Silkie Pullets or Roosters? IM SO CONFUSED

[PoultryQueen29]

Do you have a picture of the white ones crest?

The white one is very shy and it's hard to take a picture of her head. I've tried many times but the head shot I posted in my first post is the closest I got.

I had a beautiful white silkie that I swear was a hen. Then one day heard a crow coming from the pen !!! It was the prettiest white roo I ever saw !!! They can really fool ya right up until they either crow or lay an egg !!

I've read that they can trick you like that. Im tempted to wait and see about my blue silkie but I cant risk even one crow! I live in a very strict neighborhood and im sure my neighbors wouldn't appreciate being woken up at 6 am by a crowing rooster

 

[Ksane]

Their 1st crows don't sound like crows and your neighbors aren't going to know what it is even if they can hear it.
I'm no expert but I do have 17 Silkies (3 mo old) and I'm not at all convinced that your Blue one is a male. My males all have huge floppy wattles and big combs, and mine are younger than yours. My boys started getting really obvious combs by 6 wks. The slicked back hair on top does indicate male, but not the comb or teeny wattles.

 

[PoultryQueen29]

Their 1st crows don't sound like crows and your neighbors aren't going to know what it is even if they can hear it.
I'm no expert but I do have 17 Silkies (3 mo old) and I'm not at all convinced that your Blue one is a male. My males all have huge floppy wattles and big combs, and mine are younger than yours. My boys started getting really obvious combs by 6 wks. The slicked back hair on top does indicate male, but not the comb or teeny wattles.

Thats a relief

You can tell im new at this. I know the appearence doesn't mean much but the attitude and behavior also fits a rooster, too. I guess my best answer is to just wait and see.​

 

[NewToFarming]

I would try to wait if you can. Their first crows won't be too obvious so you should be safe with that. Whenever someone is trying to guess about the sex of a silkie, I always tell them about my Charlie. I swore Charlie was a petite boy because her comb and wattles came in early. I thought she was the sweetest boy I would ever have! Well, Charlie laid an egg and became broody almost immediately after she started laying and hatched and raised 7 chicks! LOL She had me fooled on that one!
Size can help because usually early on, the boys are bigger but I have tiny hens and then some of my hens are bigger. Hens do fight with each other too. I have some hens that whoop the roos butts so really with silkies it is best to wait for the egg or the crow because they can really fool you!!! I knew one of mine was a boy but he did not show boy behavior until he was 8 months old. That is when he started to crow.
Silkies so hard to tell. Once you have them for awhile, you can guess but there are always a couple that will still fool you!!!

 

[PoultryQueen29]

I would try to wait if you can. Their first crows won't be too obvious so you should be safe with that. Whenever someone is trying to guess about the sex of a silkie, I always tell them about my Charlie. I swore Charlie was a petite boy because her comb and wattles came in early. I thought she was the sweetest boy I would ever have! Well, Charlie laid an egg and became broody almost immediately after she started laying and hatched and raised 7 chicks! LOL She had me fooled on that one!
Size can help because usually early on, the boys are bigger but I have tiny hens and then some of my hens are bigger. Hens do fight with each other too. I have some hens that whoop the roos butts so really with silkies it is best to wait for the egg or the crow because they can really fool you!!! I knew one of mine was a boy but he did not show boy behavior until he was 8 months old. That is when he started to crow.
Silkies so hard to tell. Once you have them for awhile, you can guess but there are always a couple that will still fool you!!!

Yes I think I will wait. I've heard many stories about that happening and I don't want to go giving away a hen!

What does a first crow normally sound like? I've heard many strange sounds coming from my blue silkie but I don't know if that was an attempt to crow.​

 

[FrenchToast]

Quote:
Yes I think I will wait. I've heard many stories about that happening and I don't want to go giving away a hen!

What does a first crow normally sound like? I've heard many strange sounds coming from my blue silkie but I don't know if that was an attempt to crow.

Just a though here but alot of people have house chickens, if you really get attached to them and any turn out to be roos have you thought of keeping them as house chickens ? If the neighbors still here him crow tell them you have a parrot that mimicks a rooster !!

 

[hdowden]

i think the whites a roo like i have said before they are all the same age but roos are usally bigger than pullets. i cant tell weather the puff on his head if they are going towards his back or just sticking up in all directions

 

[PoultryQueen29]

i think the whites a roo like i have said before they are all the same age but roos are usally bigger than pullets. i cant tell weather the puff on his head if they are going towards his back or just sticking up in all directions

So many different answers!!! I think i'll just wait for the first crow or eggs. Most people think my blue is a roo and my splash and white are hens but i've gotten more than one answer saying my splash or white is a roo. But i've also gotten a lot of people saying just wait and I think I will at this point. As long as the first crow isn't loud or recognizable as a rooster.​

 

[hdowden]

Quote:
So many different answers!!! I think i'll just wait for the first crow or eggs. Most people think my blue is a roo and my splash and white are hens but i've gotten more than one answer saying my splash or white is a roo. But i've also gotten a lot of people saying just wait and I think I will at this point. As long as the first crow isn't loud or recognizable as a rooster.

it really depends on the bird we have some that crowed loud for their first crow and some you could barly hear and others in between. in all cases though it was a reconizable crow. is there any place inside your home that you can keep them before any of them decides to crow?

 

[PoultryQueen29]

it really depends on the bird we have some that crowed loud for their first crow and some you could barly hear and others in between. in all cases though it was a reconizable crow. is there any place inside your home that you can keep them before any of them decides to crow?

No

I guess when if I hear a crow i'll just put it in the tub they were in as chicks and bring it back to the hatchery asap. Or bring the ones I think are roosters back before the first crow (which i'd rather not do because I don't want to give back a hen)​