silkie sexing

[aaggjg]

That is wonderful!   My silkies don't even get into their nest box-LOL!  Twice I found blue eggs from my EE in the silkies' nestbox though!

In the last 2 years I've had about a dozen silkie roosters and only 3 girls (from hatching and buying them as straight run chicks).  My partridge girl isn't laying yet but I can tell her gender by her coloring at least.  She is eight months old so anyday she'll start laying.  Currently I have 6 silkie chicks in the brooder and am SO wanting more girls.

One of these days I need to post a picture of my little splash (1 month old).  "He" is already getting a comb "bump" and it is pinkish.  Plus, today I noticed the tiniest pink "spots" where the wattles will be................    Looks like an early developing cockerel.

Oh no! I thought I had bad rooster luck.... But somehow I think I now have 7 silkie girls I've rehomed a lot of boys!! Of course I never intended on keeping so many but as they are so hard to come by now I'm having a hard time parting with them

 

[lindisfarne]

Hi there

we were wondering about the sex of our partridge silkie.....9 weeks old, very small and acting quite girly

Any thoughts from anyone?
thanks!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Colouring is feminine.

 

[lindisfarne]

Colouring is feminine.

thanks for your reply, i never knew that some colours were feminine! what aspect of the partridge colouring do you go by as I have seen quite similiarly coloured young males before? thanks again

 

[ESofVA]

I remember seeing that at a certain young age that Silkies can be somewhat sexed by head feathers. I have 4 and think maybe 3 roos and 1 pullet. The white one I think is pullet and it is also the biggest. The second is a lighter partridge and the third is a darker partridge. The last is blue but not sure of final color. The pictures aren't good. They were taken in the garage where I have a light over their box and I was too close which made them out of focus but I think for the shape of their top feathers, maybe you can tell. They are all 5 weeks old. It looks to me that the 3rd and 4th are not bearded, the 1st is definitly, but I am not sure about the 2nd.

The last picture I took for a different reason. Both of these chicks came from the same hatchery. Both were purchased at the same time as just hatched and I was at the store when they came in. The smaller one had a dislocated hock and I splinted it. I had to take the splint off 3 days later due to swelling. It looked better but not perfect. It since has gotten worse and maybe worse than to start. I am now thinking it had other problems as well. They are both fed quite well and food and water are available at all times. The smaller chick can get to the feeder and water. It does eat and drink well and its crop gets full. BUT LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IN SIZE NOW! The smaller was always a bit smaller but not like this. So, I guess it would have been better to kill it to begin with but I really wanted to give it the best chance that I could. Its leg sticks to the side and it has limited use of it. Would removing the leg from the hock down help? The leg seems to be weighing it down on that side and more difficult to stand up. This should be a testimony to trying to help out.problem chicks. However, my silver Silver Sebright foot did better after I splinted just its foot and although not perfect it can now walk fine.
I am considering again that killing it would be best for the chick.

 

[Feathersprings]

Sorry I cant help you with sexing At this age and these pictures I just dont have a clue. Wow, what a difference in size! I would agree that there are other problems. I actually hatched a chick with the same problem you are talking about and it didnt do well with the splint either. Mine died after a few days. I dont know why, it was eating and drinking but the leg was not usable and it would lean on the side of its tub to get around

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Ok, my little ones were Not Happy about the photo shoot. I did the best I could.

I originally thought I had one boy and two girls but now... Please tell me who is what. Also, you can't see it in the pics but #2 and #3 have some gold leaking on the back of their necks. Not sure if that is indicitive or not. They are 13 and a half weeks old.
Bird #1







Bird #2

Bird #3

 

[hdowden]

Ok, my little ones were Not Happy about the photo shoot. I did the best I could.

I originally thought I had one boy and two girls but now... Please tell me who is what. Also, you can't see it in the pics but #2 and #3 have some gold leaking on the back of their necks. Not sure if that is indicitive or not. They are 13 and a half weeks old.
Bird #1







Bird #2

Bird #3

looks like:
pullet
cockerel
pullet

 

[hdowden]

I remember seeing that at a certain young age that Silkies can be somewhat sexed by head feathers. I have 4 and think maybe 3 roos and 1 pullet. The white one I think is pullet and it is also the biggest. The second is a lighter partridge and the third is a darker partridge. The last is blue but not sure of final color. The pictures aren't good. They were taken in the garage where I have a light over their box and I was too close which made them out of focus but I think for the shape of their top feathers, maybe you can tell. They are all 5 weeks old. It looks to me that the 3rd and 4th are not bearded, the 1st is definitly, but I am not sure about the 2nd.

The last picture I took for a different reason. Both of these chicks came from the same hatchery. Both were purchased at the same time as just hatched and I was at the store when they came in. The smaller one had a dislocated hock and I splinted it. I had to take the splint off 3 days later due to swelling. It looked better but not perfect. It since has gotten worse and maybe worse than to start. I am now thinking it had other problems as well. They are both fed quite well and food and water are available at all times. The smaller chick can get to the feeder and water. It does eat and drink well and its crop gets full. BUT LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IN SIZE NOW! The smaller was always a bit smaller but not like this. So, I guess it would have been better to kill it to begin with but I really wanted to give it the best chance that I could. Its leg sticks to the side and it has limited use of it. Would removing the leg from the hock down help? The leg seems to be weighing it down on that side and more difficult to stand up. This should be a testimony to trying to help out.problem chicks. However, my silver Silver Sebright foot did better after I splinted just its foot and although not perfect it can now walk fine.
I am considering again that killing it would be best for the chick.

if its the same age as the others and having problems walking even after splinting then i would highly consider putting it out of its misery. it is amazing that it has lived this long though so it may just make it to adlut hood

 

[hdowden]

thanks for your reply, i never knew that some colours were feminine! what aspect of the partridge colouring do you go by as I have seen quite similiarly coloured young males before? thanks again

heres a pic of a pair of partridge so you can see the color differences with hen on the left roo on the right