Silkie thread!

[Fancychooklady]

 

[drumstick diva]

Mrsshutters either your silkie is planning on going broody (making a nest etc.) or she trying to dig a dust bathing spot or fox hole.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I haven't found size to be a reliable sexing tool, not until they are 12-14 weeks old at least.
Sexing silkies is very 'hit and miss ' , but that's just part of their uniqueness.

Aww shoot I thought I was on to something lol. I did notice when I waved my finger at it he/she stood tall like it was challenging my finger. I know that's not always accurate but it's worked with my welsummers lol. It's fun guessing though..

Omg too cute lol

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

The chipmunking is relative to colour not sex. In some breeds like Wyandotte , there is a theory that those with the heavier ' eyeliner ' are Roos.

I have noticed, at least with my partridges, that most of them can be feather sexed when their adult plumage starts coming in. The males get vibrant patches of orange, red and gold. The females tend to be a more demure brown or blond. I say most of them, because I have gotten a few males that are on the lighter side, and a few females that are on the redder side. But, it does work for most of them, still have to wait and grow them out for a bit first though.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I have noticed, at least with my partridges, that most of them can be feather sexed when their adult plumage starts coming in. The males get vibrant patches of orange, red and gold. The females tend to be a more demure brown or blond. I say most of them, because I have gotten a few males that are on the lighter side, and a few females that are on the redder side. But, it does work for most of them, still have to wait and grow them out for a bit first though.

Definitely interesting. I have 2 partridges. I'll have to keep an eye out. with the wyandottes they are easy to sex because they have the slow feathering gene..

 

[Sylvester017]

The chipmunking is relative to colour not sex. In some breeds like Wyandotte , there is a theory that those with the heavier ' eyeliner ' are Roos.

That's interesting w/the Wyans. In some breeds, i.e. Welsummer, the darker eyeliners indicate females. Meanwhile I'm waiting for this blasted heatwave to subside so my breeder can ship me my new Cuckoo Breda. There's up to a 4-month wait before you can differentiate the cockerels from the pullets so I had to wait to know if a pullet was available, and now I have to wait until summer is over before I get her - bummer

. Hope she's not laying before she's shipped. Much nicer to bond with the chicken before she goes hormonal

.

 

[Sylvester017]

I have noticed, at least with my partridges, that most of them can be feather sexed when their adult plumage starts coming in. The males get vibrant patches of orange, red and gold. The females tend to be a more demure brown or blond. I say most of them, because I have gotten a few males that are on the lighter side, and a few females that are on the redder side. But, it does work for most of them, still have to wait and grow them out for a bit first though.

I think that is one of the reasons I favor Partridges most. The Partridge male colors are so stunning that it seems the males are easier to identify earlier from the less colorful coats of the females. I also like that my Partridges were not noticeably "dirty" looking after romping and foraging the way solid color Silkies show dirt or staining. White Silkies are out of the question in my backyard. We had a White Leghorn who showed stains and yellowing badly so we don't keep white breeds anymore.

 

[Sylvester017]

My Partridge Silkie 5-yrs-old is very thickly fluffed and weighs 2.4-lb. My Black Silkie 41/2 yrs old is not thickly fluffed but feels softer and weighs 2.2-lb. The Partridge always felt like she had sturdier thicker fur and the Black has always been thinner but softer-fluffed. DH and I always talk about the difference but never thought to pose the question to other Silkie owners.

@lorda No, I haven't seen that the Black Silkie "fur" got any thicker. She is very soft and has a lot of fluff but never thick like our Partridge Silkie. I've only had a total of 3 Silkies but they are my oldest chickens. I've never noticed that the fur quality has changed in any of them. My Black Silkie continues to be soft and looks fuller than the Partridge but the Partridge fur is most definitely thicker and less soft than the Black Silkie. So, based on only 3 Silkies I would say the fur quality doesn't change. Juveniles go through a molt where they grow their adult fluff around 6 months and maybe you'll notice more substantial feathering. It's hard for me to tell when my Silkies are molting or growing new feathers because their fluffy feathers are always flying around here - it's not until I see a few new quills in their topknot crest that I figure they're molting.

