PS — I’d love to have some Owl boxes in my yard! That would be really cool

Yeah I have the whole flock of crows nesting in a huge oak tree every year! When the crows sound the alarm my chickens run into the coop. The main reason they go into the field is because the crows are actively foraging with them! It's really cool! I'm glad you also have that kind of protection for your flock. Also the flock of crows actually had a huge battle in my yard with one of the fledgling golden eagles!!! Sadly it did kill four crows, but it got away with it's life!