Recent content by SB907

Bantam silkies and polish here: the majority of my chicks pip externally on day 20. There are usually 1 or 2 early ones that pip on day 19. 90% of the hatching activity is on day 20, and the stragglers continue into the early hours on day 21. Interestingly, this time around, I had three...

I have hatched silkies 4 times in my NR360 and they have always hatched towards the end of day 20 or early day 21. The last time I hatched half bantams and half standard, and they all hatched the same day, so I just do the normal day 18 lockdown. I wouldn't worry - if they do start hatching...

15 weeks old, so far all are very respectful of humans and take good care of their girls. Two handsome multicolored laced boys, one white, and one paint. I can deliver within California!

I picked up 12 eggs a few weeks ago and gave 3 to my broody silkie and put the other 9 in an incubator. Broody has sat religiously for the full three weeks and has tended to the eggs constantly, and at a week all three of the broody eggs were developing, but by 14 days it looked like all three...

For me, I was also nervous about processing some (admittedly obnoxious) silkie roosters I had intentionally hatched and raised but knew I couldn't keep once they started crowing. A friend of mine ranches locally, and practices sustainable and humane ranching, and I know she has processed...

I am fortunate that I’m in a busy downtown neighborhood and I have 3 large dogs and an enclosed lot, so not many predators are brave enough. I do have the occasional raccoon, stray cat, hawk, and lots of opossums, but they seem to be more interested in the chicken food than the chickens as food...

I live near you in Santa Barbara and have been very successful with a 3-sided coop (although these past few weeks, I have hung tarps and plywood to enclose things a bit more, I have silkies that are a little more sensitive to cold and it's been cold!). I brooded in the house for the first week...

I did this last year and it worked great. I was able to cut it to fit perfectly, put all the younger eggs in one corner and that way the hatching chicks could play egg soccer in the rest of the space without hurting anyone. I had a good hatch rate from both sets of eggs.

I know I shouldn’t pick favorites, but….

Hatched this handsome satin boy back in March - I don't know what to call this coloring, any thoughts?

Splash frizzle and Cuckoo/WCB polish cockerels hatched 3/9/22, are both friendly and social and just starting to find their testosterone, but are easy to handle and very social: The splash thinks he is hot stuff (he is!) and I adore him. The WCB thinks he's a lapdog and is in my lap or on my...

I foster bottle baby kittens and my current foster has been around my chicks since before her eyes opened, so is used to the sounds/smells/etc. She absolutely wants to play with them and plays far too rough for me to allow that. I would not hesitate to raise a kitten around older, bigger...

Hard to get them all to cooperate for a group shot!

12 babies hatched yesterday, I already have a favorite :love

I have a Polish chick that hatched two days ago. It was malpositioned (feet over head) and got stuck after pipping, so I waited a while and then assisted. It was exhausted after the hatch, but is now active, eating, drinking, and otherwise normal, and plenty sassy with the rest of the brood...