Silkie people ... question on size difference?

[Chirpy]

Here's a couple of pictures of my two new Silkie babies I got from Ideal. They were hatched the same day but are very different in size. (Those of you that raise Silkies .. don't laugh at my babies - I love them even if they do look a bit frazzled.

) They are four weeks old in these pictures.

I know that Silkies are pretty much impossible to sex until they either lay or crow but I'm wondering if the size difference may mean the larger one is a Roo and the smaller one a pullet?

I also see a big difference on their foreheads - the smaller one has just feathers at this point but the larger one has the 'bulby' thing going on. Does this mean anything?

My biggest concern is whether there is something wrong with the little one who just isn't growing much at all. I know that Silkies are much smaller than other breeds but this is strange (to me) to have such a size difference in the Silkies themselves.

Edited to add age in case that helps anything.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I'm still relatively new to silkies, but I'd bet money that your partridge (not buff!) is a roo. The other is likely a pullet, but you never know for sure...

 

[Kanchii]

I think you're right about your sexing guesses. Though it's sure strange about the size difference! Sometimes some birds just don't grow very much when they're young, but they usually catch up near the end. Though we did have one silkie who we named "midge" short for midget because it was about half the size of all the others! It 'was a very strange bird indeed.

 

[pixiechick]

For a while, some of our silkies were smaller than others. There starting to even out now.

 

[pattee]

Well all I know is that my silkie at 6 weeks doesn't have the start of a comb, like in the close up picture. So I think it is a roo.

 

[arlee453]

Size in my limited experience isn't much of an indicator of gender until a much older age.

We had two that were much larger than their hatch mates at that age, and though for sure they MUST be roolets, but ended up being girls.

The tiny one we all though was a girl ended up being a roo.

 

[silkiechicken]

Some silkies take a few months to figure out their gender, but your paridge one is a 100% roo baby!!! He's got a wide comb.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I learn so much here!

 

[pattee]

My Silkie is 5 weeks in this picture. I know she's not show quality but do you think she's a silkie.

Oh an does have 5 toes... you just can't see them.

 

[Smoky73]

Pattee, Yes, your little one is a silkie.

As for the others, yes, I would say the partridge is a roo for sure, the other one could be a pullet, won't know for a while whether we are right though I suspect.