Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[LadiesAndJane]

I understand the vaulted skull can cause problems if they get hit but is it good or bad or indifferent if silkies have a vaulted skull?
Wasn't sure if that was a sign of something to be sure they had or didn't have or just to be careful.

It is thought that the vaulted skull was introduced using Polish. This was done several generations ago to increase the crest size. Now there are some lines that have vaulted or non-vaulted skulls. You can see it in full siblings. It is not well known how it is inherited. I have had vaulted skulls chicks pop up from two birds with non-vaulted skulls and vice a versa.
In some lines, the vaulted skulls tend to female, but this is not reliable. So there does seem to be some element of sex-linking, but I believe it is more complicated than that.
With my last hatch of Silkies, there definitely was a relation between the vaulted skull and female gender, but then I also have some females with non-vaulted skulls from the same parents.
And, yes you are correct about them being more prone to head injuries with the vaulted skull. The skull has holes in it, much like a newborn baby. This is why any birds with vaulted skulls should not be kept with standard breeds or any aggressive breeds. They should also be kept in an environment where there is not anything they can hit their heads on if at all possible.
I attached a photo of two pullets that hatched last year. Full siblings that were sold to the same buyer, though one has a vaulted skull and one does not.
As you can the one with the vaulted skull has a much larger appearing crest.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Took some new photos today of the 4 keepers. The 4 I was selling have all found new awesome homes with lovely people!
This is a Lilikoi, formerly known as “yellow band”. 7 weeks 4 days old today and look at the fluff on this little girl already! Can’t wait to see how she develops.

 

[kurby22]

I just had to share…Betty White seems less than thrilled with the rain from today I giggle every time I look at it haha.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I just had to share…Betty White seems less than thrilled with the rain from today I giggle every time I look at it haha.

She looks like the epitome of the expression “madder than a wet hen“

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

It is thought that the vaulted skull was introduced using Polish. This was done several generations ago to increase the crest size. Now there are some lines that have vaulted or non-vaulted skulls. You can see it in full siblings. It is not well known how it is inherited. I have had vaulted skulls chicks pop up from two birds with non-vaulted skulls and vice a versa.
In some lines, the vaulted skulls tend to female, but this is not reliable. So there does seem to be some element of sex-linking, but I believe it is more complicated than that.
With my last hatch of Silkies, there definitely was a relation between the vaulted skull and female gender, but then I also have some females with non-vaulted skulls from the same parents.
And, yes you are correct about them being more prone to head injuries with the vaulted skull. The skull has holes in it, much like a newborn baby. This is why any birds with vaulted skulls should not be kept with standard breeds or any aggressive breeds. They should also be kept in an environment where there is not anything they can hit their heads on if at all possible.
I attached a photo of two pullets that hatched last year. Full siblings that were sold to the same buyer, though one has a vaulted skull and one does not.
As you can the one with the vaulted skull has a much larger appearing crest.
View attachment 2952912

So the one on the left had the vaulted skull?
Can you feel the difference when rubbing their lil head?

 

[chickengr]

You’re welcome, sorry I couldn’t be of more help though. You take your chances with Silkies sometimes! That’s why I DNA test the ones I’m planning on keeping.

DNA test for chickens is science fiction here.

 

[LynnaePB]

Hello silkie peeps! I’m looking into adopting a silkie from my HS, and I was hoping you might be able to help me sex her first. Nothing screams male to me (especially when compared to the other one), but I know silkies are hard to sex.
If I had to guess, I’d say she’s around 2-3mo.
View attachment 2952743
This is the only pic of the girl in question, unless you want one from when she was younger, though I don’t see how that would help.
Thank you in advance!

Hmm yeah this one is still too young to be sure and without close ups of the comb I'd be hesitant to say. I do agree though this one is looking more feminine at this point just from what I can see of this picture. No obvious streamers yet and from what I can see of the comb it looks like it may be fairly flat. Being 2-3 months the comb and streamers wouldn't necessarily be in yet on a cockerel so I would guess pullet but not with confidence.

@LynnaePB will probably have some more examples as she’s been breeding Paints longer than I have and has more birds. I only have two Paint pullets who are the daughters of my paint rooster and they are still quite young. I know they are pullets as I had them DNA tested.
One has a vaulted skull and one doesn’t.
Heres some photos of Eko for now but the pullets are out in the tractor and I won’t have easy access to them until I put them back in their brooder cage tonight.
I did find these two comb photos of each of them from mid December when they were 3-4 weeks of age if that helps.
I found some photos of Eko when he was younger, if that helps as well. He honestly didn’t have much comb until he was about four months old.
Eko:
View attachment 2952771View attachment 2952772
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Vaulted skull 4 week old pullet
View attachment 2952774
Non vaulted skull 3 week old pullet
View attachment 2952775

Love those pictures, I think they'd be very helpful!

You'd think with how many grow outs I've had I'd have more good pictures by now. I guess I just don't take enough when they are little.

Here are these old ones I've shown a few times here in case they are helpful though. Both paints around 10 weeks old. I picked the most feminine pullet and most masculine cockerel I had for this example to show the obvious differences. Unfortunately they don't always make it so easy and can look fairly similar. This particular group matured fairly quickly as well. I find the combs are the first good hint at starting to find which are most likely cockerels. A larger comb points to a male a good 90%+ of the time with mine. I've had some girls with some big combs too though. When obvious streamers come in they are the most accurate for me but sometimes they come in late and while I have never had a pullet with streamers they can and do rarely happen. Learning to tell the difference between definite streamers and some longer feathers that can grow out of the crest of either sex takes a little practice. The girls with the really rounded crest are easy to differentiate from but when they have a slightly swept back crest it gets trickier.

