Silkie x D'Uccle - 6-10 weeks - Boy or Girl?

[Katje]

Hello all - long time lurker and first time poster.

Brought home one little Silkie (partridge) x D'Uccle (mille fleur) today - and would like to go back for another but we live in town and roosters aren't allowed.

Was amazed at how incredibly different they looked in terms of size (itty bitty to fairly large), feathering (coloration, shape, feet, and filled out), and comb development (walnut vs. d'uccle comb, coloring, size) - I thought they'd be quite similar by the same parents but apparently not! So lots of internet research later, I still wasn't as prepared to make the call as I thought I'd be.

The woman selling these was very nice and fairly confident that there were four hens and a roo - but she wasn't so sure which one was supposedly the roo when I arrived - and it seemed to be more of a hunch than anything else...

So in the spirit of those carnival games in which someone tries to guess your birthdate or weight - but not as cruel:


BOY OR GIRL?
Here is the one I chose - MacGuyver (for the mullet / punk rockin' do).




(S)he did not really have any comb to speak of - feathering seemed comparatively rounder - was one of the larger ones with more developed feathering and seemed to be acting more hennish. She is the lighter bird from the photos below.



The following two pictures are of the rest of the crew as shared by the woman selling them. Pics are not very clear or close - and were taken a couple of weeks ago. They've developed quite a bit since but I didn't think to get a better photo. Argh!
These two photos are from between 6-8 weeks.




What else can I look for if I go back to make a slightly more educated guess?
Anyone familiar with the cross (or either breed) have tips and tricks for a better shot at getting it right?




Thanks!!!!

 

[hdowden]

looks like a pullet

 

[Katje]

Hoping so!!! Thanks!

Any tips on what to look for if I go back for a second? Or guesses on any in the last two photos?

 

[moomoodiddy]

boys will have a gobble hanging under thier chin and will stand up straighter and girls only have a comb on top and stand flatter this is from my observations of my silkies good luck they r perty

 

[TheJadeChicken]

I have a black one that is a silkie x D'Uccle mix. They are so cute! xD

 

[hdowden]

i have an album made for my silkie/d'uccle mixes and i just love them. i lost the cockerel to some dogs but his hens were laying and he was doing his job and so i now have 4 of his babies 2 buff in color and 2 as black as black can be cant wait to wait they will look like the buffs have some interesting coloring coming in.

 

[Katje]

Would love to see all of your photos - have done some digging - what a fun little cross they make!

**I'm hoping one of my friends steps forward in wanting one of these little girls so that I can go back out and get a buddy for ours until she's a bit older.

 

[Katje]

So I did go back and get the rest of the chicks - figuring to give one pullet to a neighbor, one to a friend, one for myself - and the two expected roos to two friends in the country.

Well, wouldn't you know? I'm pretty sure we have three roos in the bunch of five (unless there are actually four roos). Argh.

Three seem to be pseudo-crowing - I'll post their photos first. And one is acting like a hen and interacting with her roo buddy in a very submissive way - but I don't suppose that means she/he is necessarily a hen.

Here goes:

Big Roo
There is no doubt he is a rooster. He crows, dances, and is acting the real deal 100%.


Sassy Blue - (doesn't he look like he should be dancing to flamenco music???)


Adorable little Cuddle Bug
I really wish this one were not a roo - he is sooooo affectionate and sweet and tame - cuddles right up! But he has attempted crowing and it mock cock fighting with Sassy Blue (Sassy Blue and Cuddle Bug are housed together - while Big Roo is in with our pullet and the 'unknown'). Can someone just convince me that Cuddle Bug is actually a confused hen? Or point me to roo litter box training resources?



'Unknown' - this one has not really acted rooster-like in the way the other three roos have. But her comb is fairly large and picky. On the other hand - I know that can sometimes happen with hens... and her momma had a pretty pointy and large comb. I'm hoping it's a 'her', anyway. Any thoughts?


And a picture of the 'unknowns' feathers toward her rear... kinda looks like it could be a roo - but really hoping it's not! Also, one of the other chicks pecked at her where the feathers are growing in - tips on how to treat the feather with the blood? Should I pull the whole thing out or leave it be or???


Sooooo... are the pictured chicks four roos???

 

[hdowden]

all those are cockerels and i would so take either 3 or 4 if i lived closer to you

try going here to see the pics https://www.facebook.com/holly.dowden.33/photos

my white silkie mom with mille fleur d'uccle dad offspring

oatmeal (lost him to some dogs he did protect his 2 girls though and i have 2 chicks from them)

this was when they first got here

 

[Katje]

Oh wow - beautiful! If you were closer I would happily give you some roosters!

They really are sweeties... though I sure wish there were more hens in the bunch!