Debbie's Silkies

[Debbie292d]

Congratulations Deb!

Thank you, Deb! It just never gets old! I'm as excited about these as I was the first ones my hen hatched 8 or so years ago.

 

[TwoCrows]

It's working out well...2 1/2 week-olds with day-olds.

I could have put them with the 9 little buggers that are 5 days old, but those are sold and I was afraid by the time she gets here on the 3rd, they could get mixed up.

I usually don't put freshly hatched in horse pellets this soon, but they're doing fine.

I couldn't get a picture as they dispersed when they saw me, but the older ones were all cuddled up last night next to the new ones. They still need heat so got over their shyness real quick!!

There are 17 hatched. 3 eggs are unhatched/no pips are still in the incubator. I'll leave those for another day or two. I will never forget that one I recently hatched THREE days after the rest of them.



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Super adorable Debbie!

 

[Debbie292d]

Super adorable Debbie!

Thank you!

This is so fun! Two brooders going each with chicks in them and my 10 out in the temp coop are outside today and growing like weeds!

 

[Debbie292d]

I wonder if I should not have intervened with one of the remaining three eggs that did not hatch.

One looked like it died about a week or so ago, one looked like it was within a day of hatching, and the third was apparently unable to get out. It was fully developed with no egg sac left. Its air sac had been on the side, and since these were my own eggs, I didn't think much of it. After further reading, it's just a crap shoot as some of those hatch just fine. I had made it an air hole the day before, but little did I know it did no good as it hadn't internally pipped. I hadn't seen it moving prior but it was obviously alive the whole time and probably died of lack of oxygen.

Does this mean I should have assisted it from the start, on Day 21 when all of the others were done hatching? I tend to think so. I of all people know of chicks hatching 3 days late, but in the case of an air sac on the side, I will never "let nature take its course" again with those. I hate to say it was a learning experience at the expense of what would have been a very cute little silkie, but it really was.

On a more cheerier note, here are the 15 of 17 left. (I sold two last night who already sent me pictures .)

 

[TwoCrows]

I wonder if I should not have intervened with one of the remaining three eggs that did not hatch.

One looked like it died about a week or so ago, one looked like it was within a day of hatching, and the third was apparently unable to get out. It was fully developed with no egg sac left. Its air sac had been on the side, and since these were my own eggs, I didn't think much of it. After further reading, it's just a crap shoot as some of those hatch just fine. I had made it an air hole the day before, but little did I know it did no good as it hadn't internally pipped. I hadn't seen it moving prior but it was obviously alive the whole time and probably died of lack of oxygen.

Does this mean I should have assisted it from the start, on Day 21 when all of the others were done hatching? I tend to think so. I of all people know of chicks hatching 3 days late, but in the case of an air sac on the side, I will never "let nature take its course" again with those. I hate to say it was a learning experience at the expense of what would have been a very cute little silkie, but it really was.

On a more cheerier note, here are the 15 of 17 left. (I sold two last night who already sent me pictures .)


View attachment 3788446

Sorry about the egg Debbie. We don't always know what to do when it happens. I've made mistakes with eggs close to hatching and it makes me feel bad. We learn as we go!

Cuteness overload there Debbie! ❤

 

[N F C]

I wonder if I should not have intervened with one of the remaining three eggs that did not hatch.

One looked like it died about a week or so ago, one looked like it was within a day of hatching, and the third was apparently unable to get out. It was fully developed with no egg sac left. Its air sac had been on the side, and since these were my own eggs, I didn't think much of it. After further reading, it's just a crap shoot as some of those hatch just fine. I had made it an air hole the day before, but little did I know it did no good as it hadn't internally pipped. I hadn't seen it moving prior but it was obviously alive the whole time and probably died of lack of oxygen.

Does this mean I should have assisted it from the start, on Day 21 when all of the others were done hatching? I tend to think so. I of all people know of chicks hatching 3 days late, but in the case of an air sac on the side, I will never "let nature take its course" again with those. I hate to say it was a learning experience at the expense of what would have been a very cute little silkie, but it really was.

On a more cheerier note, here are the 15 of 17 left. (I sold two last night who already sent me pictures .)


View attachment 3788446

I think you had a great hatch regardless of the could-haves and should-haves. That's a boxful of some beautiful chicks Deb

 

[2ndTink]

I wonder if I should not have intervened with one of the remaining three eggs that did not hatch.

