Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[Aunt Angus]

I wing/feather sex mine with very little mistakes. Does it cost anything to send out the samples after collecting?

Normally, it's like $10 (if memory serves). But mine are already paid for, and I just wanna give them away at this point.

How do you wing/feather sex? And at what age? I couldn't tell when I tried - LOL! I'm such a noob.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Normally, it's like $10 (if memory serves). But mine are already paid for, and I just wanna give them away at this point.

How do you wing/feather sex? And at what age? I couldn't tell when I tried - LOL! I'm such a noob.

Okay.

Wing sexing is done at 1-2 days old, you'd look at feather bud length for sex determination. Male's would have longer, to about the same size primary feathers, with coverts being short, or even with primaries. Feather bud growth will vary a little.

Here's my project, non silkie chicks for example, I wish I had examples with my silkie chicks, but I don't.
The Females will have longer coverts then primaries that grow unevenly, & feather bud growth pattern varies a little.
Male, even feather growth.

Female, uneven feather growth.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I see! That's pretty cool! And that's been pretty reliable for you, then? Even with Silkies? My Silkies feathers were so "silky," I couldn't make heads nor tails of anything (so to speak).

 

[MysteryChicken]

I see! That's pretty cool! And that's been pretty reliable for you, then? Even with Silkies? My Silkies feathers were so "silky," I couldn't make heads nor tails of anything (so to speak).

Silkies sometimes can't be wing sexed until 4 days old. Yes, it's pretty reliable for me. It can be reliable for you to if you practice regularly. I'd push the fluff out of the way, for better detail.

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

I see your Dinosaur Rider and I raise you the Chicken Roomba Ballet, with a Silkie as the star:

That's funny

@HuffleClaw, I love your new profile picture!

Edit: sorry, I meant @HuffleClaw and @Fur-N-Fowl.

Thankyou!

Yes!!!!! I agree!!!

Thankyou too

Anyone want 2 DNA tests for their Silkie chicks? I accidentally ended up with extra tests, and I don't want them to go to waste. I'd email them to you, and you'd mail them in with feather samples. Results take about 2 weeks.

The first person to PM me can have them!

I'd love to snag them but I'm in the wrong country

We know a company that does them for about £4 per test. I tend to have my birds till they are old enough to sex anyways.

Unfortunately feather sexing doesn't work with mine but at around 11-12 weeks I can be 99% certain what the sex of each one is

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

My Mam got me a new cup

Hard to get a photo with the light reflecting off it...

 

[Aunt Angus]

My Mam got me a new cup

Hard to get a photo with the light reflecting off it...

View attachment 1963072

I LOVE it!!!!

 

[sourland]

Why does everyone make everything about looks...? I meant in general, silkies are spectacular.

One has never been 'barnyard valedictorian' - just sayin'.

Glad to see that this thread is ongoing.

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

I LOVE it!!!!

Me also!

I mean...I've never had my arm star on a cup before

Now I just need to get one for each of my other Silkies!

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

Guess who's got more Silkies hatching right now