Silkie Breeder question!!

[Denece&Lacey]

How can you tell if silkies are hens or roosters? I have polish and although they look similar I dont know what to look for on a silkie!! Thanks

 

[Smoky73]

Well, depending on age, on a rooster, the comb will be slightly bigger and will have long streaming feathers coming out of the crest flowing toward the back. Hen sare more globular in shape and no streamers. You wont be able to really tell till they are at least 3 months old, sometimes a lot longer.

 

[priszilla]

the hens lay eggs

 

[BamaChicken]

It takes experience and then sometimes you are guessing.

 

[Jenlyn9483]

i AGREE WITH THE FIRST POST. THE COMBS ARE BIGGER AND THE ROOS HAVE WADDLES. AT 3 MONTHS THEY ARE CROWING LOL AT LEAST MINE WAS.

 

[Smoky73]

Wow LOL, mine have never crowed at that age. Its usually about 5 months at least.

Here are some pictures to help you out. The first and second pictures are of white cockerels, about 3-4 months old. You can clearly see the longer feathers coming off the crest.

This third picture is of a white cockerel (left side) and a white pullet (right side) They are the two kinda in the center of the picture with their heads close together.

 

[asher]

That is a gorgeous white cockerel in the second picture! I've always wanted a silkie roo so gorgeous that you could barely tell even as an adult if it was a cock or a pullet!

 

[Denece&Lacey]

Well they are only 2 months old so no crowing or eggs yet!! I think that would be a dead giveaway!! I hope they are hens. One of them only has 4 toes on each foot. The others have 5!! I know they are supposed to have 5. They are pretty though.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Well, here is a pile of silkies...Please tell the biggest one- the gray one, that she must stay a girl. I believe all the others are boys- they box, scuffle, square off, all day long- every day.

Two are six weeks old, the rest are four weeks:

A pile of Silkies, defying dark time-

 

[Denece&Lacey]

They are too cute.