Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[LadiesAndJane]

Broody Layla is doing a good job so far with the two eggs that she has in her care. DAY 7 and both are developing nicely. The one that I put in the incubator looks good too.
If I include those two, I have a total of 41 cooking right now! 28 showing good development the others I just put in yesterday. I think I got carried away a little bit…

 

[PioneerChicks]

If your walnut combed bird is not recessive for the single comb, then all the chicks will have a walnut comb and carry the gene for the single comb.
If your walnut combed birds are recessive for the single comb, then some of the chicks will have single combs too. No way to know until you breed them.
I did this with a male I had last year who was awesome except for his comb. I bred him to walnut combed females.
All of his chicks had walnut combs, but will be recessive for the single comb.
Hope this makes sense.

That is wonderful so many are doing well, very nice for shipped eggs!!!

Good luck with the saddled air cells, a lot of them don't look too bad. I've had plenty hatch with saddles like that. Egg number one might be tricky with the placement of its air cell but there is always hope!



@LadiesAndJane explained wonderfully!

Sometimes you can get single combs popping up even without the parents carrying it too. I've read the rose portion of the walnut comb is kind of fragile and can die sometimes leaving a single comb or pea comb.

I wouldn't rule out using a single combed bird for breeding if it has other traits that I need. It will just take some time and record keeping to breed it back out down the road. If I sold chicks from said bird I'd mention it to those buying chicks though. Having a single combed bird is nice for test breeding to make sure your walnut combed birds of the opposite sex aren't carrying a recessive single comb too.

Thanks so much you two, this was super helpful! And easy enough that a beginner at genetics can understand
I guess I'll probably be keeping her than, for now.

Also, @LadiesAndJane you're going to have your hands full with all those chicks!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thanks so much you two, this was super helpful! And easy enough that a beginner at genetics can understand
I guess I'll probably be keeping her than, for now.

Also, @LadiesAndJane you're going to have your hands full with all those chicks!

Assuming they all hatch, I have about half of them sold, so that’s a start!

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Here's another silkie mix chick! She/he has silver splotches!

 

[Little Baby Bean]

Here's another silkie mix chick! She/he has silver splotches!
View attachment 2859826View attachment 2859827

Wow she/he is a very pretty color! And is adorable!

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Wow she/he is a very pretty color! And is adorable!

Thanks

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Broody Layla is doing a good job so far with the two eggs that she has in her care. DAY 7 and both are developing nicely. The one that I put in the incubator looks good too.
If I include those two, I have a total of 41 cooking right now! 28 showing good development the others I just put in yesterday. I think I got carried away a little bit…

Wow! 41
will the sold ones go as soon as they hatch? Or a few weeks older?

 

[LynnaePB]

Broody Layla is doing a good job so far with the two eggs that she has in her care. DAY 7 and both are developing nicely. The one that I put in the incubator looks good too.
If I include those two, I have a total of 41 cooking right now! 28 showing good development the others I just put in yesterday. I think I got carried away a little bit…

Wow so many! I bet it will be lots of fun seeing what hatches!!

Around this time last year I hatched around 68 over the course of a month and grew them all out to at least 3-4 months before finding some homes. Definitely a handful!

My 15 eggs are doing well and the 7 I added are all fertile and growing too (so 22 total doing good). I'm super excited to be hatching some paints again....this will be the first paint hatch since that big one last year.

Here's another silkie mix chick! She/he has silver splotches!
View attachment 2859826View attachment 2859827

Aww what a cutie! She/he reminds me of the color of some silver based recessive white chicks I've seen. If the little one is recessive white you'll likely know soon as the wing feathers should start coming in a nice bright white.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Wow! 41
will the sold ones go as soon as they hatch? Or a few weeks older?

I usually sell them at around 1 week of age.
Hatch to order mostly, straight run of course. I had a wait list from last Spring and most folks on it still wanted some.
I just kept adding eggs.
Not all are pure silkie. I have several folks interested in the “Polkies” too.
Have to stop now, as no more room in the incubators.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Pippin's broody again
I feel bad for her, she does deserve chicks. At the moment shes on a rubber bouncy egg.
I'm looking into some suorise bantam eggs.