First Timer

[Silkie_boi]

Hi my names Sean and im 19 (nice to meet u all lol).

O.k...........i am a first timer to incubating and hatching eggs. I bought 6 Silkie eggs and an incubator and i have done a lot of research into hatching/incubating/rearing etc. I have been candling recently and i couldnt see anything so i though maybe they were duds but just a few minutes ago i changed the room of which i candled my eggs in and to my surprise i have found out that 5 out of the 6 are developing - woohoo lol.

Well definetly at least 3 of them anyways. The other two i am unsure about as i can see a small dark spot but i am finding it difficult to see the veins coming from each side of the embryo.

I placed them in the incubator about 12 noon on Monday just their (5th November) so i know its still early in developtment.

Also this may sound like a reallys tupid question but......my mother is worried that if there are males then are the noisier than the hens if you know what i mean? My mother is saying to give the males away as she doesnt want then to 'cockadoodledoo' (for lack of term lol) throughout the day. I really do not want to give them away as i really would like my hens to lay fertilized eggs.

P.s. sorry if I sound so naive lol.

 

[skeeter9]

Hi Sean,
Welcome to BYC.

Sounds like you're doing a great job with your first hatch!

This early in the development, you're not going to see much. If your eggs are light enough you should be able to see some veining by day 3. If you candle on about day 7, you should be able to see the veining pretty clearly and also see the little dark embryos dancing inside the shells. Just be careful handling your eggs or opening your bator too much - it lets out heat and humidity and can introduce bacteria. Also, when you do handle your eggs be very careful with them - the embryos are very fragile.

Your mom is correct in saying that the males (cockerels) will be noisier than the females (pullets). Eventually the cockerels will start crowing. I guess you'll just have to work that out with your mom when the time comes. Maybe you'll get lucky and hatch one that is pretty quiet??

Please feel free to ask any questions you want to. There is no such thing as a dumb question on BYC.

Good luck with your eggs!!

Lori

 

[Silkie_boi]

KK thankx for the info - im just so bloody impatient n can't wait till i hear lots of peeps lol. Ive been reading lots of things through hear and it so exciting. Ill try n get pix when the big day comes.

Ill just say to my mum i dont know how to tell the difference in sexes and just keep all of them

lol.

 

[lurky]

You really wont be able to tell the difference for a while. I have 4 blue silkies that are 4 months old and i cannot tell if there are any boys. They do not show any signs yet. No crowing. some people have silkies that show some signs, but i have been learning that they dont always. I also have friends with silkies and some of her Roo's are not too loud. Just enjoy the fun and worry about that part when it happens. Welcome to BYC and good luck with the silkie eggs.

 

[Silkie_boi]

Yea, I've read that the silkies can be really difficult to sex until sexual maturity and even then it can still be difficult to sex. I guess ill cross that bridge once i come to it hehe.

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3 dogs, 2 fish tanks (6 silkie eggs lol)

 

[Juliechickens]

Good luck silkieboi,,,,,6 eggs isn't many to try and hatch your first time. Some times hatching eggs is very tricky. Don't be discouraged if you don't get a good hatch your first go round. Don't give up though. My best advice is once they pip the egg on day 21 DO NOT open that incubator till all birds have hatched, no matter how tempting it is. Don't do it! They need that moisture in there on that day and if you open it,,,you will lose your humidity. Don't help a bird out of it's shell either. That's a big mistake! I hope you get a good hatch. Good luck! Julie

 

[Silkie_boi]

Thanks julie - yea ive candled them and 2 are deffinetly developing - i am happy with two but i know its still really early stages. I cant afford a large batch of chicks where i am from cuz i stay in scotland and theres not many places here that would take chicks if i had too many lol.


Ill candle them in a few days again and then i will take out the non-developers but thankyou for the encouragement and ill b sure to keep things updated and hopefully get pix of the new chicks when the arrive.