One looked like it died about a week or so ago, one looked like it was within a day of hatching, and the third was apparently unable to get out. It was fully developed with no egg sac left. Its air sac had been on the side, and since these were my own eggs, I didn't think much of it. After further reading, it's just a crap shoot as some of those hatch just fine. I had made it an air hole the day before, but little did I know it did no good as it hadn't internally pipped. I hadn't seen it moving prior but it was obviously alive the whole time and probably died of lack of oxygen.

Does this mean I should have assisted it from the start, on Day 21 when all of the others were done hatching? I tend to think so. I of all people know of chicks hatching 3 days late, but in the case of an air sac on the side, I will never "let nature take its course" again with those. I hate to say it was a learning experience at the expense of what would have been a very cute little silkie, but it really was.

On a more cheerier note, here are the 15 of 17 left. (I sold two last night who already sent me pictures .)


View attachment 3788446

It's so hard to know what to do, and the stakes are a little life

You have such a cute group of chicks! What color will that tan one be? It looks similar to mine

 

[Debbie292d]

Sorry about the egg Debbie. We don't always know what to do when it happens. I've made mistakes with eggs close to hatching and it makes me feel bad. We learn as we go!

Cuteness overload there Debbie! ❤

Thank you. I learned a new rule for myself so that never happens again. That was a first for me though so hoping I don't see that again.

I think you had a great hatch regardless of the could-haves and should-haves. That's a boxful of some beautiful chicks Deb

Thanks, Deb. Yes, I agree, 17 out of 20 is great. Nothing I could do about the other two for sure as they were goners for whatever reason. These make up for it though for sure!

It's so hard to know what to do, and the stakes are a little life

You have such a cute group of chicks! What color will that tan one be? It looks similar to mine

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There are a couple in there I would swear were going to be buff but that's impossible. Thus, we're left with, it's got to be mauve, mauve splash, chocolate, chocolate splash, blue or blue splash, or black. There are no other choices as these were penned parents.

Soooo, left with that, I have to go with they are going to be mauve or mauve splashes. Except, the whiter ones, I think would be mauve splashes, so then I'm stuck again.

The yellowish beige Odoban chick, who I don't know who the parents are, turned into a white/black splash or maybe more of a partridge. It's the one between the steps and the blue dish, and that chocolate one which is a shipped egg, was supposed to be a paint or mottled or cuckoo, anything but chocolate and was another beige chick leading me to think it would go lighter, but nope. The others in there are the cuckoos. These are the ones that were in the woods the other day and are bigger now as this was a month ago. I just need to get some individual photos of all of these!

 

[2ndTink]

Thank you. I learned a new rule for myself so that never happens again. That was a first for me though so hoping I don't see that again.


Thanks, Deb. Yes, I agree, 17 out of 20 is great. Nothing I could do about the other two for sure as they were goners for whatever reason. These make up for it though for sure!

There are a couple in there I would swear were going to be buff but that's impossible. Thus, we're left with, it's got to be mauve, mauve splash, chocolate, chocolate splash, blue or blue splash, or black. There are no other choices as these were penned parents.

Soooo, left with that, I have to go with they are going to be mauve or mauve splashes. Except, the whiter ones, I think would be mauve splashes, so then I'm stuck again.

The yellowish beige Odoban chick, who I don't know who the parents are, turned into a white/black splash or maybe more of a partridge. It's the one between the steps and the blue dish, and that chocolate one which is a shipped egg, was supposed to be a paint or mottled or cuckoo, anything but chocolate and was another beige chick leading me to think it would go lighter, but nope. The others in there are the cuckoos. These are the ones that were in the woods the other day and are bigger now as this was a month ago. I just need to get some individual photos of all of these!


View attachment 3788637

So this is the year of mystery color hatches that odoban chick is cool colored!

I had a biege one go chocolate too from the last hatch.

Whoohoo! Individual photos

 

[Debbie292d]

Today I sold the 9 from last week I was growing out for a gal. She brought with the NN I sold her about 6 months ago with 5 others. He was pretty cool actually!

Also sold 6 of the new ones to sort of a newbie. She friended me on FB so I can see her setups and give her any advice. She toured my coop, temp coops, asked lots of questions and took pictures. It's awesome to be able to help someone getting started.