Silkie gender. All boys... or too early to tell? Picture heavy

[ChloeSilkie08]

24 weeks!? Wow. I knew it took awhile for this breed but dang. From what I was reading online there were ways to tell when they were 11 weeks. But also that they were hard to sex. Very conflicting. But I’m fine waiting for them to mature. I just hope some are girls. I haven’t had the best luck hatching out girls.

I honestly won't ever trust sexing silkie method unless it's professional vent sexing when they are day olds.

 

[Matilda Belle]

The buff may be male. The others look female.

 

[Smileybans]

The buff may be male. The others look female.

Which buff one? There’s two. Boop and Bop.

 

[Smileybans]

This is Bop at 12 weeks. For some reason she looks different than she did last week. They’re also starting to get their big girl voice which I think is attracting the attention of my EE roo.
I couldn’t get a comb picture but to me it didn’t look much different. It was the crest and feathers that look different. Next time I raise silkies I’m going to take pictures of them every week from hatch to see them grow. Just to know the differences. Like a photo journal.
Still looking girly?

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

This is Bop at 12 weeks. For some reason she looks different than she did last week. They’re also starting to get their big girl voice which I think is attracting the attention of my EE roo.
I couldn’t get a comb picture but to me it didn’t look much different. It was the crest and feathers that look different. Next time I raise silkies I’m going to take pictures of them every week from hatch to see them grow. Just to know the differences. Like a photo journal.
Still looking girly? View attachment 2499672View attachment 2499673View attachment 2499671

Do they stand like that most of the time? That posture is definitely feminine. Boys generally stand more erect. Have they been doing any chest bumping/fighting with each other longer than the general sibling squabbles? That can help you pick out the males a fair amount of the time.

 

[Smileybans]

Do they stand like that most of the time? That posture is definitely feminine. Boys generally stand more erect. Have they been doing any chest bumping/fighting with each other longer than the general sibling squabbles? That can help you pick out the males a fair amount of the time.

I think they stand like that most of the time. I know she was standing that way in the pictures because she was eating snow. But I can’t really think of them posturing too much like boys. Could that be because they’re in with bigger chickens? Even my bantam roo sits low to the ground because he’s second in the roo pecking order.
The only two that I’ve seen do any chest bumping is Bop and Boop. The two buff ones. But they always kinda did it. Not a lot though because my bantam Cochin would peck them on the head. They were raised with a roo, the bantam Cochin, who is four weeks older than them so he doesn’t let them squabble too much.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I am not at all good at this, but Bop looks like a pullet to me. I don't see anything that you normally see with fellas.

She sure is cute, and I like her coloring!

When I first got Silkies, I had envisioned those gorgeous, fluffy, big crested girls for show. I got scruffy, small crested hatchery birds, of course. But I love them so much! And I think they are absolutely lovely! I love being able to see their dark eyes and silly faces. The show quality Silkies are gorgeous, but the hatchery quality ones have their own adorableness, too.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I think they stand like that most of the time. I know she was standing that way in the pictures because she was eating snow. But I can’t really think of them posturing too much like boys. Could that be because they’re in with bigger chickens? Even my bantam roo sits low to the ground because he’s second in the roo pecking order.

It's possible, that's just one of the potential signs of being a cockerel. Generally the females will have a horizontal posture and the males a more diagonal one, with their chests sticking forward and out. Chickens are individuals and they don't like to make it easy for us.

 

[Matilda Belle]

Bop looks like a boy

 

[The Cave]

Bop is very hard to tell! Staying tuned for if you see an egg or hear a crow from that one haha!