# Silkie, roo or hen?



## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

View media item 2888


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm going with girl. There isn't any streamers and no full formed tail feathers. Also, I don't see the extra leggieness boys seem to have.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I'm going with girl. There isn't any streamers and no full formed tail feathers. Also, I don't see the extra leggieness boys seem to have.


I sure hope so! That was my assessment as well. All 3 silkies are the same age. It's a very sweet chick. My son carries it everywhere! It's the smallest of all our chickens.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

So, that's two of us with the same impression. Now the wait begins.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

robin416 said:


> So, that's two of us with the same impression. Now the wait begins.


Yep, if fluffy is indeed a she they will definitely be tiny eggs! Shouldn't be difficult to know if they belong to fluffy! 
Oh, and I think it was you that mentioned silkies wont roost. All 3 of them were trying to jump up and roost tonight. I put a cinder block below the lowest roost and they were up in no time! I hope they use it. I prefer them off the ground.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

What a riot! I set up roosts in all 12 pens for mine, the only ones to ever use them were two of the roos.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

robin416 said:


> What a riot! I set up roosts in all 12 pens for mine, the only ones to ever use them were two of the roos.


They were hilarious as they would size up the jump to the roost, squat way low, and decide to size up again before attempting the jump up over and over again! We placed the cinder block and they figured it out quickly. It was actually the ones I suspect to be hens that attempted first. The rooster only got interested once he saw he was the only of 15 chickens left on the ground


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

How old? Like Robin, I'm going with girl.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> How old? Like Robin, I'm going with girl.


We've had the silkies 10 weeks, so at least that old. Bought from tractor supply and these were the last if the silkies they had that week.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Depending upon which state you live in, TSC buys from different large commercial hatcheries. Here in Ohio I think they utilize two.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> Depending upon which state you live in, TSC buys from different large commercial hatcheries. Here in Ohio I think they utilize two.


All I know about ours is they can't properly label chickens for nothing. They had my Dominique labeled buff orpingtons. My salmon faverolles were labeled leghorn.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yup! It's basically, which tub do you want your birds out of?


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> Yup! It's basically, which tub do you want your birds out of?


Exactly!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

PowellClan5 said:


> All I know about ours is they can't properly label chickens for nothing. They had my Dominique labeled buff orpingtons. My salmon faverolles were labeled leghorn.


How the heck do you confuse a salmon favorelle for a leghorn? Goes to show how little they know about chickens.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

robin416 said:


> How the heck do you confuse a salmon favorelle for a leghorn? Goes to show how little they know about chickens.


Yep. Another lady and I were looking and were like, that's wrong... those are leghorns lol. Too many toes and feathered legs. Cant be leghorn. The week prior they had Dominique labeled as buff orpingtons. It took me until comb came in on those to determine what they were.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I got some chicks for my Silkie hen to raise when she was broody a couple of years ago. They were labeled Red Star but turned out to be something totally different. Now I don't remember what they were but the guy I gave them to recognized them.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I got some chicks for my Silkie hen to raise when she was broody a couple of years ago. They were labeled Red Star but turned out to be something totally different. Now I don't remember what they were but the guy I gave them to recognized them.


Some chicks are more difficult to identify and easily mixed up like barred Rock and Dominique, at least until combs and decent feathering come in. But some breeds are in no way similar to others and shouldn't be confused easily!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You're a prefect example of how wrong they can get them.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

robin416 said:


> You're a prefect example of how wrong they can get them.


I just tell people you be willing to have something that isn't listed properly or know your breeds before you go!


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

PowellClan5 said:


> View media item 2888


My guess would also be pullet; especially if there has been no comb development. Your picture does not show the comb clearly. With silkies, rooster feathering can be slow to develop and appear after the 12th week of age. but comb development happens much sooner.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

danathome said:


> My guess would also be pullet; especially if there has been no comb development. Your picture does not show the comb clearly. With silkies, rooster feathering can be slow to develop and appear after the 12th week of age. but comb development happens much sooner.


These are the closest I have to comb pics. No discernable wattles and comb isnt very prevalent.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I love that second pic. And I'm sticking with girl.


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I love that second pic. And I'm sticking with girl.


Yay she's, I've already been using she for a while, so cute


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

Most assuredly a pullet. And a very pretty one at that!


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## PowellClan5 (Nov 6, 2020)

danathome said:


> Most assuredly a pullet. And a very pretty one at that!


Awesome! She was the ugliest thing we'd ever laid eyes on for a long while! When i bought her it wad out of pity. She was so tiny and ugly lol I kept saying she's gonna end up our ugly duckling chick and be the prettiest. She is doing just that!


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yup!


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## Rani (Nov 28, 2020)

Hey i need help as well. I have three 9 week old silkies and i really hope i dont have a roo. Can someone please help? Heres a pic of 1. Three diff angles.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Maybe. I need to see it on the ground. There's quite a bit of comb there.

You can even do this yourself, watch to see if it's more leggy than the other two. Little boys walk really weird, all legs but folded at the knee.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, we need more pics, but Robin is your Silkie expert.


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## Rani (Nov 28, 2020)

Thank you for your reply. Heres another few angles.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I'm thinking maybe hen, but I'm no Silkie expert.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm with PJ, I'm going for girl at this point. But that comb.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Thanks for the pics!


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## Rani (Nov 28, 2020)

Thank you so much! Personality wise he/she seems like a leader, always running out first and the rest follow. Also, pecks alot. I really hope this ones a hen. My kids are getting attached.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Can't you have a rooster? 

Another tell is if you pick it up and it whines like crazy. Males seem to do a moan, whine sound and girls peep.


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## Rani (Nov 28, 2020)

Okay so heres silkie number 2


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## Rani (Nov 28, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Can't you have a rooster?
> 
> Another tell is if you pick it up and it whines like crazy. Males seem to do a moan, whine sound and girls peep.


 Unfortunately we cant, which sucks. I will pick them up again in the morning and test this out. Thank you so much, this really helps.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm thinking girl on the second one. I don't see streamers, yet, coming off the back of the head. I can't see how much comb is there. 

These guys are right in that spot that not being there with them makes it really tough to be certain about the sex.


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## Rani (Nov 28, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Can't you have a rooster?
> 
> Another tell is if you pick it up and it whines like crazy. Males seem to do a moan, whine sound and girls peep.


I tested this today. They all peeped...didnt sound like whines.


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## Rani (Nov 28, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I'm thinking girl on the second one. I don't see streamers, yet, coming off the back of the head. I can't see how much comb is there.
> 
> These guys are right in that spot that not being there with them makes it really tough to be certain about the sex.


I was trying my best to observe today and noticed that #2 comb looked like a mini glove? Do girls have that?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't know what a mini glove is. Females' combs should be tiny, almost hidden in the feathers.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, what Robin said, and the male's comb is very noticeable.


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