Debbie's Silkies

[2ndTink]

Thank you!

I forgot to mention I've never seen such "tame" chipmunks before, but they would crawl under the pet pen to eat the chick feed. The first time, the chicks squawked and flapped around and I came running.

We thought we had it nailed down with tent stakes, but the little squirts could still get through. I'd stand there waving my hands, and they wouldn't leave. I'd get a dog to help and THEN they'd leave. By the third or fourth time I caught one in there, the chicks were fine with it lol. They'd just keep eating right along with the chipmunk. I missed a great photo!

Finally, we got logs to put all around it on the inside, and piled rocks on the outside. That did it! I'm watching in case they got lice now. I didn't see anything though so I think they're fine.

Oh my gosh, too adorable. I understand the worry, I'd worry too, but still so cute

 

[Debbie292d]

If you'll recall, I got tired of Marsha being worthlessly broody all the time so just let her sit on eggs. She had about a dozen or so, but others kept laying on hers. I'd check and at first it was only by a couple of days so marked those differently, and put those in another nest as there was an unnamed black hen in there broody too. Yup, she moved over onto those. Then, a couple week later I notice Ember was never leaving and peeked under her and there are four eggs under her. I found a few to toss out along the way, not fertile or laid on their eggs too late.

Today, there are 5 hatched, four are out and about with two moms. Ember is still in the hutch with one hatched and three eggs.

Lordy, so at best 8 chicks I think and 3 moms!

They all look the same, but assuming Buddy the cuckoo is the dad and one of the black hens is the mom, these would be mostly black, but some could be good-colored cuckoos, and at least they'd carry the cuckoo gene.

It's par for the course for these moms to most-likely abandon these in about 6 weeks, which will put us at about November 1.

We already are overwintering 3 chicks. These wouldn't sell well this time of year around here. I'd like to keep a couple of them myself though for breeding cuckoos, but only one generation and I'll have to find me another black hen to start over with as these probably came from both Ember and my other black one. Black Betty is yet another beautiful black hen I haven't bred yet and who is laying eggs, so she's an option.

 

[Debbie292d]

Marsha is finally helping.

The proud dad's! Five are out, one to go that Ember is sitting on. This is from the left, clockwise, Marsha, chicks, Bernice, and the two dads, MB and Buddy.

 

[2ndTink]

Marsha is finally helping.

The proud dad's! Five are out, one to go that Ember is sitting on. This is from the left, clockwise, Marsha, chicks, Bernice, and the two dads, MB and Buddy.


View attachment 3945820

Those guys sure look proud!

So adorable Debbie, congrats!!!

I am really curious about the colors the chicks will be you are keeping them all right?

 

[Debbie292d]

Those guys sure look proud!

So adorable Debbie, congrats!!!

I am really curious about the colors the chicks will be you are keeping them all right?

Thank you!!

I wasn't planning on it, until they hatched. I saw white spots on a couple of heads so looked it up, and it appears I have some cuckoo chicks! I only have these two cuckoo roosters, no hens, so of course, I'm just going to have to keep them.

I think these boys have dual cuckoo genes for me to get four out of five cuckoos with a non-cuckoo hen.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

What adorable little babies! And I love the name Marsha!

 

[2ndTink]

Thank you!!

I wasn't planning on it, until they hatched. I saw white spots on a couple of heads so looked it up, and it appears I have some cuckoo chicks! I only have these two cuckoo roosters, no hens, so of course, I'm just going to have to keep them.

I think these boys have dual cuckoo genes for me to get four out of five cuckoos with a non-cuckoo hen.

Whoohoo! Keeping chicks I'm really curious how they will feather in.

 

[Debbie292d]

What adorable little babies! And I love the name Marsha!

Thank you!

I don't recall how I came up with her name, but it suits her as we're always saying, Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

Albeit the first few months she laid, she's been broody almost constantly ever since. I gave up and let her sit on these so I could say she wasn't completely worthless, but then soon I had Ember and Bernice jumping in to help. Once they hatched, she acted like she didn't know what to do, but now she seems like she's getting it a bit lol. She's a year and four months.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Thank you!

I don't recall how I came up with her name, but it suits her as we're always saying, Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!

Albeit the first few months she laid, she's been broody almost constantly ever since. I gave up and let her sit on these so I could say she wasn't completely worthless, but then soon I had Ember and Bernice jumping in to help. Once they hatched, she acted like she didn't know what to do, but now she seems like she's getting it a bit lol. She's a year and four months.

I always give in to my broodies lol I just feel SO BAD to keep taking them off of the eggs because they are just so determined it breaks your heart to stop them from pursuing their dreams lol

 

[Debbie292d]

I didn't get a picture of all six in the pen today but I'll try tomorrow. After a day in the incubator, the 6th hatched and we brought Marsha in with a sibling until it was ready to go outside with the three moms.