Newbie to chickens need silkie sexing advice please.

helenmar

In the Brooder
9 Years
Sep 30, 2010
65
0
29
gainford,county durham
Hi,Ive never posted on a forum before so I hope starting a new topic is the correct way to do it? Not really sure? Anyway I have become a silkie mum! I bought 3 "female ' silkie chicks off this bloke who said he was as sure as he could be they were hens.When i saw them i fell in love with them and forgot to even ask how old they were!If anyone out there can tell -i will attempt to load somepics.I have been frantically trying to learn about silkies ever since.as it is now october and getting very cold and wet I have since put a gazebo up for them to keep the worst of the rain off during the day as I was horrified to learn they are not that waterproof!My husband despairs and just wants eggs-but to be honest I just love being with them and finding treats for them!I know they possibly wont lay that much and as its getting colder here in the uk,probably not even til spring but what age do they normally start to lay? I am considering getting 2 other breed bantams to lay eggs but dont want to upset the silkies so any ideas about how to introduce and what age bantams to get would be appreciated.I have named them Posy,Pootle and Perkin and will hopefully get pics up next.Pootle looks to me like he may be male and his beak looks too long-should i attmpt to file/cut it???It has not stopped him eating but he does not seem as big as the other 2 and often has his head on one side which lead me to have fears about all sorts of horrific diseases I keep reading about!!!Suffice to say they are very much pets and my lack of knowledge worries me as I want to ensure i do my best for them.Also if Pootle is a rooster I am hoping he is a quiet one as i dont think i could bear to get rid of him now.Any advice will be very gratefully received!!!
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I hope you can find some answers to your questions. I don't know anything about Silkies, but they sure are cute.

If you use the index link towards the top of the page you can select the topic What Gender or Breed is this. If you repost there you may get more answers. Good luck with your chicks!!!
 
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Look like little gals to me
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I lost my little Beebers to a fox last summer. She looked just like the one in the last pic. She was the biggest sweetheart
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Hoping and have been advised they are girls-so will wait and see.The last pic is of Pootle-I dont like to have favourites really but she has stolen my heart!She is the smallest and has a funny sideways head glance everytime I check on them.Love them to bits already!
Must have been awful to loose yours to a fox.We have been ok so far but I really want to upgrade the run to have a top on it and not just a 6ft mesh fence.It may have to be a job for the summer though now.Fingers crossed they survive the winter.
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I dont know if i am supposed to start a new thread for a new question or just stay on this one???Im not too sure how forums work!However, i was constructing a second shelter around my chicken hut to try and keep the worst of the weather off and provide a bit more insulation,as it has started freezing here at night with the onset of winter.Anyway my 3 silkies were watching and cheeping around waiting for me to finish so they could inspect (and peck) the new shelter!Then someone honked!I think it may have been Pootle (the one with the slightly long beak in the last photo)I had been told they were all girls and am still confident this may be true?However do girls make noises like that or was it a test of crowing????They are 5 months old now.I am praying they are all girls as I love them so much and dont know if the neighbours would complain if i have a Cockeral.Pootle is secretly my favourite too as she is more bold and confident and rushes over to see what treats i have brought them and will feed from my hand.Any advice very greatfully received.Thank you for any responses in advance!
 
Hi and welcome. I'll be watching this thread as I have 11 babies (supposed to be silkies, one definitely isn't) that are 4 weeks old, I don't want to keep too many roos so will be looking to re home some of them but no idea which ones are which. A few of them have started play fighting and when I moved them out of the brooder to clean them out today two of them pecked at me, cheeky little b..s. I'll take some more up to date pictures in the day light tomorrow and post later, they are VERY cute.
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They sound adorable! My 3 are my first ever chickens and now I cant imagine life without them,am besotted!Would love to see pics of yours.
kind regards helen
 

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