Sexing your Silkies (PICTURES AND TIPS - Updated July-5-12)

[alissasobo]

Help! sex this white silkie!! 5.5 months old!

This girl started laying about 1 month ago!! Love her.

 

[388chick]

This girl started laying about 1 month ago!! Love her.

Awesome!! So about 6 months old?!? What do her eggs look like an how often does she lay? We have one that resembles yours we are trying to determine gender. Half the people I ask say boy...the other half girl.

This is ours...21 weeks old and "it's" had a hair cut as our play in a fenced but not covered run.

 

[alissasobo]

Awesome!! So about 6 months old?!? What do her eggs look like an how often does she lay? We have one that resembles yours we are trying to determine gender. Half the people I ask say boy...the other half girl.

This is ours...21 weeks old and "it's" had a hair cut as our play in a fenced but not covered run.

Ours lays about 5 times a week. Yea she was around 6 months. Very good! They are tan colored, almost white. I can't tell what yours is sadly, but the swept back hair might mean boy. Just a little more patience. Good luck!

 

[388chick]

Ours lays about 5 times a week. Yea she was around 6 months. Very good! They are tan colored, almost white. I can't tell what yours is sadly, but the swept back hair might mean boy. Just a little more patience. Good luck!

Awesome!! 5 times a week...that's great! Oh well we love the little gender confused fluff ball regardless...I'll be sure to keep you posted!

 

[Kahfia]

You have done a good job. I hope you will get some feed back on show quality silkie sexing as it becomes more difficult to sex them. Two reasons that I know of are the cockerels often have very small combs and their crests do not necessarily slick back. The crest may be very full and fall forward. /img/smilies/big_smile.png

Is that why I've had trouble sexing this guy? It seems the typical characteristics don't apply!

 

[appalachianchic]

Read your page and it was helpful but still curious to what I have. These chicks were hatched July 27th. Chicks 1, 3, and 4 are all much bigger and farther developed feather wise than chick 2. The same three chicks all also have small spots on the leg where spurs should grow as well. Despite the spur knobs, I think by comb comparison that chicks 1-3 are pullets and 4 is a roo. But would love someone else's opinion. If you need more pictures, let me know.

Chick 1


Chick 2


Chick 3


Chick 4

 

[MinBH2O]

Not quite 3 months old, born several days apart. All three stick together and do not mix with the other hens. One silky is definitely the leader. Watches out for the other two and explores first.

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[newbie32]

This is a GREAT thread! I will be observing closely for a few months so that when mine are old enough I can figure out what gender they are! Great idea!

 

[388chick]

Not quite 3 months old, born several days apart. All three stick together and do not mix with the other hens. One silky is definitely the leader. Watches out for the other two and explores first.

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They are adorable!!

 

[388chick]

Awesome!! 5 times a week...that's great! Oh well we love the little gender confused fluff ball regardless...I'll be sure to keep you posted!

We're at 25 weeks now and about 2 weeks ago we first noticed some squatting behavior...and two days ago...

So hope, hope, hoping dudes don't squat and snuggle someone else's eggs!! Can't wait for a silkie egg!!!