Hello fellow silkie fans! 
Have been seeing a lot of posts lately regarding Silkies crests, streamers etc. as an indicator of gender at a young age. Thought it would be interesting to have photos of young silkies (3-4 months of age or thereabouts) demonstrating what this looks like so folks can possibly use this information to help them determine genders of their younger birds.
As is well known, pullets generally will have more cotton ball shaped crests and males will have more swept back crests, but there are exceptions to this. In general Silkies with vaulted skulls will have more rounded appearance of their crest as well.
Cockerels develop streamers normally around three months of age and up. Though pullets can have these as well but not as long.
Please post photos of any good examples you may have to add to this thread.
I will start with some of mine:
4 month old cockerel. Just starting to get streamers (longer more yellow colored feathers)
He already has small wattles and raised comb as well.
Another cockerel, 12 weeks in photo. Note thicker, darker streamers developing in the back of the crest. He also has small wattles. An earlier indicator of gender.
4 month old pullet. Note more rounded crest.
Close up of back of the head of the same pullet. Note thicker, darker feathers on the right side. These are streamers, but they will not get as long as a cockerels.
This is not a common finding in females.
This pullet is 12 weeks old. Note very uniform rounded crest. No streamers.
Have been seeing a lot of posts lately regarding Silkies crests, streamers etc. as an indicator of gender at a young age. Thought it would be interesting to have photos of young silkies (3-4 months of age or thereabouts) demonstrating what this looks like so folks can possibly use this information to help them determine genders of their younger birds.
As is well known, pullets generally will have more cotton ball shaped crests and males will have more swept back crests, but there are exceptions to this. In general Silkies with vaulted skulls will have more rounded appearance of their crest as well.
Cockerels develop streamers normally around three months of age and up. Though pullets can have these as well but not as long.
Please post photos of any good examples you may have to add to this thread.
I will start with some of mine:
4 month old cockerel. Just starting to get streamers (longer more yellow colored feathers)
He already has small wattles and raised comb as well.
Another cockerel, 12 weeks in photo. Note thicker, darker streamers developing in the back of the crest. He also has small wattles. An earlier indicator of gender.
4 month old pullet. Note more rounded crest.
Close up of back of the head of the same pullet. Note thicker, darker feathers on the right side. These are streamers, but they will not get as long as a cockerels.
This is not a common finding in females.
This pullet is 12 weeks old. Note very uniform rounded crest. No streamers.
