Silkie name salt has become very salty...

[EggSighted4Life]

Only hand fed them at about 10 weeks old to train them to go into the coop when it was bed time and stop after about a week. But here some pictures, my 3 y/o &10 y/o named them so I think you can figure out who is who. Omelet always been smaller of the 3 and it’s as clear as day he a cockerel. He was the king until salt beat him up. Salt & pepper will go at it and it’s Pepper who starts it. Nothing to violent always been like that.. They turned 13 weeks on the 18th of August.

I bred Silkies for a few years... What you have there looks like 3 cockerels to me... the black one just has a proper colored comb (the other 2 do not for Silkies SOP), but still quite large if your stated age is accurate.

Put all the boys in a pen together with no hens and they WILL work it out. They will have tiffs just like anyone who has live together long term, but it should not become off the hook brutal. Silkies are my only boys who have actively mounted each other over and over, which is cause for me to cull. Lots of us keep stag pens... though mine is only for eating and breeding and not because I wan't to save every male I accidentally end up with. Silkies dress just fine for the dinner table. No shame in letting them feed someone else's family or pets if not your own and keeping them wasn't an option. But very often boys who have been raised together CAN (doesn't mean will since each flock is individual) live happily ever after together.

Lets see... Salt is splash, Omelet is buff, and Pepper is the black one??? The kids are pretty good with their names! If I have their names and color accurate... Salt is definitely a cockerel.

Do ya have anymore birds?

 

[Matilda Belle]

Agree with the others. Salt is probably a cockerel.

 

[Kells ks]

I bred Silkies for a few years... What you have there looks like 3 cockerels to me... the black one just has a proper colored comb (the other 2 do not for Silkies SOP), but still quite large if your stated age is accurate.

Put all the boys in a pen together with no hens and they WILL work it out. They will have tiffs just like anyone who has live together long term, but it should not become off the hook brutal. Silkies are my only boys who have actively mounted each other over and over, which is cause for me to cull. Lots of us keep stag pens... though mine is only for eating and breeding and not because I wan't to save every male I accidentally end up with. Silkies dress just fine for the dinner table. No shame in letting them feed someone else's family or pets if not your own and keeping them wasn't an option. But very often boys who have been raised together CAN (doesn't mean will since each flock is individual) live happily ever after together.

Lets see... Salt is splash, Omelet is buff, and Pepper is the black one??? The kids are pretty good with their names! If I have their names and color accurate... Salt is definitely a cockerel.

Do ya have anymore birds?

No ... just these 3 and they have been together since day one came from Meyers in Ohio. They could be maybe a week or 2 older who knows.. but the buff / omelet is smaller compared to the other two always has been ... he started crowing about 2 weeks back had his comb etc all came in before he started crowing.. The splash/salt is actually the biggest outta the three. There really is a big difference in size with these guys. If they let me take a decent picture. That’s why I always figured salt & pepper were females since their more round and bigger then omelet, he alway stood tall and they kinda tucked their necks close to their body.

 

[Kells ks]

Are you sure those silkies are only 13 weeks old? There is sure alot of comb and wattle developement in all 3 of them especially the top and bottom picture. The ones with the red combs I would guess are cockerels at 13 weeks. The black one I am not sure about.

I got them from a hatchery so who knows they could be older. I been going by their “hatch day” on the paperwork.

 

[Eevee]

I’m no expert, as this is the first year I have had chickens and silkies can be tricky to sex. I will mention what I noticed with my batch of silkies. I had started with 4 chicks and so far 2 ended up being male. With the males, One was much more developed as far as wattle/comb growth and only one crowed (the dominant one). The dominant was actually smaller in size and had smaller wattles, but was more feisty. The other 2 I have are almost 18 weeks and their combs are very small still so were hoping they are pullets.

 

[Kells ks]

Are you positive that Salt is a female?

My neighbor who’s a farmer (older gentleman )swears that salt female And a friend of mine when they go do the 4H , she said she seen silkie hens with combs.. and then sure enough you look it up females can have a rose colored comb.. umm so basically they look just like males. So I’m just waiting on a crow now..

 

[Kells ks]

I’m no expert, as this is the first year I have had chickens and silkies can be tricky to sex. I will mention what I noticed with my batch of silkies. I had started with 4 chicks and so far 2 ended up being male. With the males, One was much more developed as far as wattle/comb growth and only one crowed (the dominant one). The dominant was actually smaller in size and had smaller wattles, but was more feisty. The other 2 I have are almost 18 weeks and their combs are very small still so were hoping they are

The ones you think might be pullets , do they make a Sound like their whining by any chance?

 

[Eevee]

My neighbor who’s a farmer (older gentleman )swears that salt female And a friend of mine when they go do the 4H , she said she seen silkie hens with combs.. and then sure enough you look it up females can have a rose colored comb.. umm so basically they look just like males. So I’m just waiting on a crow now..

Your right, I have seen silkies with a rose coloured combs. The reason I had guessed cockerel for Salty is because of the size and colour compared to the age. Usually in females the combs don't develop or turn red until just before they lay. The Males generally develop quicker, although sometimes you can get ones that are slow to mature. If all the chicks are getting along, you can always wait till Salty crows or lays an egg just to be sure.

 

[Kells ks]

Your right, I have seen silkies with a rose coloured combs. The reason I had guessed cockerel for Salty is because of the size and colour compared to the age. Usually in females the combs don't develop or turn red until just before they lay. The Males generally develop quicker, although sometimes you can get ones that are slow to mature. If all the chicks are getting along, you can always wait till Salty crows or lays an egg just to be sure.

lol.. I guess so.. I’m just trying to figure out best way to deal with salt new attitude. Since holding down and doing the whole pecking thing, so far so good.

 

[aart]

I’m just trying to figure out best way to deal with salt new attitude. Since holding down and doing the whole pecking thing, so far so good.

Not sure that will work long term with a male.