Pullet

Cockerel

I understand the vaulted skull can cause problems if they get hit but is it good or bad or indifferent if silkies have a vaulted skull?
Wasn't sure if that was a sign of something to be sure they had or didn't have or just to be careful.

I think @LadiesAndJane already covered it wonderfully! I have heard some arguments for and against but I think most breeders don't really mind either way. They certainly do make a bird a bit more vulnerable so I tend to prefer the non vaulted personally if everything else is equal. The vaulted skulls do tend to help with crest size sometimes but I've heard it repeated many times by breeders you can definitely breed to where the non vaulted have crests just as large.

As for telling when they are adults whether they have a vault or not sometimes you can tell by parting the crest and looking at the head. With their poofy crests it can be hard to get a good look though. I can always see really well if they have the vault or not when I give them a bath and their crest is wet. The vaulted ones do have an obvious bump usually and it often feels soft. I've seen autopsy photos of a silkie with a large vault and the whole top of the skull was missing. Imagine a brain just laying in a bowl with no top...that's how unprotected they can sometimes be with very large vaults.

Took some new photos today of the 4 keepers. The 4 I was selling have all found new awesome homes with lovely people!
This is a Lilikoi, formerly known as “yellow band”. 7 weeks 4 days old today and look at the fluff on this little girl already! Can’t wait to see how she develops.View attachment 2952953View attachment 2952951View attachment 2952952View attachment 2952950

Awww she is looking so nice so far, what a pretty girl!!!

 

[kurby22]

She looks like the epitome of the expression “madder than a wet hen“

Haha I know!! I love it!

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Hmm yeah this one is still too young to be sure and without close ups of the comb I'd be hesitant to say. I do agree though this one is looking more feminine at this point just from what I can see of this picture. No obvious streamers yet and from what I can see of the comb it looks like it may be fairly flat. Being 2-3 months the comb and streamers wouldn't necessarily be in yet on a cockerel so I would guess pullet but not with confidence.



Love those pictures, I think they'd be very helpful!

You'd think with how many grow outs I've had I'd have more good pictures by now. I guess I just don't take enough when they are little.

Here are these old ones I've shown a few times here in case they are helpful though. Both paints around 10 weeks old. I picked the most feminine pullet and most masculine cockerel I had for this example to show the obvious differences. Unfortunately they don't always make it so easy and can look fairly similar. This particular group matured fairly quickly as well. I find the combs are the first good hint at starting to find which are most likely cockerels. A larger comb points to a male a good 90%+ of the time with mine. I've had some girls with some big combs too though. When obvious streamers come in they are the most accurate for me but sometimes they come in late and while I have never had a pullet with streamers they can and do rarely happen. Learning to tell the difference between definite streamers and some longer feathers that can grow out of the crest of either sex takes a little practice. The girls with the really rounded crest are easy to differentiate from but when they have a slightly swept back crest it gets trickier.

Pullet

View attachment 2953081
View attachment 2953082

Cockerel

View attachment 2953083View attachment 2953084



I think @LadiesAndJane already covered it wonderfully! I have heard some arguments for and against but I think most breeders don't really mind either way. They certainly do make a bird a bit more vulnerable so I tend to prefer the non vaulted personally if everything else is equal. The vaulted skulls do tend to help with crest size sometimes but I've heard it repeated many times by breeders you can definitely breed to where the non vaulted have crests just as large.

As for telling when they are adults whether they have a vault or not sometimes you can tell by parting the crest and looking at the head. With their poofy crests it can be hard to get a good look though. I can always see really well if they have the vault or not when I give them a bath and their crest is wet. The vaulted ones do have an obvious bump usually and it often feels soft. I've seen autopsy photos of a silkie with a large vault and the whole top of the skull was missing. Imagine a brain just laying in a bowl with no top...that's how unprotected they can sometimes be with very large vaults.



Awww she is looking so nice so far, what a pretty girl!!!

Awesome, thanks! Yeah, she looks a lot more feminine compared to the other silkie (same age) the HS has. That one already has what looks to be a noticeable comb and wattles, but it’s hard to tell by the pics.

I’d love to just get them both, but I really can’t have roos. : (

 

[AngBantamLuv]

@LynnaePB will probably have some more examples as she’s been breeding Paints longer than I have and has more birds. I only have two Paint pullets who are the daughters of my paint rooster and they are still quite young. I know they are pullets as I had them DNA tested.
One has a vaulted skull and one doesn’t.
Heres some photos of Eko for now but the pullets are out in the tractor and I won’t have easy access to them until I put them back in their brooder cage tonight.
I did find these two comb photos of each of them from mid December when they were 3-4 weeks of age if that helps.
I found some photos of Eko when he was younger, if that helps as well. He honestly didn’t have much comb until he was about four months old.
Eko:
View attachment 2952771View attachment 2952772
View attachment 2952773
View attachment 2952770
View attachment 2952780
Vaulted skull 4 week old pullet
View attachment 2952774
Non vaulted skull 3 week old pullet
View attachment 2952775

Based on your pics, I think I have one vaulted and one non vaulted paint... also i think only one is going to be bearded, maybe.