Diary of Mommy Satin’s First Hatch

[yakitori]

More nightly hang outs:

First it was one, then it was two.... they decided to perch on my arm and I held it out over the floor for a good 5 minutes because I didn’t want them to poop on me!

Chicke Three seems to find my hand a good napping spot. I put him down only to have him hop back up a bit later. That’s a 3 feet jump by the way. These little guys are getting really good at this flap hopping thing

This time I got smart and lined my lap with a square of tissue


Someone said they stroke their chicks... am I doing it right, why does this feel so awkward

 

[berryncherry]

More nightly hang outs:

First it was one, then it was two.... they decided to perch on my arm and I held it out over the floor for a good 5 minutes because I didn’t want them to poop on me!View attachment 2742488

Somehow, some of my previous chicks love to poop on me all the time right when they get on!

Chicke Three seems to find my hand a good napping spot. I put him down only to have him hop back up a bit later. That’s a 3 feet jump by the way. These little guys are getting really good at this flap hopping thing

This time I got smart and lined my lap with a square of tissue
View attachment 2742489

Someone said they stroke their chicks... am I doing it right, why does this feel so awkward

It looks right! I also like to stroke their backs.

 

[berryncherry]

By the way, who is your profile pic? She looks so beautiful!

 

[yakitori]

Somehow, some of my previous chicks love to poop on me all the time right when they get on!

It looks right! I also like to stroke their backs.

The first chick got on and started doing the butt wriggle pre dookie dance, and I snapped my arm away from my body so fast

The chicks protest when I stroke their backs

 

[yakitori]

By the way, who is your profile pic? She looks so beautiful!

Thanks! that’s one of my EEs. She lays a slate green egg with a shiny shell.

I’ve been wondering what makes them lay the shiny smooth extra hard shell, vs the powdery matte feeling ones...

 

[yakitori]

Day 19

Good morning... I’m going to kick the chickies out today, how exciting.

3 week old bedding - never cleaned... worked out great!
Into the composter it goes. lol




The nursery blue cage was originally Paint’s personal coop cage. So that’s going back in. Now it’s going to be for her and the chicks, one, so the big birds can’t get to them, and two, so they don’t get pooped on. (The roost sits above all this and are not visible). I’ll have to figure out the nesting situation later in the day, maybe give them a bunch of pine shavings incase they don’t want to use the wooden block.

No more nightly hang outs

 

[yakitori]

It’s raining, but I had to check on the babies. I literally had to stuff them all in there when they just wanted out.

Well, looks like they’ve settled in

Poor little Paint trying to fit them all under her...



She’s sitting on a $1 cheap basket i got from the dollar tree, i fit two shingle trimmings ontop, and sprinkled on some pine shavings... glad she approves!

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

Paint, my satin hen just hatched her first clutch! 21 days and all 6 eggs made it to hatch (whew). It was an eye opening and nerve wracking experience, but at the end of it she brought six adorable chicks to the world!

Momma Paint
View attachment 2718297
Pre-chicks

View attachment 2718298

They won’t have names until I decide to keep one (or six), so for now they will go by their egg number. This is not some kind of dystopian chicken keeping practice, I promise

Here they are!

Chickie Three, One and Five (from left to right)(all delawares)

View attachment 2718288

Chickie number 4 (SLW x delaware)
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And...poor chickie number 2 who took a long time hatching. She hatched 12 hours ago with a swollen looking belly, and is still not quite fluffy. She has a lot of fight in her though, so I hope she makes it
(delaware)

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last but not least.. chickie number 6! She was the largest egg in the clutch, and pipped the wrong end, but thankfully came out none the worse for wear
(delaware)
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Cheese crickets, the babies look so dang fluffy and soft in that first picture of them! They look like I can poke my screen and feel the fluff!
Disappointingly, however, no fluff can be felt.
Cute chicks, though -- they are so fuzzy!

 

[yakitori]

Cheese crickets, the babies look so dang fluffy and soft in that first picture of them! They look like I can poke my screen and feel the fluff!
Disappointingly, however, no fluff can be felt.
Cute chicks, though -- they are so fuzzy!

Too bad they’re only fluffy for a grand total of 3 days!

Now they’re scraggly little dinosaurs. It’s raining and wet today, which totally didn’t help them look any better

 

[berryncherry]

Too bad they’re only fluffy for a grand total of 3 days!

Now they’re scraggly little dinosaurs. It’s raining and wet today, which totally didn’t help them look any better

View attachment 2745418

I like to think of this as the "teenage stage" .