THIS IS THE BLACK SILKIE AS A PULLET AROUND 4 OR 5-MONTHS


THIS IS THE BLACK PULLET'S FEATHERING FROM HER BACKSIDE (IN A CHICKEN DIAPER) - SHE WAS VERY SOFT AND FLUFFY BUT SPARSE IMO


SHE'S 41/2 YRS OLD NOW - SHE IS DOING HER PUFFED-UP BROODY TURKEY DANCE IN THIS PHOTO


THIS IS LAST YEAR'S PHOTO OF HER - NOTICE HER TAIL IS NOT A TIGHT ROUND FLUFFBALL BUT HAS A POINTY LOOK. SUN AND DUST BATHS HAVE FADED HER SHINY BLACK "FUR" TO RUST-COLORED PATCHES


THIS IS A PHOTO FROM 2 YRS AGO - THE BLACK SILKIE HAS A SPARSE POINTY TAIL WHILE THE PARTRIDGE HAS A TIGHT FULL ROUNDED TAIL


OUR PARTRIDGE SILKIE HAS kept A TIGHT THICK ROUNDED TAIL


PARTRIDGE & "FRIENDS" SNEAKING IN THE BACK DOOR!


THIS PARTRIDGE NEVER SITS STILL FOR PHOTOS BUT I LIKE HER HEART-SHAPED PROFILE!


EVEN AS A PULLET THE PARTRIDGE WAS SHY OF THE CAMERA BUT THIS IS A GOOD SHOT OF HER ROUNDED THICK TAIL AS SHE WALKS AWAY

 

[lorda]

@lorda No, I haven't seen that the Black Silkie "fur" got any thicker. She is very soft and has a lot of fluff but never thick like our Partridge Silkie. I've only had a total of 3 Silkies but they are my oldest chickens. I've never noticed that the fur quality has changed in any of them. My Black Silkie continues to be soft and looks fuller than the Partridge but the Partridge fur is most definitely thicker and less soft than the Black Silkie. So, based on only 3 Silkies I would say the fur quality doesn't change. Juveniles go through a molt where they grow their adult fluff around 6 months and maybe you'll notice more substantial feathering. It's hard for me to tell when my Silkies are molting or growing new feathers because their fluffy feathers are always flying around here - it's not until I see a few new quills in their topknot crest that I figure they're molting. THIS IS THE BLACK SILKIE AS A PULLET AROUND 4 OR 5-MONTHS THIS IS THE BLACK PULLET'S FEATHERING FROM HER BACKSIDE (IN A CHICKEN DIAPER) - SHE WAS VERY SOFT AND FLUFFY BUT SPARSE IMO SHE'S 4[SUP]1/2[/SUP] YRS OLD NOW - SHE IS DOING HER PUFFED-UP BROODY TURKEY DANCE IN THIS PHOTO THIS IS LAST YEAR'S PHOTO OF HER - NOTICE HER TAIL IS NOT A TIGHT ROUND FLUFFBALL BUT HAS A POINTY LOOK. SUN AND DUST BATHS HAVE FADED HER SHINY BLACK "FUR" TO RUST-COLORED PATCHES THIS IS A PHOTO FROM 2 YRS AGO - THE BLACK SILKIE HAS A SPARSE POINTY TAIL WHILE THE PARTRIDGE HAS A TIGHT FULL ROUNDED TAIL OUR PARTRIDGE SILKIE HAS kept A TIGHT THICK ROUNDED TAIL PARTRIDGE & "FRIENDS" SNEAKING IN THE BACK DOOR! THIS PARTRIDGE NEVER SITS STILL FOR PHOTOS BUT I LIKE HER HEART-SHAPED PROFILE! EVEN AS A PULLET THE PARTRIDGE WAS SHY OF THE CAMERA BUT THIS IS A GOOD SHOT OF HER ROUNDED THICK TAIL AS SHE WALKS AWAY

 

[lorda]

Thanks for the detailed response. I guess I just need to accept her coat as it is. At least she looks pretty even though close up you can see her skin underneath