# hens or cockerels?



## laurakost23 (Jun 30, 2020)

i'm very new to this chicken thing. can someone please tell me if they're both cockerels or is one of them a hen? thank you!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The buff looks male. See the little steamers on the head and the more normal feathers in the tail? That is usually a male. 

Initially I thought female on the blue/black one but that smut on the neck isn't usually seen in females. And it appears to have large wattles. 

If you can get me a better pic of that one, especially when it's not wet, I might be able to give you a better idea.


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## laurakost23 (Jun 30, 2020)

robin416 said:


> The buff looks male. See the little steamers on the head and the more normal feathers in the tail? That is usually a male.
> 
> Initially I thought female on the blue/black one but that smut on the neck isn't usually seen in females. And it appears to have large wattles.
> 
> If you can get me a better pic of that one, especially when it's not wet, I might be able to give you a better idea.


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## laurakost23 (Jun 30, 2020)

i don't know if the pictures uploaded


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I think the blue/black is a female. There isn't the streamers on the head, there's a more rounded poof. The tail doesn't have formed feathers.

And I'm staying with the buff being a boy. 

Someone was messing around with colors. She might be from a partridge/black pairing. 

What are you seeing that has you wondering? It is not uncommon to have Silkies be hard to sex until one lays an egg or crows.


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## laurakost23 (Jun 30, 2020)

thank you for that! i’m new to this chicken thing and wasn’t sure! the buff isn’t crowing yet have another white one that started too and just wanted to double check


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They can keep you guessing. I was going to sell one of mine as a little boy at about 4 months but no one wanted him. It took until he was 8 months old and it laid an egg. That was the toughest one I ever had that kept me in the dark.


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## laurakost23 (Jun 30, 2020)

that crazy! i think they’re really hard to tell if they’re boy and girls


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Silkies just don't have the typical tells that other breeds do. One of the ways I could tell a two month old was a boy was it walking away from me. They had this strange long legged crouch kind of walk. It looked all gangly. 

You will be able to pick them out younger and younger as you continue to raise them. 

FYI, I stink with most of the other breeds when it comes to sexing. Anyone here will confirm that for you.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And to add something else you might find helpful, if you have rain in the area make sure they have easy shelter. Once the rain gets those feathers on their heads wet it covers their eyes and they can't see to get out of the rain.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

I just have one thing to ask...why are they on rocks? that is so bad for their feet. 

Also, you pulled the lucky card coming here, Robin is a silkie expert.


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