Silkie thread!

[Debbi]

Those are pretty chicks! I believe that first one is blue not black. It looks the most girlie to me. I'm 50/50 on the white one. Debbie will have a better guess!

Glad you think so! I agree with Peep, first one looks like a Blue pullet, the White one, my first impression is roo. That said, I've been wrong as much as I have been right!

 

[brahmabreeder]

Well I was thinking opposite of what you guys said. I was thinking the blue was a 50/50 chance and the white was definitely pullet.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Inexperienced me - I'm voting boy on every single one of those darlings - based on those combs.

Or maybe Silkies in Australia have bigger combs???

(Maybe number 4 is female. Maybe ???? )

Those are all boys! At least that's what it looks like to me! Sorry.

Debbi I got some pictures

Your Blue is a pullet-- when the comb is shaped like a little ball, those usually turn out to be girl. That's how my girls look. Your white one is most likely a boy-- because his comb is flatter and spread out. Typical of a young cockerel... Just an opinion, of course, but that would be my guess.

ETA-- just wanted to add, that your white could just grow out and stay the same, too. So there's still hope at this point I think-- because it's really a bit too young to know for sure.

 

[Hawkeye95]

BrahmaBreeder: This is what I was talking about--- this is one of my girls (at bath time) but you can see her comb really well. See how it's like a ball? This seems to be a pretty typical comb for my girls. See how it doesn't go very far on either side of the beak? But it's really narrow and small? When birds start out with big wide combs that go past either side of the beak-- I immediately think boy. And usually it's right. Anyway, your Blue looks very similar to this in comb.

 

[Debbi]

BrahmaBreeder: This is what I was talking about--- this is one of my girls (at bath time) but you can see her comb really well. See how it's like a ball? This seems to be a pretty typical comb for my girls. See how it doesn't go very far on either side of the beak? But it's really narrow and small? When birds start out with big wide combs that go past either side of the beak-- I immediately think boy. And usually it's right. Anyway, your Blue looks very similar to this in comb.

Love that pic! And the caption reads: "Really?? You took a pic BEFORE I was blown dry!!?"

 

[chikymommadukes]

Your girl looks as if she's thinking, "Is this silliness of getting me all wet going to take much longer? Haha! But she looks so super cute like that.

I am currently incubating my first batch of Silkies. I've never had chickens before so I'm a complete newbie. It's 20 shipped eggs. Two were unfertilized and one didn't make it past day 3-4. The 17 that are left are all developing consistently, are wiggling around quite well inside their shells, and have excellent air sacs that are beginning to tilt down one side (based on careful candling). All my research seems to have paid off as I seem to have great success up to this point. I'm soooo nervous about "lockdown" stating tonight. I'm praying my good instincts and learned info give me a perfect hatch.

Any last minute advice for a Silkie incubating newbie? I'd also appreciate measurements/specifics for proper aspects of the coop, considering I've read that Silkies don't fly and need coop modifications that are different than typical coops. My guy is building it and it's more like a palace than a coop (I love it!). It would help him greatly to have the correct height for nesting boxes, ramp width/angle, etc...
Thanks

 

[brahmabreeder]

Well if I do end up with a cockerel I think I might try mixing it with my brahmas. I want a medium sized bird that is really broody.I guess I could try a brahma capon.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

And for comparison -- here is the male comb

 

[Adoravachick]

And for comparison -- here is the male comb

Great comparisons! I love this pic.

 

[ChickensXOXO]

I really love the boy I got awhile back. He's a real sweetheart.