SILKIES - pullet or cockerel??

[Shayna]

Ok some help please! I have 4 paint silkies and one black that carries the paint gene. I know I have 1 hen and 1 rooster. Then there are 3 others about 4 months old that I'm not sure on, but I suspect they are 1 cockerel and 2 pullets. Here are some pictures, please let me know what you think!
#1 pullet??

#2 pullet??

#3 cockerel?? (he's sure got the attitude!)

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I think your guesses are right.

 

[Shayna]

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Great, thanks!

 

[poofball]

I think you are correct very pretty paints . I have had my paints since april the second i just love watching them hatch see what comes out next .

 

[Silkiesandco]

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x2

 

[Shayna]

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Thank you, I cannot wait until I have eggs!!! I'm so excited to find out what colors I'll get. Here are my older hen (background) and roo (front) so I'm hoping I'll have eggs soon!

 

[Shayna]

Ok well this brings me to another question.... With silkies, how bad of a ratio is 2 roos to 3 hens?
Later I may add 2 or 3 hens, but I really don't want more than about 8 grown chickens at a time. I like the idea of keeping a second rooster- paint roos aren't easy to come by...

 

[drumstick diva]

You really do need more hens and less roos. I think they usually say a ratio of one roo to 10 hens., OR a a great place for hens to hide and escape them. Maybe you could rotate you roos so only one is with them at a given time.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

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That should be fine.

When I put my breeding pens together i'll set them up in pairs or trios. Never any problems with overmating. I also keep their bums trimmed, otherwise they can get too fluffy and have poor fertility rates 'cause they don't make contact.

 

[Elite Silkies]

I think your right on the sexes. Just from what I have heard....... on the blacks, we can not be certain that the blacks definitely carry the paint gene. Nicely colored hen in the background of that last pic!