Silkie feathers ?(updated with pics, post #3)

[CindyS]

ShelleyD2008 wrote- Ok, one more ?... How can you tell the sex if they aren't crowing or laying? I have read on here a different post that said something about their feathers on their heads? Anyone know what this is? Or any other ways to tell? Thanks!!

The cockerels are usually a little larger, like other breeds, the comb and wattles are larger although not as noticable because they are not red, also their fuzzy heads usually have a different look, the pullet will be more of a round pouf, and the cockerel usually will have a more combed back appearance

 

[Teresaann24]

Looks like you have a roo or two in there from comb size and it does look like one has a single comb.

 

[the simple life]

The combs do get color, they are a mulberry color and are very noticeable when they mature.
Usually on silkies the feathers around the neck will be longer and curve around toward the front on the males.
I think the last one (which I believe you said is also the first) is definitely a cockeral.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The bird in the last pic is the same bird that is in the second pic. But I also think it is a cockerel. It is the biggest bird of them all, and they are all about the same age.

Another question is about color. All the ones pictured are white, obviously, but I went to a consignment auction today, and there was a black roo there that I got for just $2. As far as comb shape and color, it looks right to me, but he has kind of a birchen game coloring to him. What I mean by this is that he has silver colored feathers on his cape (?), the feathers around his neck. I haven't seen any with this color, so I was wondering what color he is?

 

[Teresaann24]

could be from a mixed color.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Are there any colors you can mix, or should you keep them pure? It would be no problem to keep him seperate from the rest, or I could just re-sell him at another auction.
I had also seen some splash silkies there. I didn't know this was a silkie color?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Which one do you think is the other roo? The one in pics 1, 3, & 6, with the Don King doo? I think this one is because it's comb goes back a lot farther on its' head, but I'm not sure. I have never had any silkies before, and they are a lot harder to peg than the other chickens I've had!

 

[Southernbelle]

The size/color of the comb/wattles is really imprecise in Silkies. I have some girls with large combs and boys with small combs.

Silkies also mature later, your birds still look very young. It can take months and months for them to come into their full feathering. Some of the wing and tail feathers will look harder. Ideally, the foot feathering should go all the way down the outside of the leg and to the outer 3 toes. Even if you breed two bearded parents, you could end up with some non-bearded offspring, so a lot of Silkies are non-bearded, and they may grow beards as their feathers grow in more.

Sexing Silkies based on the topknot is a pretty good indicator, but still not completely accurate. The girls will have a rounder, more perfect little puffball on top, often completely covering their comb and eyes. The boys have a smaller crest, with a slicked-back Elvis look that leaves their eyes more visible and they will have "streamers" - longer feathers poking out of thier crest towards the back. Still, your adorable little birds haven't come into all their feathers yet and it may be a while longer before you'll be able to differentiate this way.

The most accurate (and most frustrating, since patience is NOT one of my virtues) is to wait until they start crowing or egg laying. For me, I had bought 20 Silkies as my first batch and they all began laying around 6 months, so I was getting about 3-4 eggs per day, but I had no idea who was laying them, so which ones were the girls??? About a month after they began laying, one at a time, they all went broody - A HA! now I know for sure who my girls are! Of course, some of the boys were crowing by now and growing spurs...so that helped, too.

Your little birds are absolutely adorable and so clean! I think they're just perfect, so don't worry! I love my little Silkies they're such goofy little birds and everyone who sees them just loves how unusual they are.

 

[Teresaann24]

Quote:
I will have a mixed color flock some do. BUT, you will never know what colors you may get. If you want pure colors then stick strickly with the same colors.

Here is 2 I have from a mixed color flock.

 

[fowltemptress]

Quote:
I will have a mixed color flock some do. BUT, you will never know what colors you may get. If you want pure colors then stick strickly with the same colors.

Wow, I've never seen tiger striped silkies