Silkie thread!

[Katlinalyssa]

I had a goof ball, (he is at his forever home now), with a different comb.
View attachment 1764355

He’s so cute! So it doesn’t necessarily mean mine will be a boy? I know it’s hard to tell with silkies until they crow or lay but I have a feeling the white one is going to be a roo.

 

[LynnaePB]

View attachment 1764328 View attachment 1764283
Please excuse the lack of feathers my poor baby was picked in the brooder :’( thankfully they are finally growing back! But why do they have different combs?
And should I trim the black ones beak?

Your babies have different comb types. The little white baby has a single comb (it doesn't hurt anything but since it isn't to breed standard that baby couldn't be shown and most breeders that bred to the standard would avoid breeding). Having a single comb probably means his/her parents carried the single comb gene and gave it to him/her (single combs are recessive so even if both parents look like they have the correct silkie comb type sometimes they can be hiding a recessive single comb gene). Your little black baby looks like it probably has the correct comb type for a silkie.

Single combs can happen in girls or boys so having the single comb doesn't necessarily mean it will be a rooster.

I'm not sure if your black baby needs a beak trim or not (I have some babies that have similar beaks that I'm not trimming unless they get a little longer). If you're worried it's a little long I don't think it would hurt to carefully trim just a little off (I use human nail clippers if I need to trim and it's really easy as long as you have someone helping to hold your little one).

 

[Katlinalyssa]

Your babies have different comb types. The little white baby has a single comb (it doesn't hurt anything but since it isn't to breed standard that baby couldn't be shown and most breeders that bred to the standard would avoid breeding). Having a single comb probably means his/her parents carried the single comb gene and gave it to him/her (single combs are recessive so even if both parents look like they have the correct silkie comb type sometimes they can be hiding a recessive single comb gene). Your little black baby looks like it probably has the correct comb type for a silkie.

Single combs can happen in girls or boys so having the single comb doesn't necessarily mean it will be a rooster.

I'm not sure if your black baby needs a beak trim or not (I have some babies that have similar beaks that I'm not trimming unless they get a little longer). If you're worried it's a little long I don't think it would hurt to carefully trim just a little off (I use human nail clippers if I need to trim and it's really easy as long as you have someone helping to hold your little one).

Okay thank you! These are my first chickens so I’m new to all this
Do girl silkies usually have wattles at this age? (9 weeks)

 

[LynnaePB]

Okay thank you! These are my first chickens so I’m new to all this
Do girl silkies usually have wattles at this age? (9 weeks)

Sorry, I have no idea when female silkies get wattles unfortunately. I've read comb type and whether they are bearded or not affect the size of the wattles but not when they might get them.

Your little white baby looks like it might be non bearded, her/his wattles will probably be a lot bigger than a bearded silkies would be. Your black baby does look bearded to me though so you won't really be able to compare those two in terms of wattles to guess at sex.

Maybe someone else who knows more will chime in, I'm curious too!

 

[Katlinalyssa]

Sorry, I have no idea when female silkies get wattles unfortunately. I've read comb type and whether they are bearded or not affect the size of the wattles but not when they might get them.

Your little white baby looks like it might be non bearded, her/his wattles will probably be a lot bigger than a bearded silkies would be. Your black baby does look bearded to me though so you won't really be able to compare those two in terms of wattles to guess at sex.

Maybe someone else who knows more will chime in, I'm curious too!

The black one is so much fluffier than the white one! And much smaller. It looks like a round fluff ball lol

 

[Stacyoung13]

He’s so cute! So it doesn’t necessarily mean mine will be a boy? I know it’s hard to tell with silkies until they crow or lay but I have a feeling the white one is going to be a roo.

I agree, your white one looks like a cockerel. There is a 50% chance I could be wrong, but then again, that’s 50% chance I’m right!!!LOL

 

[Katlinalyssa]

I agree, your white one looks like a cockerel. There is a 50% chance I could be wrong, but then again, that’s 50% chance I’m right!!!LOL

I am hoping it is! Our neighbors won’t love it but they are at least allowed lol someone on the street behind us has one we can hear every now and then.

 

[Stacyoung13]

I am hoping it is! Our neighbors won’t love it but they are at least allowed lol someone on the street behind us has one we can hear every now and then.

I have 1 silkie roo, 1-5 month cockerel probably a few more once the 14 babies get old enough to tell. Then I have my SLW and Brahma Roos. I love the sound of a rooster

 

[sue25]

I don't chime in here as much as I used to. Don't think very many show people come on this thread. Here are some pics of my chickens.

 

[Little Coop on Salt Creek]

Are there any Silkie breeders on this thread that would be willing to help me troubleshoot chick deaths soon after hatch? If so, could you PM me so I can try to figure out what might be happening to chicks that have gone to other homes and then mysteriously died?