Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[kurby22]

We have all made mistakes and have regrets.

I am hatching eggs right now from my Silkie cross, because as soon as I sold her I regretted it. Collected all the eggs I could find of hers in the fridge. Not even sure if I am keeping any of her chicks.

Yeah, it’s really tough making chicken decisions! Especially when you have a project idea! I have too many birds because I have so many projects I want to do!

I just had to share my sadness…we lost my sweet little moppet Cher yesterday and I’m just devastated No clue what happened and might send her in for a necropsy. I had discovered my d’Uccle pullets had a bad case of roundworms and lost them as well, even after treatment last Wednesday and I wonder if she was silently struggling with that too. It’s been super hot too…so who knows I hate how I’m always losing the sweet and gentle birds :-(

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Yeah, it’s really tough making chicken decisions! Especially when you have a project idea! I have too many birds because I have so many projects I want to do!

I just had to share my sadness…we lost my sweet little moppet Cher yesterday and I’m just devastated No clue what happened and might send her in for a necropsy. I had discovered my d’Uccle pullets had a bad case of roundworms and lost them as well, even after treatment last Wednesday and I wonder if she was silently struggling with that too. It’s been super hot too…so who knows I hate how I’m always losing the sweet and gentle birds :-(

I am so sorry about Cher!

It was clear in your posts how much you loved her.
Sorry to read about the d’Uccles, too.
They are so good at hiding illness, it can be hard to know sometimes they are sick.
You must be so heartbroken. I wish there was something I could say or do to help.

 

[kurby22]

I am so sorry about Cher!

It was clear in your posts how much you loved her.
Sorry to read about the d’Uccles, too.
They are so good at hiding illness, it can be hard to know sometimes they are sick.
You must be so heartbroken. I wish there was something I could say or do to help.

Thanks. It’s been a tough week silkies and d’Uccles are just so sweet and loving…it’s so much harder when we lose them It’s so hard to help sick chickens! By the time you are seeing symptoms they’re often too far gone to help them and it just sucks. There’s a lot less room for error with them when they’re so small too. I want to be able to sit with them all everyday so I can catch the small changes in behavior but with two young, active children and a full time job…that’s a lot harder to do than during COVID when I could sit for hours with them.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yeah, it’s really tough making chicken decisions! Especially when you have a project idea! I have too many birds because I have so many projects I want to do!

I just had to share my sadness…we lost my sweet little moppet Cher yesterday and I’m just devastated No clue what happened and might send her in for a necropsy. I had discovered my d’Uccle pullets had a bad case of roundworms and lost them as well, even after treatment last Wednesday and I wonder if she was silently struggling with that too. It’s been super hot too…so who knows I hate how I’m always losing the sweet and gentle birds :-(

Oh my gosh I am so sorry! I cannot imagine the devastation you are feeling after the past few months of so much!!!
So many losses!!! Ugh how hard!
I'm praying things calm down for you and aren't so many struggles and losses!
I just am so very sorry!!!
I am so thankful to have so many good friends here that understand how much we love our babies and understand how deeply it hurts to not only not be able to help em sometimes...but not be able to save em every time!

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

This popped up on my Facebook memories from 4 years ago. Mighty hen with her kill. She got it good behind the head.

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My silkies will go after rats even if the large fowl run away. They have killed several over the years. My german shepherd adjusts her own killing techniques to make sure she doesn't harm a bird when the silkies join her.

Wow that's an awesome silkie and an awesome dog. Finally silkies who have a purpose besides being pretty and fluffy.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Hey all you hatchers, I have a question. So I just did a silkie dry hatch and it didn't go as what I thought. So I kept the humidity for days 1-18 around 25-30%. Then on lockdown I raised the humidity to 60-65 percent which should end up with a good hatch? I originally set 15 eggs, when I candled on day 9 I removed 2 leaving me with 13 eggs. It's day 22 and only four have hatched. Based on the eggs that were hatched the humidity was too low. I think I'm going to get a hygrometer for my next hatch. Do ya'll keep yours in the incubator? I will gladly take any advice on dry hatching to make my rates better. Thanks!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Hey all you hatchers, I have a question. So I just did a silkie dry hatch and it didn't go as what I thought. So I kept the humidity for days 1-18 around 25-30%. Then on lockdown I raised the humidity to 60-65 percent which should end up with a good hatch? I originally set 15 eggs, when I candled on day 9 I removed 2 leaving me with 13 eggs. It's day 22 and only four have hatched. Based on the eggs that were hatched the humidity was too low. I think I'm going to get a hygrometer for my next hatch. Do ya'll keep yours in the incubator? I will gladly take any advice on dry hatching to make my rates better. Thanks!

Ow that's a shame to get a low hatch rate. I only own broody incubators so I can't help you there sorry with electric ones! .. surely you have a broody you could work with instead? Self adjusting humidity! All auto! Low running cost

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Yeah, it’s really tough making chicken decisions! Especially when you have a project idea! I have too many birds because I have so many projects I want to do!

I just had to share my sadness…we lost my sweet little moppet Cher yesterday and I’m just devastated No clue what happened and might send her in for a necropsy. I had discovered my d’Uccle pullets had a bad case of roundworms and lost them as well, even after treatment last Wednesday and I wonder if she was silently struggling with that too. It’s been super hot too…so who knows I hate how I’m always losing the sweet and gentle birds :-(

Oh no! That's so sad sending hugs.. it's so very hard to tell with chickens what's going on unfortunately they are very good at hiding it.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

Ow that's a shame to get a low hatch rate. I only own broody incubators so I can't help you there sorry with electric ones! .. surely you have a broody you could work with instead? Self adjusting humidity! All auto! Low running cost

I love it when my Silkies go broody because I'm guaranteed a pretty good hatch rate. As a matter of fact I have 4 Silkies trying to go broody right now.
I'd give them some eggs but I'm going out of town in a few weeks and won't be here to supervise. And I'm starting a little business so when I don't have a broody I'd like to know how to get a good hatch rate!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

My new boy, Popcorn (that's what the owner had named him so we'll just stick with that)
He's a keeper! Such a friendly boy. So far I have just introduced him behind a fence. Hens have checked him out but nobody seems concerned so I may put him in the coop tonight and see how he goes. He's only 4 months old so maybe they don't see him as a threat.
Any ideas what offspring he may produce if I pair him with one of my orange girls? More orange babies!? If I pair him with others of mine is it likely outcome could be anything with some orange leakage?
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One 4m old cockerel (above pic) of mine had a look but no problems.

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The ladies gathered round View attachment 3217783View attachment 3217784View attachment 3217785

@LynnaePB @LadiesAndJane (any anyone who likes to take a crack at colour genetics!) any ideas as to what colours I will end up with breeding Popcorn? Any likely full orange? Or most with leakage?
I have a few different colour hens.. splash, gray, silver partridge, orange patridge, white /recessive white