So these are the two silkies that were left at my house as chicks. Ones a white and the others a partridge, so I have concluded. So my question is how soon can you tell a hen from a rooster and what does everyone think I have, 2 hens, 2 roos, or one of each, if you can tell or even just want to wager a guess then please do. Also they have been living in my house for months now and the cage is becoming much too small for them, and its super cold here still, and Im terrified about introducing them to my existing flock of standards, and Im at a loss about what to do. So I guess if anyone could tell me if they know anyone looking for a couple of young silkies in Northeastern Michigan please let me know. Thanks everyone.
The thing that helped me to tell was to look straight at the comb. The roosters appeared much larger than the hens. Otherwise I could not tell.
Silkie experts (I'm not one) say that birds must be older than 16 weeks to even begin to tell. These birds don't appear to be that old yet. Best wishes!
I think they're girls too, but you didn't say the ages. And yes you do have to be more careful about the cold with them, and about the standards pecking them. They have sweet expressions!
Too young to be certain, but at the moment look pullet-ish. The first one is buff, not partridge. Silkies are no less cold tolerant than any other breed--if anything they handle it a bit better. They definitely can have a harder time in hot weather, though. I have never had any problems mixing silkies with large fowl--sometimes with individual birds, but the terrorists are always been small birds, not large ones.
The one is Partridge, notice the dark color on the face and dark flecks on the crest and flight feathers, she needs to grow into her color their girls by the way
I would trust sonoran on this - she always has the 411 on silkies. ETA: I agree they are too young, I have a young roo that up until he mounted my hens you would have sworn he was a girl. Small comb, no tassles, very rounded crest. His tassles are just now growing in.
