Rate My Silkie - WARNING PICTURE OVERLOAD! Gender & Age

[Smoky73]

The white silkie is very good quality I agree, might be a bit older, but hard to say. The wing carriage indicates to me that its a girl, I see most roos carry their wings down and hens are usually nice and tight to the body, also the overall fluff and body shape says girl. However, The comb is very wide and red already for age, so I am going with it being a boy. A very nice boy however!

 

[BBK]

I say boy also... My lil roo looks just like yours.

i can't really tell about the other two, tho.

melinda

 

[chickenguysmom]

So I have been looking at silkie websites to learn more about the breed. And to look at the beautiful silkies that breeders own. I love to look at these little fluff balls.

I can definately see some of the things that y'all have pointed out about leg feathering and foot feather and a term called toe separation. All new to me. I still have trouble telling about body shapes and sizes but I am learning. But I have learned alot about it by going to your websites and others.

I know everyone has been nice about Pearl-Girl and honestly I thought I might hear what I was dreading ... you know the dreaded "pet-quality". Which really shouldn't bother me so much as we have never shown chickens or breed chickens and never have had the inclination to start. But "Pet-Quality" has always struck me as just a step above..... Wow!, look at that. Your chicken is not terribly deformed ... Can it still walk and do all the normal chicken things? I am just kidding about that and I did ask for honest opinions so I am thankful that she's not horribly disfigured in some silkie sense of the word.

I am not interested in breeding silkies and never thought I would consider showing chickens but if I let my young daughters enter her in a show or county fair would she get a score of some kind or laughed out of the tent? I know some of you on BYC judge at shows and others of you have been to so many shows that you could qualify as a judge.

.... so now the hard part..... Tell me what you see as wrong with Pearl-Girl. If she's ugly by silkie standards ... tell me. If her nose is too big and she looks like she needs braces ... I want to know. Comb the wrong color or not enough of the right color, feet too big and smell bad, Squinty-Eyed, Stick-Legged, Flat-Bottomed Girl (or boy) ... GIVE ME THE UGLY TRUTH. You may be wondering what the catch is or why would this woman want this kind of punishment ..... I don't really know but I promise not to be insulted by anything you say and will love Pearl-Girl (or Boy) just the same (we just won't let her know she has buck teeth and her ears stick out). LOL

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Honestly, right now it's too early to tell how it may turn out.

 

[justin7]

Okay. So I picked up these silkies at an auction for 2 dollars a piece. I have no clue if I will be getting eggs from them or not. Is there any way to judge an age of about how old they are? (It's different then other chicken breeds, o know you check by there feet) I'm just confused and want to know if I should be keeping my hopes up about getting eggs from the 2 hen's or not. The black one is defiantly a rooster, I do know that. But still! I would like at least one of the 2 hen's to produce eggs I make sure 3 times a day every single day if they aren't too hot, aren't too cold. Constantly food, constantly water and there not stressed. There eating layer mash and have been for weeks. Oh by the way i got them 3 weeks ago. Any help or advice will be nice. Thank you.

By the way, the rooster wakes me up at 5 o'clock sharp every morning. Haha

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Okay. So I picked up these silkies at an auction for 2 dollars a piece. I have no clue if I will be getting eggs from them or not. Is there any way to judge an age of about how old they are? (It's different then other chicken breeds, o know you check by there feet) I'm just confused and want to know if I should be keeping my hopes up about getting eggs from the 2 hen's or not. The black one is defiantly a rooster, I do know that. But still! I would like at least one of the 2 hen's to produce eggs I make sure 3 times a day every single day if they aren't too hot, aren't too cold. Constantly food, constantly water and there not stressed. There eating layer mash and have been for weeks. Oh by the way i got them 3 weeks ago. Any help or advice will be nice. Thank you.

By the way, the rooster wakes me up at 5 o'clock sharp every morning. Haha

They all look like roosters to me, better pictures of the two white ones would help though. Their combs look awfully big, and bearded girls have virtually nonexistent combs...

 

[justin7]

They all look like roosters to me, better pictures of the two white ones would help though. Their combs look awfully big, and bearded girls have virtually nonexistent combs...

Okay so here is one up close. I need my silkie experts to let me know if this is normal with there forehead area or not? Like I said i got them from an auction. Trying to figure out what this tumor looking like this is. Thanks for the help

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

That is 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, a rooster. That big "tumor" is his comb, its supposed to be there

 

[justin7]

That is 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, a rooster. That big "tumor" is his comb, its supposed to be there

The other ones comb is much bigger and different looking. The black also crows a crap ton. The 2 white ones do not. Lol.,

Are they just different kinds of silkies?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Just different varieties (colors). If they came from a hatchery, that would explain the different combs. Its not uncommon to see them with single combs (or no feathers on their legs, no silkied feathers, missing toes, ECT).
Good luck with them!