Silkie 4 month old, confirm cockerel?? But small

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Pics of my 4 month old Silkie in question and brother too for comparison.. He's so much bigger then my questionable one and comb is smaller too but sort of wide.. has wattles and looks like streamers too, also fights with brother... So have I got a slow developing cockerel? or Pullet!?








Pic of brother

 

[MysteryChicken]

Pics of my 4 month old Silkie in question and brother too for comparison.. He's so much bigger then my questionable one and comb is smaller too but sort of wide.. has wattles and looks like streamers too, also fights with brother... So have I got a slow developing cockerel? or Pullet!?

View attachment 2572935
View attachment 2572936
View attachment 2572940
View attachment 2572942



Pic of brotherView attachment 2572937
View attachment 2572944

View attachment 2572950

He's definitely a cockerel. Love their color.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

He's definitely a cockerel. Love their color.

Thanks for your reply! .. looks like I'll have to rehome him then I love his red leakage.
I have 4 boys out of 15, lucky my main rooster is quite calm about the situation, for now, but my other rooster I had to seperate due to overmating. .. If the boys would get along in their own coop that would be ok but it won't work because they can see the ladies through the fence or hear them if I put a solid fence up anyway, so probably would fight

 

[MysteryChicken]

Thanks for your reply! .. looks like I'll have to rehome him then I love his red leakage.
I have 4 boys out of 15, lucky my main rooster is quite calm about the situation, for now, but my other rooster I had to seperate due to overmating. .. If the boys would get along in their own coop that would be ok but it won't work because they can see the ladies through the fence or hear them if I put a solid fence up anyway, so probably would fight

How many girls do you have?
How many boys too?

I have many boys with girls with very few problems. I just have to supply hen saddles every once in awhile.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

How many girls do you have?
How many boys too?

I have many boys with girls with very few problems. I just have to supply hen saddles every once in awhile.

I said in previous post I had 15 but I forgot to subtract, lost a little one to a predator so I have 14 total (At the moment, it will change after next hatch in a few weeks)
I have 4 boys, 10 girls. .. It may work out ok since the young ones are growing up all up together with the older ones. One rooster is separate and so not sure if I can put him back with the others without problems.

 

[Matilda Belle]

The wing feathers are a dead giveaway for me....boy.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

The wing feathers are a dead giveaway for me....boy.

Thanks for confirmation! He's not very fluffy like my others so I'll have to try find him a home I think since he's not breeding quality like my others...wish I had a girl with red leakage, they all end up being boys

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I agree, that's a boy.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I agree, that's a boy.

Strange that 'he' doesn't look like my other cockerel. So much smaller comb and overall. Weird. Must be some bad genetics or something that has made him so different... maybe he's a bantam?- a throw back of some gene?

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Strange that 'he' doesn't look like my other cockerel. So much smaller comb and overall. Weird. Must be some bad genetics or something that has made him so different... maybe he's a bantam?- a throw back of some gene?

It's always possible that we're wrong, since Silkies are notorious for appearing one way and being the other. However, based on how the comb looks at this age, the sickle shape of the tail feathers (there look like there are some hard feathers in there, are there?), and the shape of the crest, all say boy to me. The only thing that looks feminine is the posture.

It isn't necessarily bad genetics. Could be that they had some kind of infection that flew under the radar that stunted or slowed their growth. Or they're just slower than their brother. If you're hesitant to get rid of them it wouldn't hurt to wait until it's obvious, especially if you have a place to isolate them if things get too rowdy.