BYC's 2026 Valentine's Day Hatch-Along

[Debbie292d]

They are precious.

I keep thinking about adding Silkies to my medley of chickens, but I hear they tend to get bullied in a mixed flock.

Thank you.

They wouldn't get bullied if you had a little pack of them, like five or six. Then they'd just hang out together as their own separate little clan.

Case in point, a lady friend I gave two adult silkies to brought them back. Her RRIs kept those two cornered, and they couldn't come out to eat. If there were more of them, that wouldn't have happened. I gave her another idea to put out separate feed/water stations. She just gave up without trying.

 

[Debbie292d]

Debbie, what a bunch of adorable floofballs!

All of mine have hatched now. Of the 5 last, I had one quitter. The rest hatched successfully. I took the last one, the malpositioned, out of the hatcher just now. It could have stayed a bit longer, but I need to get rid of the hatcher to do the laundry... Hopefully the others won't pick on him.

Here are some of the week-old and the new. (please ignore the dirty floor, I let them run around while I change towels in the brooder. I'll clean that too when the hatcher's out!)
View attachment 4298314

Oh my gosh, how adorable! I wish I could hatch ducklings but my three are all girls. That's plenty really, but darnit those are such cuties!

I put a few more chicks in the brooder. There's one left in there, drying, and two more half-out. It appears I have 3 quitters, but should be 20+ here shortly!

 

[redinator]

Thank you.

They wouldn't get bullied if you had a little pack of them, like five or six. Then they'd just hang out together as their own separate little clan.

Case in point, a lady friend I gave two adult silkies to brought them back. Her RRIs kept those two cornered, and they couldn't come out to eat. If there were more of them, that wouldn't have happened. I gave her another idea to put out separate feed/water stations. She just gave up without trying.

I learned during integration it's better to keep several feeders and waters. I started doing it all the time.

I planned to divide my yard into quadrants to keep different groups separated. Eventually I realized I didn't have to as long as they have room to give each other space.

I'll probably still put up fencing this fall when I want to breed different groups, but this bunch of chicks need to mature first before that's an issue.

Speaking of which . . . no wiggles from the bantams. I woke up this morning to the humidity being low, I forgot to close the vent . It's been sitting at 63% for an hour or so. If I don't see any activity before bed I'll add a wet sponge or rag and

 

[redinator]

Still nothing from the bantam eggs, but I added a sponge for extra humidity. If I don't see activity by tomorrow afternoon I'll candle and listen to them. I'm concerned I'm putting the other 18 eggs at risk of drowning if I leave the humidity high for too much longer though.

 

[Debbie292d]

Here is all of them. 21. The board is in there only for them to step up and down but they are hours old here so they look more like they're lining up for a buffet or getting ready for class.

 

[gullinkambe]

Here is all of them. 21. The board is in there only for them to step up and down but they are hours old here so they look more like they're lining up for a buffet or getting ready for class.

View attachment 4298791

Aww! Look at them all, with their fluffy little hats and feet! My thoughts went to taking class-pictures. The first line is the good ones, all sitting still and waiting, then you got the rascals in the back who refuse to look the right way