Debbie's Silkies

[janiedoe]

We got the temporary paint pen set up last night in the aviary (backup pen w/ hutch).

Parker (I lightened him up as he looked filthy!)
View attachment 4278199

Petra
View attachment 4278195

and Spot
View attachment 4278197

Why Spot is called Spot. She was the one with the spot between her eyes. It sort of moved. I've tried to think of a better name, but Spot stuck. They need a bath I guess lol.
View attachment 4278196

And the aviary they're now in.
View attachment 4278200

There is a clear tarp you can't really see around the whole thing, albeit the three closest panels. The door faces the four seasons pen across that sidewalk, so they get shelter from that side too. There's a fishtank heater in the Tupperware nipple waterer, and a Cozy Coop heater in the hutch.

This will yield 50% paints, the rest blacks and whites.

While I was getting the paints, the ducks didn't run away from me. Rare! Gerty looks a bit scruffy there.
View attachment 4278202

The paints are beautiful, Debby! Those ducks are cuties too.

 

[Debbie292d]

The paints are beautiful, Debby! Those ducks are cuties too.

Thanks, Janie. I stood there for a minute or two talking to the ducks as I'm not used to them just standing there. Usually, if we get close, they waddle away. They're so comical!

 

[Debbie292d]

We got the temporary paint pen set up last night in the aviary (backup pen w/ hutch).

Parker (I lightened him up as he looked filthy!)
View attachment 4278199

Petra
View attachment 4278195

and Spot
View attachment 4278197

Why Spot is called Spot. She was the one with the spot between her eyes. It sort of moved. I've tried to think of a better name, but Spot stuck. They need a bath I guess lol.
View attachment 4278196

And the aviary they're now in.
View attachment 4278200

There is a clear tarp you can't really see around the whole thing, albeit the three closest panels. The door faces the four seasons pen across that sidewalk, so they get shelter from that side too. There's a fishtank heater in the Tupperware nipple waterer, and a Cozy Coop heater in the hutch.

This will yield 50% paints, the rest blacks and whites.

While I was getting the paints, the ducks didn't run away from me. Rare! Gerty looks a bit scruffy there.
View attachment 4278202

Ember, black hen was added to this pen last night.

They are out today as the weather is so nice. I'd get a picture, but it's dangerous to go over by them right now. Ice is still everywhere. They don't seem to mind it.

 

[Debbie292d]

Someone's coming to look at buying a few of these tomorrow so wanted to post them. There's 17 plus two at the door are a little older. The 17 were hatched the end of September.

I was hoping to hold off and sell these when the chick frenzy starts, but a repeat customer is asking who I couldn't turn down.

 

[Debbie292d]

54 set for the Valentine's Day Hatchalong

This is the start of the 2026 Silkie hatching here, as this will keep going. There's a Brinsea on either side of this one. The one to the right is the lockdown incubator. The one on the left will be full soon too.

Fertility as well as possible freezing will be an issue with this batch, so hopefully 70% or so will hatch.



1 cuckoo (new layer)
4 mottled (my own line) (first few weren't fertile, so crossing fingers).
3 lemon x white
18 lemon x buff
25 red pyle x true partridge
4 paint

 

[2ndTink]

 

[Debbie292d]

Five from the pens above, a pair of cuckoos, a pair of buffs, and a mauve pullet all went to new homes a few days ago. Nice to be down, but most left are roosters. I'll have to do some creative selling of pairs of buffs to help pawn them off.

Set 64 eggs on 2/6/26, due to hatch 2/27/26. Just candled and took out exactly half. Still having fertility/cold issues in those. 10 mottled eggs, none fertile. I was sure hoping. Sooner or later... yeah, I should candle them first, but when you only have one hen, I just hate doing it. I had room in the incubator anyway, and it's not like we need more eggs for us to eat.

11 of 14 buffs were no good again too. That's a repeat of a similar percentage to the former hatch. I'm not sure what's going on in that pen, other than me sticking Marsha in there for a place to go; it's the same ones from last year. The rest removed were just one or two from the partridges, paints, and cuckoos.

Their Vitamin E was upped about a week ago to 40 iu/lb from 30 iu/lb, so that should be helping the guys out a little.

24 due on 2/14/26. No early birds yet.

 

[2ndTink]

I was hoping for more than 50% for you, but, it has been so terribly cold, I guess 50% is still quite the feat for those little chicks.

So... when are those employees spaces getting refilled?

 

[Debbie292d]

I was hoping for more than 50% for you, but, it has been so terribly cold, I guess 50% is still quite the feat for those little chicks.

So... when are those employees spaces getting refilled?

Employees? Which ones lol