Hands on hatching and help

[AmyLynn2374]

The 4 dark ones will all be blacks... all she has now are paints and blacks split to paint... so these are all splits as well...

There was one posted on a silkie fb page that was from their paint pen, he was black but the back of his neck, predominantly the streamers were silver. They said it was silver leakage from the paints. I don't know, but it was cool looking!

 

[Ravynscroft]

There was one posted on a silkie fb page that was from their paint pen, he was black but the back of his neck, predominantly the streamers were silver. They said it was silver leakage from the paints. I don't know, but it was cool looking!

Leakage can happen crossing any lines, regardless of colors... some of it looks cool, but not what you want to have come out in your breeding pens...

 

[Blooie]

Remember me being so concerned about how the Silkies would do with our winters? Um, yeah, not any more! Been sub-sub zero here for days... like temps of -23 and a -40 wind chill. Look carefully at these photos - see which 2 chickens were almost out front? Yrp, that's Smudge and King Tut, and the temp was -9. No heat, no insulation - just tough as nails chickens! This is as bad as our winters usually get, so I'm not worried anymore! Of course we'll continue to monitor them, but monitoring and being worried to death are two different things!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Cracks me up when I hear what some people do for 'sensitive' chickens... my Silkies have never gotten special treatment, same pen and coop like everyone else... just easier access for them... and an occasional pick up of the ones that forget to go in before it gets dark, lol... as long as they can dry off and get out of drafts, I've found them to be no less hardy than any of my other breeds...

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Remember me being so concerned about how the Silkies would do with our winters? Um, yeah, not any more! Been sub-sub zero here for days... like temps of -23 and a -40 wind chill. Look carefully at these photos - see which 2 chickens were almost out front? Yrp, that's Smudge and King Tut, and the temp was -9. No heat, no insulation - just tough as nails chickens! This is as bad as our winters usually get, so I'm not worried anymore! Of course we'll continue to monitor them, but monitoring and being worried to death are two different things!

Awesome!

Cracks me up when I hear what some people do for 'sensitive' chickens... my Silkies have never gotten special treatment, same pen and coop like everyone else... just easier access for them... and an occasional pick up of the ones that forget to go in before it gets dark, lol... as long as they can dry off and get out of drafts, I've found them to be no less hardy than any of my other breeds...

I would think with all the extra fluff they'd be warmer. Mine sleep in a pile in the corner. They got to be toasty warm.

 

[WVduckchick]

My silly seramas still want to sleep on top of their coop. I put them in by hand at dark. They always feel toasty warm, even when its below freezing. They are hardier than people give them credit for also.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Too true, WV... both my Serama boys lived with my Silkies while I had them too... same thing, no issues...

 

[WVduckchick]

Too true, WV... both my Serama boys lived with my Silkies while I had them too... same thing, no issues...

I did mount a flat piece of plywood, like 8" wide by about 20" long on top of the roost pole so they can huddle together instead of lining up. They seem to like that better, but otherwise, they have done fine in the cold.

 

[RubyNala97]

All of us have been sick again! It's like everyone just got better and we had maybe a week of everyone being healthy before we each started coming down with something again. Even Mavis, our house duck, was sick! Thankfully she's all better and almost finished with her meds. This batch of eggs has been real tricky. These air cells have stayed pretty small. Even with running 20-25% for a week! I don't know if it's because there are a lot of new layers with thick shells? I wanted to lockdown late but of course one had to internally pip early so I went a head and locked that incubator down. Waiting on the second bator but half of those eggs were added a day later. We'll see what happens. Wouldn't be surprised if I get a pip or 2 today. Day 21 starts Monday evening and I ran my temps lower then normal, right around 99.5. I guess I should have joined an xmass HAL...total coincidence that I'm hatching this weekend.

 

[WVduckchick]

Sorry yall have all been sick, Ruby!

Good luck with the hatch!

Merry Christmas everyone!!