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Post by fluffychook on Nov 4, 2008 13:23:18 GMT 8
I noticed a comment from farmchooks about the comb development of a silkie she has for sale, I thought it was interesting and wondered what other people did to try and sex them as I know they are difficult. Has anyone found anything that is a consistant thing? Except for waiting until they either laid an egg or crowed.
I have been looking at my babies aged 6, 7 and 8 weeks and finding it very hard to tell the difference. One minute I say 'Boy' for sure, then I start to look again and doubt it.
I have maybe one thats comb looks like the the rooster she has pictured in the forsale section, but it is still black like the bottom picture.
Does colour of the comb mean anything?
Glad to hear peoples thoughts
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Post by farmchooks on Nov 4, 2008 13:29:52 GMT 8
So far I have noticed that roos have the lighter comb when young and pullets have the darker comb. Also the skin of the comb goes higher in roos than pullets. POst some pics of your silkie chicks fluffychook and I will try to sex them for you.
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Post by Cluck N Waddle on Nov 4, 2008 13:48:28 GMT 8
Its very difficult to sex the silkies. Some people are lucky and have a line that they can sex at a younger age, which maybe is what farmchooks has. With my last clutch there were 3 partridge and 5 greyish splashish lol and I could sex the partridge at about 6 weeks because the combs were very small (could hardly see them under the crest), crests very rounded and and body just slightly 'fuller' looking. I kept these 3 and 1 of the grays and it turned out I was right, maureen doreen and eileen are all girls lol. The grey is definately looking like a boy in terms of comb and wattle size but is yet to crow. The colour of the comb doesnt necessarily mean alot as peoples silkies vary in comb colour from a mulberry through to black. I tend to look at the crest shape and comb size at the 6-8 week stage and of course any wattle development at that age is usually a dead giveaway that its a boy. But post some piccies and let us all give our opinions and then see what the outcome is
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Post by jaspiipp on Nov 4, 2008 14:33:22 GMT 8
I asked farmchooks about sexing silkies because I think I was scammed and got non purebred boys. The ones I have do have 5 toes but not fully black eyes there is brown and white in there and the combs are appearing to be yellow. Can someone please tell me does this mean they are not pure, thanks so much.
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Post by Cluck N Waddle on Nov 4, 2008 15:43:02 GMT 8
Yes unfortunately jaspiipp it sounds like you were scammed. Silkies should have black eyes and mulberry to black skin, definately no yellowing in the comb. Why dont you post a piccie for us. A lot of people seem to try to sell Silkie x Pekin chicks as pure Silkies and they do seem to get away with it if someone doesnt know any better.
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Post by fluffychook on Nov 4, 2008 15:47:38 GMT 8
Thanks, I will get the camera out with some help to take some close ups. Might take a couple of days.
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Post by jaspiipp on Nov 4, 2008 20:00:45 GMT 8
thanks for that steph I will get some pics
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Post by fluffychook on Nov 9, 2008 19:34:34 GMT 8
Well Steph, I have attempted to get some photo;s These 4 chicks are about 6 1/2 weeks old. They at least sat still why I tried to take their picture I will put up the other 5 shortly, let me know if I need to get better photo's I call these one my punk rockers, they all have mohawks for pom poms. Not good in a silkie. I certainly hope they grow somthing better..lol
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Post by Cluck N Waddle on Nov 9, 2008 20:04:55 GMT 8
Lol fluffychook, yes their crests are more like mohawks arent they. Now my thoughts on sexes, well on chickie 1 I cant see the crest/mohawk lol and the head is angled downwards but looking at the comb I reckon pullet. chickie 2 looks like a cockerel chickie 3 i think pullet chickie 4 cockerel So thats my thoughts, lets see what the others reckon Oh, and you did well will the piccies. I know its hard to take good piccies of chickies coz they never sit still lol.
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Post by farmchooks on Nov 9, 2008 21:00:06 GMT 8
Pic 1: pullet Pic 2: cockeral Pic 3: pullet Pic 4: cockeral
I am 95% sure of these. have just sexed my 6 week old silkies from QLD and have 1 splash pullet, 1 splash cockeral and 1 black or blue pullet.
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Post by Cluck N Waddle on Nov 10, 2008 8:51:46 GMT 8
you must be pleased with that outcome farmchooks, better than ending up with 3 cockerels. Now ya just need to put the splash over some black and you'll get all blues. We're all waiting in line for those blues! lol
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Post by fluffychook on Nov 10, 2008 10:40:49 GMT 8
Thanks for that, I was thinking the same myself, quite proud of the fact I was getting the same result (you wait one will change and be another boy). Now if I can only get these other chicks still long enough. I have taken heaps of pics of them, none are good. Will keep trying
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Post by Cluck N Waddle on Nov 10, 2008 11:15:29 GMT 8
Hehe fluffychook, thats the problem with silkies. At that age some can look like pullets but just be slow developers and one day you'll look at what you thought was a gal and all of a sudden seemingly overnight has become a cockerel lol. Thats why most breeders say that you cant always be sure until they either crow or lay an egg.
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Post by farmchooks on Nov 10, 2008 12:52:54 GMT 8
I know, very pleased. Have a black hen already in the waiting so all systems go.
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Post by Cluck N Waddle on Nov 10, 2008 14:16:43 GMT 8
Thats great farmchooks I'd love to see a piccie of the splash chicks.
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