Sexing Silkie chicks can be challenging, especially for beginners, and it may be confusing. While some are easily distinguished after 8 weeks, others may present challenges. We’ve observed cases where females develop relatively large combs at an early age. To be completely certain, it’s best to wait until they are 8-12 weeks old before attempting to determine their sex.
Female with narrow comb shape Vs Male with wider comb with rounded top
Female comb stays narrow until they are closer to laying age. Males typically have wider combs with larger wattles. Hatched from Blue, splash, black fertile eggs
Male Silkies typically develop long, drooping, and often curly streamers or “sickle feathers” behind their crest as they mature. These streamers can extend several inches beyond the back of the head, giving the rooster a more ornate appearance. In contrast, female Silkies usually have a rounder and more evenly shaped crest, without the long streamers. – Hatched from partridge and buff partridge pen fertile eggs
12-week-old dark blue pullet showing comb development.
As Silkies mature, males develop larger and more prominent combs and wattles compared to females
Still unsure? This should give you a clear idea. ?
The sexing tips provided on the website are based on our experiences with offspring from our specific bloodlines. Each bloodline carries its own unique genetics, leading to variations in traits and development rates. Therefore, we advise using our suggestions as general guidelines only.
