10 week old Silkie sexing

[larkellen37]

Hi all!

First time urban chicken owner here. I am not allowed to keep roosters so if anyone has any thoughts on whether my chickies are roos or pullets I would be so grateful! I know silkies are notoriously tricky to sex, but just getting an idea will be super helpful.

I raised them since they were just a few days old and they will be 10 weeks tomorrow. 6 babies total. I tried to get a shot of each of their stances as well as good shots of their combs.

Thanks in advance all!)

(Just noting my poor #1 baby has scissor beak)

 

[White Valley Acres]

Hi all!

First time urban chicken owner here. I am not allowed to keep roosters so if anyone has any thoughts on whether my chickies are roos or pullets I would be so grateful! I know silkies are notoriously tricky to sex, but just getting an idea will be super helpful.

I raised them since they were just a few days old and they will be 10 weeks tomorrow. 6 babies total. I tried to get a shot of each of their stances as well as good shots of their combs.

Thanks in advance all!)

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(Just noting my poor #1 baby has scissor beak)

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I'm assuming your silkies are all around the same age? So if any differences are showing it should be decently obvious. I'm not an expert on silkies, I only have one and I think she's a hen. (I haven't noticed any mullet or large comb on her).

Different ways you can tell are from streamers, (longer feathers that stick off the head), super fluffy feet, (more so than others, means they're a male) and crests, (bigger should indicate male)... which I'm comparing to normal chickens.

Here's my Hen [Wyte] (A picture of her young and a relatively recent picture, not amazing pictures of her, sorry)

 

[LadiesAndJane]

What a nice little flock you have!
It is a bit early to be definitive, but it looks like 4 are cockerels.
I am basing this on the appearance of their combs primarily, as streamers and other secondary characteristics will not appear until later. Earliest 12 weeks, but in some cases these will not appear until well after 4 months of age.
Your photos appear to be out of order, but as you have numbered them nicely here goes:
These all appear to be male:
#1, the silver partridge with the scissor beak
#2, the white one
#3, the partridge, comb and red feathering coming in over the wings (partridge specific in males).
#5, the darker silver partridge, comb size and color.
The other two are likely female, BUT as it is early they could still be later developing cockerels. Silkies are notoriously difficult to sex. I would recommend reposting again when they are about 14-16 weeks.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Oh, and welcome to BYC!

 

[larkellen37]

What a nice little flock you have!
It is a bit early to be definitive, but it looks like 4 are cockerels.
I am basing this on the appearance of their combs primarily, as streamers and other secondary characteristics will not appear until later. Earliest 12 weeks, but in some cases these will not appear until well after 4 months of age.
Your photos appear to be out of order, but as you have numbered them nicely here goes:
These all appear to be male:
#1, the silver partridge with the scissor beak
#2, the white one
#3, the partridge, comb and red feathering coming in over the wings (partridge specific in males).
#5, the darker silver partridge, comb size and color.
The other two are likely female, BUT as it is early they could still be later developing cockerels. Silkies are notoriously difficult to sex. I would recommend reposting again when they are about 14-16 weeks.

Thanks

Agh, I had a bad feeling I have mostly boys. That's a neat fact about Patridges! I haven't heard that before.

Thanks for the input I'll keep my fingers crossed for my 2 possible gals. I'll definitely post again when they're a bit older.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I had a clutch of silkies hatch last year where 11/14 were boys.
I would post photos of all of them again in a few weeks. Silkies can fool you, even those of us who have experience with them.
The silkie in my avatar photo is about 8 weeks old in the photo and a pullet if that helps at all.