Chicks arrived - It's cold - Silkie to the rescue
- Thread starter ole-crone
- Start date
WHAT a neat story. I enjoyed reading every bit of it. I'm starting to think that every hen house should have at least one silkie hen. I sure do want one.
Quote:
This is exactly why I got 3 silkies and 3 cochins (I heard they are broody too)... I'd rather have a momma chicken to do all the dirty work
This is exactly why I got 3 silkies and 3 cochins (I heard they are broody too)... I'd rather have a momma chicken to do all the dirty work
What a wonderful story
...thanks for sharing it!
Awwww that is so sweet. Glad you have such a wonderful adoption there. Congrats on the new babies they sure are sweet.
e
e- Thread starter
- #16
Everything is still going well - Biddie is even 'growling' at me when I go in there.
Unfortunately, the incubator heat has gone out but never fear - I'm about to go put the eggs under their mother. Now that Biddie isn't on them, I don't expect they'll hatch. She IS the BEST broodie hen I've ever had.
Wait, I should qualify that. She has a man-friend, Buddy - he is the best Broodie Rooster (also a silkie). Between the two of them, chicks have the best chance for survival even if they are born late autumn and it's below freezing.
As they grow and she's starting to get interested in laying again, he'll take over and polish them up into great chickens. He's helped her raise every batch since he was given to us.
Hope Biddie and Buddy last a long time - they are such a sweet couple. Biddie is at least 4 or 5 years old and he's probably about the same, maybe a year younger.
Unfortunately, the incubator heat has gone out but never fear - I'm about to go put the eggs under their mother. Now that Biddie isn't on them, I don't expect they'll hatch. She IS the BEST broodie hen I've ever had.
Wait, I should qualify that. She has a man-friend, Buddy - he is the best Broodie Rooster (also a silkie). Between the two of them, chicks have the best chance for survival even if they are born late autumn and it's below freezing.
As they grow and she's starting to get interested in laying again, he'll take over and polish them up into great chickens. He's helped her raise every batch since he was given to us.
Hope Biddie and Buddy last a long time - they are such a sweet couple. Biddie is at least 4 or 5 years old and he's probably about the same, maybe a year younger.
- Thread starter
- #17
Something I never mentioned - keep your fingers crossed that nothing is passed between them - except warmth & love. I didn't have time to clean her up and she's a bit of a mess.
This is the first time I've ever let my hatchery chicks near one of our adults.
Since 95% of our chickens have never been vaccinated for Mercks we don't have baby chicks vaccinated either. The other 5% we have no idea about since they came to us as adults. Biddie is one of those. We inherited her when our neighbors divorced.
Hopefully, all is well.
This is the first time I've ever let my hatchery chicks near one of our adults.
Since 95% of our chickens have never been vaccinated for Mercks we don't have baby chicks vaccinated either. The other 5% we have no idea about since they came to us as adults. Biddie is one of those. We inherited her when our neighbors divorced.
Hopefully, all is well.
What a wonderful story! I hope if I have a hen that goes broody that they are just as good of a Mama as biddy.
- Thread starter
- #19
Poor girl! With her in that small brooder the temps were at least 105 this morning.
We brought in the playpen brooder and put her and the crew in it. SO FUNNY! I looked out just before we left for market and all you could see was one silkie sitting under the heat lamp. She was basking there. ALL 25 babies were tucked out of sight.
This afternoon when we came home, some were out and about, some under her, and others sitting on her back to be closer to the lamp for more warmth.
I suspect that chicks don't have to be kept as warm as suggested. It has been chilly here for the past two weeks since the ducks hatched. They rarely are under or even near their mother and keep getting in the water dishes. Our last batch of chicks were raised in a brooder that rarely hit 85 and all are well and healthy. I doubt this brooder area is 95. It's a mesh playpen with a plain light hanging over them (the heat lamp is out in the greenhouse with the month old chicks since that is the only source of heat out there).
The chicks aren't piling on top of each other, they aren't noisy. They seem perfectly happy in their surroundings.
We brought in the playpen brooder and put her and the crew in it. SO FUNNY! I looked out just before we left for market and all you could see was one silkie sitting under the heat lamp. She was basking there. ALL 25 babies were tucked out of sight.
This afternoon when we came home, some were out and about, some under her, and others sitting on her back to be closer to the lamp for more warmth.
I suspect that chicks don't have to be kept as warm as suggested. It has been chilly here for the past two weeks since the ducks hatched. They rarely are under or even near their mother and keep getting in the water dishes. Our last batch of chicks were raised in a brooder that rarely hit 85 and all are well and healthy. I doubt this brooder area is 95. It's a mesh playpen with a plain light hanging over them (the heat lamp is out in the greenhouse with the month old chicks since that is the only source of heat out there).
The chicks aren't piling on top of each other, they aren't noisy. They seem perfectly happy in their surroundings.
I love this story!
My Silkies are my favorite out of all my chickens.....
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