Three bantams! gender?

[yakitori]

Yay, more bantams for me.

I wasn’t originally going to get a d’uccle, but ugh! she was just too cute and the lady said it was most likely a hen, so... i brought her home too...

So here we have it, 2 D’uccle silkie crosses and a Belgium D’uccle. I gave away two LF hens to make room for these bantams in hopes that when they mature I will have a more balanced flock (3LF and 4 Bantams).

so... any guesses on gender? Will the crosses eventually grow muffs?

They’re around 6 weeks old.

Oh, and, I know the silkie crosses will be hard to sex, but hey, no harm in trying! I have a feeling S’uccle One (yes, that’s what I’m calling them!) is a roo, based on how it’s slightly bigger and more confident/active than the others.


Here we go!
d’uccle (more pics below)



S’uccle One (More black)



S’uccle Two (Mostly white)

 

[cherrynberry]

Yay, more bantams for me.

I wasn’t originally going to get a d’uccle, but ugh! she was just too cute and the lady said it was most likely a hen, so... i brought her home too...

So here we have it, 2 D’uccle silkie crosses and a Belgium D’uccle. I gave away two LF hens to make room for these bantams in hopes that when they mature I will have a more balanced flock (3LF and 4 Bantams).

so... any guesses on gender? Will the crosses eventually grow muffs?

They’re around 6 weeks old.

Oh, and, I know the silkie crosses will be hard to sex, but hey, no harm in trying! I have a feeling S’uccle One (yes, that’s what I’m calling them!) is a roo, based on how it’s slightly bigger and more confident/active than the others.


Here we go!
d’uccle (more pics below)
View attachment 2752565
View attachment 2752568

S’uccle One (More black)
View attachment 2752580
View attachment 2752581

S’uccle Two (Mostly white)
View attachment 2752583
View attachment 2752584
View attachment 2752585

Age? None of them are screaming cockerel at this point.

 

[yakitori]

Age? None of them are screaming cockerel at this point.

6 weeks or so

 

[cherrynberry]

6 weeks or so

Pullets for now. Also, they all look to have beards/muffs...

 

[yakitori]

Pullets for now. Also, they all look to have beards/muffs...

Would you happen to know how the beard/muff genes work? Is it a dominant trait? I tried searching it up and couldn’t find anything that my dumb brain could understand

 

[cherrynberry]

Would you happen to know how the beard/muff genes work? Is it a dominant trait? I tried searching it up and couldn’t find anything that my dumb brain could understand

No...sadly, I am trying to learn about genetics right now, its so interesting! But from the pictures all of yours seem to have them. Were the silkie's parents bearded silkies? I think it is quite a dominant trait though because most EEs get them.

 

[cherrynberry]

Would you happen to know how the beard/muff genes work? Is it a dominant trait? I tried searching it up and couldn’t find anything that my dumb brain could understand

Okay, so I read around a little, and apparently muffs are a dominant gene.

 

[yakitori]

No...sadly, I am trying to learn about genetics right now, its so interesting! But from the pictures all of yours seem to have them. Were the silkie's parents bearded silkies? I think it is quite a dominant trait though because most EEs get them.

Oh, that explains the ee muffs

I didn’t think to ask about what the parents looked like ,_,
She did say they parent stock were originally from ideal poultry, which seems to have both bearded and non bearded silkies..

Now I wonder if non crested silkies exist, or would that disqualify them as silkies, lol

 

[Painted Calls]

Look like pullets so far. D'Uccle cockerels develop quickly. By now I'd expect any cockerels to be showing themselves more clearly.

 

[cherrynberry]

Look like pullets so far. D'Uccle cockerels develop quickly. By now I'd expect any cockerels to be showing themselves more clearly.

Do you know about chicken beard genetics?