Tips for sexing 12 week old silkies?

[sbutler12025]

Hey all! I just brought home two silkies and a bantam polish yesterday! I know silkies are hard to sex but I wondered if anyone could give me a couple tips?
I read that the roosters develope streamers in their head poof at a couple of months old. My two babies don't seem to have any.. it's all just fluffy and soft with no signs of any harder feathers and none stick out further than others. There is absolutely no sign of waddles on either and the comb on my brown one is completely flat, the buff has some small bumps on his/hers
I do have a white Silkie rooster who is a few weeks older (16-17 weeks) and he developed his comb and waddles pretty early on BUT he was a hatchery quality non bearded feed store silkie with very little head poof. He is missing a lot of your typical silkie features and It has even crossed my mind that he may be a mixed breed so I don't trust using him as reference. Do all silkie roosters have waddles and combs at this age? I am attaching photos. They were out in the rain when I picked them up so were still drying out when I took the photos making the head feathers stick together and look all different lengths and pointy, all of their head feathers are the same length now that they're dry and fluffy.

Also attaching photos of my polish bantam. He/she never stops moving so the photos are not so great. This one had swollen red eyes when I brought it home. They are better today but still somewhat swollen. It also had tiny pink waddles and some pink on its comb (which was also swollen, it is now much flatter) BUT today the waddles are less prominent and both the comb and waddles are completely yellow no sign of the pink I saw yesterday. Toes were also bright pink/reddish yesterday today those are a normal pale pinkish/whitish color. Thinking it may have had an allergy to the saw dust the lady was using? People in one of my Facebook groups said pullet, do you all think pullet?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So if the first actually the color I am thinking it is (partridge), it's a male. Females are more brown/less orangeish red

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Your partridge is a pullet.
Buff may be a cockerel, needs more time.
Polish is a pullet.
You will not see much wattles in your silkies as they are bearded.😊

 

[lilmillefleur]

So if the first actually the color I am thinking it is (partridge), it's a male. Females are more brown/less orangeish red

I’ve had both light and dark partridge silkie hens before. I think this ones a girl due to her coloring...wouldn’t a rooster have a black breast?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I’ve had both light and dark partridge silkie hens before. I think this ones a girl due to her coloring...wouldn’t a rooster have a black breast?

Mine doesn't

 

[sbutler12025]

Your partridge is a pullet.
Buff may be a cockerel, needs more time.
Polish is a pullet.
You will not see much wattles in your silkies as they are bearded.😊

Oh I'm so hoping that little partridge one is a pullet! That one appears very feminine to me but hey I've seen some pretty feminine roos 🤣 I got them because my previous 'pullet' is definitely not a pullet lol and we're really hoping for a couple of sweet broody silkies. I was suspecting that the buff may be a Cockerel within the first ten minutes of having them home. Behavior and stance are screaming boy (especially after raising my other silkie roo)
The polish pullet is just a wonderful bonus!

 

[SilkySilkie]

i think they are a bit young to sex?? i cant make it out

 

[bhawk-23]

I have no idea about sexing Silkies so no help to OP.

But, if I may add a video of my estimated 14-16 week Silkie I'd greatly appreciate pointers on the stance/walking position. I cannot figure out if this is the more upright walk of a rooster though this is what I am guessing he is.

Yes, he and the two Brahmas are a bonded trio. Funny to see how big the Brahmas are getting but they all stick together. Constantly talking to each other. I had to put steps to the roosting area because when he could not jump to roost with them they would come down and pile on the floor like they always did in their brooder coop. I wonder if it will stay this way as the brahmas continue to grow.

 

[MixedFlock23]

Hey all! I just brought home two silkies and a bantam polish yesterday! I know silkies are hard to sex but I wondered if anyone could give me a couple tips?
I read that the roosters develope streamers in their head poof at a couple of months old. My two babies don't seem to have any.. it's all just fluffy and soft with no signs of any harder feathers and none stick out further than others. There is absolutely no sign of waddles on either and the comb on my brown one is completely flat, the buff has some small bumps on his/hers
I do have a white Silkie rooster who is a few weeks older (16-17 weeks) and he developed his comb and waddles pretty early on BUT he was a hatchery quality non bearded feed store silkie with very little head poof. He is missing a lot of your typical silkie features and It has even crossed my mind that he may be a mixed breed so I don't trust using him as reference. Do all silkie roosters have waddles and combs at this age? I am attaching photos. They were out in the rain when I picked them up so were still drying out when I took the photos making the head feathers stick together and look all different lengths and pointy, all of their head feathers are the same length now that they're dry and fluffy.

Also attaching photos of my polish bantam. He/she never stops moving so the photos are not so great. This one had swollen red eyes when I brought it home. They are better today but still somewhat swollen. It also had tiny pink waddles and some pink on its comb (which was also swollen, it is now much flatter) BUT today the waddles are less prominent and both the comb and waddles are completely yellow no sign of the pink I saw yesterday. Toes were also bright pink/reddish yesterday today those are a normal pale pinkish/whitish color. Thinking it may have had an allergy to the saw dust the lady was using? People in one of my Facebook groups said pullet, do you all think pullet? View attachment 2780002 View attachment 2780004 View attachment 2780005 View attachment 2780006 View attachment 2780007 View attachment 2780008
View attachment 2780011 View attachment 2780012 View attachment 2780013 View attachment 2780014 View attachment 2780016

I guess 3 males... but that was my luck last year with 3 Silkies and a Polish.

Do you have any updates?

 

[MixedFlock23]

I have no idea about sexing Silkies so no help to OP.

But, if I may add a video of my estimated 14-16 week Silkie I'd greatly appreciate pointers on the stance/walking position. I cannot figure out if this is the more upright walk of a rooster though this is what I am guessing he is.

Yes, he and the two Brahmas are a bonded trio. Funny to see how big the Brahmas are getting but they all stick together. Constantly talking to each other. I had to put steps to the roosting area because when he could not jump to roost with them they would come down and pile on the floor like they always did in their brooder coop. I wonder if it will stay this way as the brahmas continue to grow.

He looks like a male Silkie to me. Sweet friends he has too.