Silkie hen or roo?

[posey]

I have an 18 week old silkie who I thought was a hen but just this week streamers have developed on her/his head. When you look at this chick the streamers are clearly visible at the back of the head but the photo doesn't show it as clearly. The comb is as flat as a pancake. Sorry the pixs aren't better. Any thoughts or is it still too early?

I also have a 3 month old that I think is a roo because the comb is very bubbly and mounding (again the photo isn't showing how much texture it really has). It is much bigger than the other silkies of the same age. What do you think or is it too early yet?

 

[chickenpearl]

That bottom pic is definitely a roo; I think the top one might also be a roo, but it's harder to tell. My silkies look a lot like that, but I have two with the comb developing like the one in the bottom pic. Silky gender is REALLY hard to figure out!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

The white is definitely a boy--look at his body. The black/blue I am less sure of. A "bubbly" comb is no indication of gender. (Size, however, is.) Full body photos showing it with same age birds would help.

 

[animal_lover03]

Has the white one started to crow? I have a white silkie that looks just like yours, and he started to crow a while ago, but before he crowed I thought he was a she.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

I had a silkie chick that crowed at about 1 month. It was the weirdest thing. I heard this screech coming from the brooder and my DH said "he's crowing!" I then actually watched this little one stretch his neck and crow!

 

[posey]

Yes, well my darling Coco probably is a roo then. Oh shucks. See I have wondered because she/he would stand up to the australorp hen that was alpha still is the alpha hen but our little frizzle roo is now the boss. Anyway, my white silkie in the photo would always stand up to her.

No it hasn't crowed yet, maybe soon. This darling has been under the weather the past week with sour crop. Doing great now though. I guess we will have to rename him. If he really is a roo then I will have 3 silkie roos (white, blue/black, and one light gray) and one white hen. Gosh, we are going to have to get some hens somehow.

The Blue/Black one must be a roo too because he is huge compared to the others his same age. Here is a pic of him with our other white silkie who I'm thinking is a hen. She is much smaller and very timid and shy. She sort of hangs in the corner or with the blue/black one.

The light gray one, I'm still confused about. It is developing a comb too but is not as large as our blue/black one of same age.

Here they are when they were just biddies:

I guess we just have to wait and listen and see, huh?

Thanks much

 

[M To The Maxx]

I think they are both roos.

 

[posey]

Quote:
Sonoran, do all silkies develop the walnut comb with texture then?
And not just the males? Also, generally what age do silkies mature? or is that purely on a individual chick by chick basis?

You think the the first picture of my white silkie at the top is a roo. Well hubby and I were talking after we read your post and we remembered something...when we got him (at one month of age) there were two of them and we lost one. They were clearly two different sizes from the start with the one pictured above being clearly larger. He was taller and bigger around than the one we lost. Which is just how our younger blue/black guy is.

Does the white one in the photo with our blue/black one look like a hen to you?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Sonoran, do all silkies develop the walnut comb with texture then? And not just the males?

they can; it is not desired

Also, generally what age do silkies mature? or is that purely on a individual chick by chick basis?

hatchery chicks usually develop much more rapidly than those from exhibition lines

...

Does the white one in the photo with our blue/black one look like a hen to you?

from what I can see​

 

[posey]

Thank you Sonoran and my you are up 'really' early in AZ