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

[TrystInn]

We hatched a lovely Splash Silkie on 8/19/11 that is confusing us - walks around like a female, but has streamers like a male. Hasn't crowed yet or laid an egg - surely by now one or the other should have occurred, yes?

I can get pictures up, but I was wondering - has anyone ever had a female Silkie with streamers?

 

[Basel]

Hi all!

This is an awesome thread. I was wondering if any of the above pertains at all to newly hatched chicks. For instance, do little day old [to few days old] cockerel chicks also generally stand taller, while the little pullets stand lower?

Additionally, is there anything to their "puff" of down on the top of their head to make a guess off of? For instance, do the little cockerel chicks have a little taller "puff" and not as round a "puff" as a baby pullet's?

I can't have roosters and am trying to pick out some un-sexed babies at a feed store. I KNOW that even if some of the observances have merit, there is always the chance that the exact opposite will end up being true!! I know it's a gamble! Just wondering if I could try to stack the odds perhaps slightly in my favor...

THANK YOU!

 

[TrystInn]

There's certainly some good hints you've got a male or female Silkie, but honestly until "egg or crow, you just don't know'! I've had some incredibly sneaky ones that have defied sexing or shown the other gender traits, like a very dominant pullet or a very submissive cockerel. I've got a gorgeous Splash cockerel (raised without a dominant roo) right now who is so insanely submissive (with streamers) that I'm not sure if he'll ever really be a good rooster. But **** is he pretty!

Pullet - sits back on their hips, walks low, keeps a tucked neck and head, comb is smaller, almost hidden under feathers, will generally be shyer and hide behind other chicks if possible. Head "puff" will be rounder and more uniform, generally.

Cockerel - stands up taller, keeps head alert and looking around, comb is more pronounced, may turn be a deeper color than pullets. Behaviorally, will be more dominant, likes to be in front and may place itself between you and the other chicks (sign of a good, protective rooster). Head "puff" will be narrower and shaped more to the head, generally, feathers may grow taller earlier. Look for streamers to develop. Will usually put on weight and size faster than pullets.

I've had loud chirpers, male and female, so I discount that as a gender-specific characteristic now. Good luck!

 

[Basel]

There's certainly some good hints you've got a male or female Silkie, but honestly until "egg or crow, you just don't know'! I've had some incredibly sneaky ones that have defied sexing or shown the other gender traits, like a very dominant pullet or a very submissive cockerel. I've got a gorgeous Splash cockerel (raised without a dominant roo) right now who is so insanely submissive (with streamers) that I'm not sure if he'll ever really be a good rooster. But **** is he pretty!

Pullet - sits back on their hips, walks low, keeps a tucked neck and head, comb is smaller, almost hidden under feathers, will generally be shyer and hide behind other chicks if possible. Head "puff" will be rounder and more uniform, generally.

Cockerel - stands up taller, keeps head alert and looking around, comb is more pronounced, may turn be a deeper color than pullets. Behaviorally, will be more dominant, likes to be in front and may place itself between you and the other chicks (sign of a good, protective rooster). Head "puff" will be narrower and shaped more to the head, generally, feathers may grow taller earlier. Look for streamers to develop. Will usually put on weight and size faster than pullets.

I've had loud chirpers, male and female, so I discount that as a gender-specific characteristic now. Good luck!

Thanks thanks thanks!! This is great info to help me [hopefully] stack the odds in my favor!

And then the crossing of fingers and waiting begins, LOL!

 

[SkinNFluff]

hope you have better luck than i did. out of 4 i only got one hen.

 

[Basel]

hope you have better luck than i did. out of 4 i only got one hen.

Ooops, and aarrgh.

Sorry to hear that.

 

[aoxa]

I don't think the crow or lay an egg thing applies.. Generally silkies lay a lot later than other breeds. I knew long before my girls started laying that they were girls. I knew Ida was a girl @ 8 weeks old.

Here she is at 32 weeks - still no eggs. Obviously a girl. I have yet to see a pullet with streamers. That is a male trait. If there are feathers coming in, that may appear to be streamers, but it's not.

 

[Basel]

So I got 4 straight run bearded silkies from a local feed store. They however get their chicks from Ideal. Well, just a side note that they are not "Ideal" in one way for sure, and that is, many in the bin had white toes! Nevertheless, for me just wanting some pets for the backyard, this didn't matter really. Only one of my chicks has a little white tip on only one of her toes. They all have 5 toes tho! Black skin otherwise. They were two days old when I got them and are now about ten.

Anyhow, my BF picked them based on all the above suggestions to hope for pullets. Ours truly fit the above and many others in the bin were the opposite, with tall hairdo's, straight stance, moving to the front to protect the ones behind, etc. so we are hoping for some girls. I am pretty sure the black one is based on her perfectly close topped cropped hairdo and due to all her mannerisms. The other three we'll have to see. Only one right now am I not sure about--the white one. This one stands just a tiny bit straighter and has a lot more wing feathers than the others so far. Not sure however if she could be a day older but still shipped in the same bunch. ???

At any rate, I will post pictures soon to let people take guesses!

Until then, I was wondering about the little "triangle" shaped area over their eyes. This little area seems to have the down "fur" less tall. The down on the whole head is still close and not standing tall like others we saw, but there is a small area right above the eye that is a little shorter. Does this mean possibly anything?

 

[LarissaSlates98]

artsyrobin the pictures of the white you posted, its very pretty, but is it fullblood as its beak is white not black?

 

[aoxa]

I have been keeping track of my growing silkies and at 8 weeks (they will be 10 weeks old this weekend) I am able to tell the difference between my males and females before they have crowed or laid an egg. I was confident at 6 weeks, but sure at 8 weeks. Here is a female I am keeping: Greta

Another female I am keeping: Phyllis

Here is a male I am rehoming

Here is a female that I have sold (same age as above)

Another female I sold

There is only one I'm iffy on yet.

And I've only seen it in this picture.. So I might have a better idea in person. The buyer says it has a round crest and acts like a pullet.