Silkie hen or Roo? 4.5 to 5.5 months old

[Irishchickmom]

Hi! I have one silkie a day the other 2 are frizzle feather polish sultans. I'm almost 100% positive that I have one pullet and one cockerel with the sultans. But, I cannot make up my mind about the silkie. Here are some pics from age 4.5 to 5.5 months of age. Any help would be be appreciated!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Unfortunately I didn't even have to look at a second picture or debate with myself... you have a Silkie cockerel there.

On top of that... in one of those pics I can see black spots on him. If those black feathers are black to the skin... that makes him Paint in color and with a nice mulberry colored comb!

 

[JedJackson]

Yep, agree with EggSighted4Life. I think you are right about the Sultans- 1 male, 1 female.

 

[Gray Farms]

Silkie is a cockerel

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

The silkie looks like a cockerel.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I went ahead and cast my vote for "roo"...

But I won't to go ahead and share some technical information with you.

Anyways, the terms rooster, cock, and hen are technically reserved for birds that are over one year old. Before that they are referred to as pullet for the ladies and cockerel for the fella's.

That being said, in everyday conversation my family often uses hen or rooster even though we know it isn't accurate, because it's just easier... and FUNNER to say!

But now you know too, if you didn't already.

 

[georgieboy11]

Hmmm I have quite a few silkies and every time I get a roo they usually stand and hold themselves different from the hens, like they stand up tall and proud. The silkie you have does have quite a big comb but I have a few silkie hens that have combs like it. In the pictures I see it seems to be standing like a silkie hen would. So Im going to say I think it could be a hen but I could be wrong. Sometimes I just can't tell for sure until it either crows or lays an egg.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sometimes I just can't tell for sure until it either crows or lays an egg.

That just sounds like denial to me!

Just kidding. Really though... despite it not being common, hens can crow and even grow spurs! I recently heard of a Silkie hen with spurs but don't remember seeing pictures.

Definitely haven't seen boys lay eggs yet though.

 

[georgieboy11]

That just sounds like denial to me!

Just kidding. Really though... despite it not being common, hens can crow and even grow spurs! I recently heard of a Silkie hen with spurs but don't remember seeing pictures.

Definitely haven't seen boys lay eggs yet though.

Wow! I had no idea hens could crow or grow spurs!!! Well I guess my "wait until they crow or lay an egg" method is now the "wait and see if they lay an egg" method!

 

[Irishchickmom]

Just for more clarification, the silkie is actually a little more than 10 months right now - I just didn't have any new pictures on my phone to post. She/he doesn't have spurs however she can crow. But she has a strange motherly instinct towards the sultan girl - the silkie and sultan girl were brought home at the same time. The lack of spurs is confusing. Yes, I do know the proper terms for names during different ages but since we are nearing the year mark with them, I have defaulted to hen and Roo. So there is my dilemma.