USA Silkies hens or roos HELP!

[KFMcB]

Are these hens or roosters? The splash and black (this one doesn't really look like a USA though it should be) are 6 months old, the buff is 5 months old.

 

[Debbie292d]

What do you mean USA silkie? Are you in another country?

First picture, upper left, I lean that the dark one is a cockerel, not sure, the splash a pullet. The crossbeak buff, cockerel. The others appear to be pullets, but the mauve one on the bottom left could be a cockerel.

They are all beautiful!

 

[Egg Snatcher]

agree with @Debbie292d

Don’t breed your buff rooster. Scissor beak (cross beak) is hereditary.

 

[KFMcB]

What do you mean USA silkie? Are you in another country?

First picture, upper left, I lean that the dark one is a cockerel, not sure, the splash a pullet. The crossbeak buff, cockerel. The others appear to be pullets, but the mauve one on the bottom left could be a cockerel.

They are all

What do you mean USA silkie? Are you in another country?

First picture, upper left, I lean that the dark one is a cockerel, not sure, the splash a pullet. The crossbeak buff, cockerel. The others appear to be pullets, but the mauve one on the bottom left could be a cockerel.

They are all beautiful!

Thank you! Yes, I'm in Ireland

 

[KFMcB]

agree with @Debbie292d

Don’t breed your buff rooster. Scissor beak (cross beak) is hereditary.

Definitely won't be bred, purely being kept as a pet. I took this one as chick to save it from being put down.

 

[Debbie292d]

agree with @Debbie292d

Don’t breed your buff rooster. Scissor beak (cross beak) is hereditary.

Not always but the OP maybe doesn't know if hatched with it, or an accident caused it. I have one now, after hatching literally hundreds without. It was raised in a pen by a mother hen, so not sure where it could have gotten hurt. It's unknown cause in our case, but surely I'll use him if I need him, then watch the chicks hatched to ensure there are none.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Not always but the OP maybe doesn't know if hatched with it, or an accident caused it. I have one now, after hatching literally hundreds without. It was raised in a pen by a mother hen, so not sure where it could have gotten hurt. It's unknown cause in our case, but surely I'll use him if I need him, then watch the chicks hatched to ensure there are none.

I still would not recommend useing him, even if they hatch with scissor beak. That’s just my opinion.


Scissor beak is some kind recessive inheritance, known to be in bearded and crested birds. Cross beack just kinda pops up in random places, hatching hundreds without doesn’t mean scissor beak is not hereditary (two cross beaked or two non cross beaked parents can hatch normal chicks, somewhere in the future it can pop up)