Silkie Roo Question

[posey]

Hi All,
Just wondering at what age do Silkie Roos start to crow?
Is 11 weeks to soon?

I just can't tell of I have a hen or a roo, here.

This is a bearded chick and it is feathering out very nicely and the earlobes are turning turquoise. It has the boufant do on top but i am wondering if it is starting to develop the streamers of a roo. Of course it could just be the 'do' filling out more. The comb hasn't gotten much bigger than it was when this chick was 4 weeks old. And I haven't heard a crow yet.

Just wondering about all of this since it is my first Silkie.

Thanks for any info

 

[19hhbelgian]

Hi... Can you post any pics of your silkie? That would help a lot, and maybe post in the "What breed or sex is this?" section...

 

[posey]

Well this isn't the best photo of our oldest silkie chick but here it is. This was taken on July 12th and it has fluffed more and the top of the head and beard are fuller too. And the earlobes are bright blue now.

I will try to get a couple of better shots tomorrow both head and body.

But here is what I have now

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Much too young to tell.

 

[Chickenmaven]

I agree: Too early to tell with that one. I would guess roo based on the angle of the poof, but I wouldn't bet my lunch money...

Silkies are hard to sex. We have one roo that did not crow until 5 months old. My experience is that the hatchery quality roos are easier to sex. They appear masculine earlier & are quicker to crow. I have a batch of silkies & showgirls that are 10 weeks old. Out of 16 birds, we have one showboy that has crowed. We have a couple silkies that I'd guess are roos, because they have wattles. But, I dunno...

I think I am going to end up hanging onto them until Fall in order to sex them.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

My first silkie roo (who was very nice SQ) crowed at three months. Probably the earliest I've had a silkie crow. I also had one who was a full 9 months old before he crowed.

On the other hand, I have a small cross who crowed at 2 weeks.