Week by Week Silkie Comb thread! With poll!

[PioneerChicks]

Thanks for the tag! Sometimes I miss alerts.

I changed my vote for Nutmeg to pullet. I'm still guessing Eclipse is a boy and Pebbles is a girl. Still nothing for sure yet.

 

[LynnaePB]

These little ones are tough for me to guess too. I thought little Eclipse might be a boy earlier but that comb hasn't grown much for the last few weeks so now I'm not so sure (I changed my guess to pullet for now). The other two have fairly small combs, they both look feminine to me at this point.

I thought I'd weigh in on little Nutmegs color as well. I think Nutmeg is probably a partridge based buff from what I can see. It is my understanding that buff in silkies can be made using a partridge or wheaten base and then have additional genes to make the buff coloration. With the partridge base a bit of black in the tail/wings is very common and is often referred to as "smut". I've heard Buff is a really tricky color to get right in silkies because the partridge based ones tend to have some smut which isn't desirable and the wheaten based ones tend to have lighter skin which also isn't desirable. To get no smut and fairly dark skin in a buff must be a challenge for breeders seeing as they'd likely be fighting the genetics.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Pullet combs go up in 2 paralell rows, they join together in a small lump. They are all similar to that.

More silkie tips and tricks
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/tips-on-sexing-silkies.1477252/

 

[HappyClucker7]

Ok! Week 10!

Nutmeg
This is what she looks like without the crest pushed back. View attachment 2771407
View attachment 2771413

Pushed back
View attachment 2771408
View attachment 2771410View attachment 2771411
Eclipse:
She has a little bald, pecked spot, unfortunately. I didn’t push her non existent crest back at all.
View attachment 2771414View attachment 2771415View attachment 2771416
This is Eclipses little pink spot.
View attachment 2771424Pebbles
Fluffy:
View attachment 2771425
Pushed back:
View attachment 2771430View attachment 2771432View attachment 2771440

Thanks for taking the time to update your votes!

Full body photos:

None of them look like obvious boys. The only one I would say you should keep an eye on is Nutmeg.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Thanks everyone! I really hope Nutmeg isn’t a cockerel... but I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Just thought I should let you know. I am unexpectedly going to be out of town for a week, so I won’t be able to update for week 11. So sorry!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Going to get photos now. FYI it rained last night so their crests are a bit of a mess.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Ok, here they are! As I mentioned above, it rained last night and, silly silkies, didn’t stay in the covered area of their temporary housing. Unfortunately the pictures aren’t great as it was raining when I got these and I was trying to do them quick, but here they are!
12 weeks:
Nutmeg:

Eclipse: still a bald spot unfortunately.

Pebbles did NOT want photos today, so there’s only two... these are the two that aren’t super blurry.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

And if any of you want to vote again, please do so! @HappyClucker7 @RoostersAreAwesome @Mmanist @LynnaePB @ForTheLoveOfSilkies @PioneerChicks @Quaicken108 @CrazyChicken Lady @Starburst @Fuchsia @cherrynberry @Chookchicken @H-B-O @PippinTheChicken @FluffyLambs @MysteryChicken and anyone else!

 

[HappyClucker7]

Ok, here they are! As I mentioned above, it rained last night and, silly silkies, didn’t stay in the covered area of their temporary housing. Unfortunately the pictures aren’t great as it was raining when I got these and I was trying to do them quick, but here they are!
12 weeks:
Nutmeg:
View attachment 2787860
View attachment 2787861View attachment 2787862
Eclipse: still a bald spot unfortunately. View attachment 2787865View attachment 2787866View attachment 2787872
Pebbles did NOT want photos today, so there’s only two... these are the two that aren’t super blurry. View attachment 2787879View attachment 2787880

I'm actually thinking maybe all girls now. Eclipse's comb is a little big though...