Silkie thread!

[FirstTimeClucky]

Ok friends! I know it's early but thought I'd give this a whirl! I have 4 - 6wk old, very PQ Silkies. I've really began noticing some behaviors in the last few days - thought I'd share some pics and what I've witnessed and see if anyone wants to throw out a guess!
(I have my own guesses but I'm dying to see what y'all think!)

Chick #1 (kinda stumped... pushy, one of the first to the food and to scatter it, loves to perch and hang w/#2 - although, they do plenty of chest bumpin')
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Chick #2 (Almost postitive a roo. Pushy, first to food, loves to perch, my homely lil' thing! I gotta love him cuz I'm afraid no one else will!)
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Chick #3 "Popcorn" (VERY docile, the last one to the food, would much rather nestle in and get comfy than perch) Chicks 3 & 4 are always together.
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Chick #4 (docile, not doesn't care to perch much and is one of the last to the food - *excuse its wet crest)View attachment 1131876 View attachment 1131877 View attachment 1131878

Thanks so much for lookin'!

They're so cute, yet awkward looking at that age! Popcorn has cute little "eyebrows". They look to be about the same age as my little ones were when I got them. Now mine are about 17-18 weeks old and I don't see any real signs that indicate gender, though someone told me my partridge is coloured like a girl. I have no clue about my other one, a white one.

I don't have enough experience to reliably tell you what sex yours are. I think they're too young to accurately sex yet. What I can say is that as they get older, their personalities can shift. So the timid ones suddenly get bold and vice versa. My "timid" white one was perched on my arm today and suddenly decided to fly a few feet into his pen again (I call them "he" for now). I've never seen either of them try to fly until today. My partridge one has a bit more erect stance than the white one, and he used to be the bold one. Now I'd say the white one takes the lead in most things, like deciding where they sleep. Here is his favourite spot - behind and underneath their food and water dispensers. At the bottom you can see some brown feathers, that's the partridge one. Sometimes the white one sticks his head between the bars and rests his chin there while he sleeps! Too bad he pulls it right back in as soon as I point a camera at him.

Silkies aren't easy to sex. It's even harder when they're your first and you don't have any adults to compare them to. I've read all sorts of theories about how they can be sexed at certain milestones in development, like "if they're less than six weeks you can tell by their stance and behaviour" (not true - both males and females can be bold and watchful) "if they get blue earlobes they're male" (they all have blue earlobes!) or "if long feathers develop on their neck they're male" (both sexes can get longer feathers there) or "if they develop their walnut comb sooner they're male" (not necessarily true). Right now your Silkies have bigger combs than mine! I've been told that certain colours like partridge develop differently on pullets vs. cockerels. I don't know if this applies to any other colours.

I'm sure you'll have fun watching your little ones grow up. It's actually fun to guess what sex they will be, and see if your guesses are right as they mature. I've gone back and forth so many times with my guys that I'm just going to wait and see. I won't know for sure until they start crowing or laying eggs.

 

[Hinotori]

I have a blue partridge I hatched and she didn't have a hint of blue or grey in her baby down. I would be curious to see if yours are cause my regular partridge were brown with the chipmunk stripe.

The 3 blue partridge I've hatched out have looked like the rest of the partridge at hatch.

 

[Hinotori]

New roof on the bachelor silkie pen. 10x20. 1 inch pvc roof supports and tarp roof.

 

[Hinotori]

After a certain point, females don't seem to change much in looks. Just get bigger and fill out.

10 weeks old. The blue partridge on left, partridge on right.

These are 8 months old. Blue partridge on left, partridge on right.

 

[Hinotori]

I swear these pullets are teasing the boys. I laughed way to much at what you could call them

 

[kellyloveschad]

ok I have the red paint rooster I could use some help with he was born 2/22. all the sudden he stops putting weight his right foot so like I read on line I searched for cuts and swelling which these none! so I moved it around he doesn't cry like it is broken! so I made a sling and he gets around better I just don't no why he wont put weight on a foot that has no real sign of being hurt!

he

 

[moosie-boy]

Thanks FishMtFarm and Hinotori for the great info and pics! I guess I'll just have to wait and see!

 

[kellyloveschad]

the first 3 photos are my first chicken I ever hatch it 6 months I think hen! the bottom two are mom north and dad blue

 

[FirstTimeClucky]

Today during "cuddle time" (when I pick up each one of my Silkies, check them over, feed them a few treats) I noticed something odd. I always stroke them and run my hands over them, but today when I was petting the white one and running my hand over his/her tail, I noticed when I had my hand on top of, or at the base of, the tail, s/he raised her bum up. I tried it a number of times and s/he raised her bum every time. The only time I've seen this behaviour before was in a cat who was in heat. Do hens or pullets normally react this way when their tail is stroked from above? I tried the same thing with my partridge but there was no reaction. Also I noticed that the partridge is huskier or heavier in build compared to the white one. As far as I know, they're the same age.

 

[AlleysChicks]

At what age do streamers come in? I feel like I seen some on my chicks a few weeks ago. And with the size of combs on some I'm thinking cockerel. I'll get pics later when there's better lighting.