Yet another Silkie sexing question

[Made-In-TX]

I've been reading and searching and reading some more on things to look for when trying to accomplish the near impossible job of sexing a juvenile Silkie. Assuming that there are no distinguishing physical characteristics to determine the sex, maybe you experts can help me according to the chickens behavior.

We picked "her" up yesterday from a local breeder and was told "she" was around 9-10 weeks or so. When we got home we added her to the coop where the only other birds are 3 pullets between 9 & 13 weeks old (Barred Rock, Cochin & Australorp). The initial concern was the 3 ganging up on the newcomer Silkie but it was quickly evident that it was going to be the other way around. Now, the Silkie doesn't all out attack any of the others but is definitely a butt to them, running over to them pecking one on the head just because and pushing the others around and off of feed.

At this age, would these behaviors indicate the Silkie to be a pullet possibly? My thoughts are that's the case and she's just trying to make her way into the pecking order of everything but I'm no expert! I did read that Silkie cockerels will tend to be sweeter and bolder when young and get more skittish as it gets older and the pullets will be more stand offish when young and get sweeter as they get older. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated here. Thanks so much in advance!

 

[mustangsaguaro]

Can you post a pic. It might be easier to tell w/ a pic. I have found I can sex my silkies about about 8-10 weeks as long as they have good feathering on their heads. The females tend to have more of a poof (pom pom head). While the males have a more slick backed look. Again a pic would be best.



The above pic is a male. You can see the slicked back top. Plus he already has a good developed comb.



The above pic is a female. She has more of a poof than the other pic.


Both of these birds were about 8 or 9 weeks when I took these photos. Plus the female didn't have quite the developed comb, that's something to look for but sometimes the males can be slow to develop combs.

 

[Made-In-TX]

Sorry for the quality of the pics but here they are. I've been looking and just can't make up my mind because to me the head seems a bit like a roo and also still undeveloped and the tail looks more poofy like a pullett and the body being more rounded and less slender like is more like a pullett too. Then again like I said before... I'm no expert.

 

[Made-In-TX]

Also, Mustang, by looking at the feather development on your 2 Silkies, I'm doubting that mine is actually as old as I was told it was at 9-10 weeks.
What do you think?

 

[mustangsaguaro]

Hmm. Hard to tell. I would have to say you have a male right now just how it looks. But I am pretty new to silkies so I could be wrong. Maybe someone else w/ more experience will chime in.

 

[Made-In-TX]

Hmm. Hard to tell. I would have to say you have a male right now just how it looks. But I am pretty new to silkies so I could be wrong. Maybe someone else w/ more experience will chime in.

I know it, these little critters are so hard to tell on, that's the main reason I'm hoping that maybe behavioral characteristics will give a better idea.

 

[leadwolf1]

Looks like a roo to me, too...if you could get a better pic of just the head/comb area, that would be a big help.

 

[mustangsaguaro]

Also, Mustang, by looking at the feather development on your 2 Silkies, I'm doubting that mine is actually as old as I was told it was at 9-10 weeks.
What do you think?

Mine were hatched around March 24-25. That makes them now just 10 weeks. Those pics were taken around May 12 making them about 7 weeks old then. I did not brood them under heat lamps. They had a hen that raised them. So, they were pretty much outside all the time from about 3 weeks old. Not sure if that makes a difference in development regarding feathers and other features. I had a black one that I sold that could have gone either way for male or female. It was really hard to tell on the black one I had because it didn't have quite the feathers as these other two in which I posted pics on. Not sure if this helps or not.