Silkie thread!

[TurtlePowerTrav]

How soon can you tell from a picture the sex of a silkie? I got this one a couple weeks ago and it should almost 3 weeks old. The seller told me she was pretty sure it was a rooster. When I asked her how she could tell she held him over on his back, he pushed his feet out away from his body. She then picked up a bird she had told me was a hen and when she did the same it pulled it's feet in close to it's body. She said a rooster will push his feet out and a hen will pull them in. Ok??

This little baby does have only 1 long fuzzy piece that sticks out on the back of this head. But he does seem to act like a rooster.

This method is 50% accurate. You have same odd as if you just guessed. It is an old wives tale. The only 100% accurate way to sex them is crow/egg, otherwise it is a guess, sometimes with lots of experience you can more accurately guess at 4-6mo. I am training myself at vent sexing 1 mo LF chicks, so far I am at about 80%. Hoping to be able to do it on the Silkies and other bantams I have.

 

[goddardd]

Congrats!
Diane

 

[drumstick diva]

just one gorgeous chick after another - I'm entering cuteness overload

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Mites can and do live in sand.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Very nice. I am very partial to Partridge Silkies.

I haven't heard of a book specific to Silkies - all the information (except about the Flock Raiser) is from all chickens. The Flock Raiser information I got right here, on this thread! There is a lot of information about Silkies on this thread (I started from the beginning, few pages a day) or the Silkie Genetics and Showing thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/690632/silkie-breeding-genetics-showing

How soon can you tell from a picture the sex of a silkie? I got this one a couple weeks ago and it should almost 3 weeks old. The seller told me she was pretty sure it was a rooster. When I asked her how she could tell she held him over on his back, he pushed his feet out away from his body. She then picked up a bird she had told me was a hen and when she did the same it pulled it's feet in close to it's body. She said a rooster will push his feet out and a hen will pull them in. Ok??

This little baby does have only 1 long fuzzy piece that sticks out on the back of this head. But he does seem to act like a rooster.

Sorry, that is a myth. It does work 50% of the time

Your bird is too young to tell what sex it is. Wait another 4-6 months and then look at the head feathers. The wing feather sexing does not work on Silkies either, I tried that. I have had some very pushy girls, and some very passive boys so that didn't work either... Only way to tell for sure is if they lay an egg - then they are female. Crowing doesn't always work either - some hens will crow.

Finished the Silkie coop yesterday. They are investigating the ramp and a couple have used it. It's a very low incline, so I think they will do just fine. I was also wondering if any of you would know why one of my hens would lay three eggs the first couple of days we got her, but hasn't layed anything in the couple of weeks since. Apparently she layed every day-ish at her old home. She isn't egg bound, or broody. Could it be just normal spastic silkie laying?

The new coop.

Nice coop.

Sometimes when you bring a bird home she will lay the eggs "already in the chute" and then won't lay until she gets used to the new place. Any disturbance will upset their routine, and they may quit laying again. Once they are secure in their location they will start laying - but if you keep moving them (like new coop) you can expect the waiting time to start over again.
http://www.bantamclub.com/site/inde...category_id=2&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=18 and http://www.chickencolours.com/pagina13.html

 

[jsp28504]

I went to check on my isolation pen last night, has two birds in it born 12/24/12, and... I FOUND AN EGG!!!

After inspecting vents I discovered it was my showgirl pullet Chrystal! I guess I'll trim up Eve, her crest is huge, and put them back in with the adult birds in my larger improved run!

It was too funny, I took the egg inside and my husband asked where I got a guinea egg, it was such an unusual shape. He was also a little disturbed how I discovered who had laid it...

 

[Jharper]

I went to check on my isolation pen last night, has two birds in it born 12/24/12, and... I FOUND AN EGG!!!

After inspecting vents I discovered it was my showgirl pullet Chrystal! I guess I'll trim up Eve, her crest is huge, and put them back in with the adult birds in my larger improved run! It was too funny, I took the egg inside and my husband asked where I got a guinea egg, it was such an unusual shape. He was also a little disturbed how I discovered who had laid it...

Hahaha!

 

[kabhyper1]

Could someone point me in the right direction for learning a good way to trim up my silkies crests? I have one girl especially who cant see a thing. I banded it up today. Since they went in the new coop she was a little lost. I don't want to lose her cuteness, but she is pretty much blind most of the time I think. (she's the one in the back looking at the camera in my avatar. She looks like this right now lol!

 

[Roxannemc]

Just a few of my 60 something silkies! LOL!

j

Those are some beauties all right!

 

[Brie6895]

can anyone tell me if its normal for silkies to have red tiny wattles comming in at 4 weeks old? pics are in an earlier post