Sexing Silkies

[akf93]

I have two silkies, about 9 weeks old, that we are trying to sex. I’d love some thoughts. We are new to backyard birds. Little Buff (buff) and Fluff (white) have become my favorites so please tell me I have some girls! Not sure if it makes a difference but these two have been getting bred frequently by their 9 week old polish cockerel friends.

 

[Feather queen]

It's been hard to sex silkies at this age but I think the splash/paint silkie is a pullet and the buff could be a pullet but there is a bulg on its comb so it could be a cockerel

 

[Feather queen]

it is would also be good if you could post again in a couple weeks to get a better guesses

 

[Ravennaly]

I have two silkies, about 9 weeks old, that we are trying to sex. I’d love some thoughts. We are new to backyard birds. Little Buff (buff) and Fluff (white) have become my favorites so please tell me I have some girls! Not sure if it makes a difference but these two have been getting bred frequently by their 9 week old polish cockerel friends.

silkies are difficult but they look like pullets so far

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

They appear to be pullets so far and should definitely be separated from the cockerels if they're being bred already. They're not even remotely sexually mature yet and they're not ready to breed. Good roosters/cockerels typically won't breed with pullets until they're a few weeks from laying and mature!

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I'm leaning pullets for now.

As far as integration, they will have each other to hang out with. I would try to integrate them with the rest of your flock. Most pecking is to establish to hierarchy order and is minor. Occasionally you do get a bully which won't let up, but I would try and keep a close eye, just make sure there is no blood being extracted. If they already free range with each other, integration will come in time. Chickens definitely have their own "clicks". It's kinda just like high school

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Both look female to me

 

[akf93]

Splash looks like a possible cockerel. The Buff I'm leaning pullet.

If it works out that way, do you have any thoughts on keeping one cockerel to one pullet? I technically have at least 11 girls total in my flock but these littles don’t hang out with the big girls. They are kept/fed together but they choose to be separate.

Also if it works out this way and I DO have to get rid of the male, my little silkie girl would be alone since she doesn’t hang out with the bigs. any suggestions for that? I’m new to this and we are nearing the end of chick season so I’m not sure I could even get another friend for her. All the other chicks in this little group have been boys too.

 

[akf93]

I keep an odd number of males to females. So you don't really have to get rid of one male, unless trouble starts to happen.

The smaller ones will mingle with larger birds once they begin to be more confident. I've had groups of juveniles stay together until they're ready to join the elders. I see no need to separate them.

Thank you!! We will plan to keep these two until we have issues and hopefully we just don’t! My husband will love to see this response. If you had said a hard no, I guess I would have just HAD to go get 6 more chicks (which ARE in stock. I just called. It’s still tempting. ).

 

[akf93]

They appear to be pullets so far and should definitely be separated from the cockerels if they're being bred already. They're not even remotely sexually mature yet and they're not ready to breed. Good roosters/cockerels typically won't breed with pullets until they're a few weeks from laying and mature!

So here’s my dilemma: I have the “big flock” that’s a month older than these. The “little flock” has these two silkies, two male polish, and a male Orpington. (I didn’t plan this, they all came unsexed.) I thought the flocks would integrate better but they don’t. They coop together and they all free range but they are definitely separate groups. If I get rid of the three males, I’m worried about these two silkies being alone. I don’t imagine them joining the big girls. Do you have any thoughts on that? Will one or two silkies be okay basically on their own once I get rid of the males?

Or do you think I could keep one male? My concern there is that the male would only be breeding these two and not spread the love with the big girls. The big girls chase away the little ones whenever they get too close.