hatching silkies?

[Three Cedars Silkies]

As a silkie breeder I do agree that they are a bit more difficult to hatch. Some folks believe that they need more humidity, but I tried that and had dismal hatches. Now I semi-dry hatch and have had much better luck. I think temperature variations are much worse for them than humidity variations. Once I put them in the hatcher early on day 18, I keep the humidity at 65%. Of course, once they start hatching it goes way up, but that's a good thing.

If they have vaulted skulls, I believe that this affects hatch rate too.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

I had 6 eggs in and only one hatched. It was my first time hatching eggs and I was disappointed that only one hatched. I love my 4 day old silkie but it needs siblings. I am not sure if I want to hatch again. I also cant find any silkie chicks right now for my baby.

 

[theberlinfam]

Oh no!!!!!!! I just became seriously discouraged. I had 18 eggs, 14 are developing. I am on day 11. I think one has quit developing, but I've left it in for now.

For those of you that have hatched, do they pip at all and just not make it out? Or no pip? What happens?

I've got 7 more days til lockdown. I moved them from my Hova 1588 to my LG because I got in some Lavender Orp eggs and wanted them in the Hova...now I'm wondering if I made a wrong move.

Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cartersmith]

glad to see im not the only one having problems lol
im not going to give up though ihave 2 silkie eggs left in my bator now which are on lockdown so fingers crossed.

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

I agree with ThreeCeders 100%. I was using the wet method for hatching and was getting 50% I switched over to a lower humidity and have since then had several 100% hatches. I will admit over the coldest part of winter my hatch rate went down. Not sure why. Try lowering the humidity to 35-40% during days 1-18. I also get my best hatches when I don't move them over till 18 and a half days. I usually go into lockdown with a pip and the chick hatches just fine. I am a firm believer in not opening the bator after lockdown.
Good luck on your hatches everyone.

 

[midwestchickenwrangler]

Quote:
My experience has been that they don't even pip, they just quit. My last hatch I had one that was chirping inside the shell and I was sure that it would make it out, but never did anything.

 

[theberlinfam]

Well I have had low humidities this entire time. Here's hoping they make it! Good luck to the rest of you!

 

[jenlynn4]

I have found that silkies prefer lower humidity actually.....I keep mine between 35-45% durring incubation and then up it to 65-70% durring hatch...I just hatched out 16 chicks from 17 eggs! It seems to work for me.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I have no problems hatching silkies. They pop out like popcorn here.

The first 18 days I don't really pay attention to the humidity, just to their air sac size. Make sure they are getting larger, etc. So the humidity probably stays around 30-35 for the first 18 days. Then I move them to another incubator to hatch in. I like to keep the hatching humidity around 65%-70%.

I've been hatching in cartons ever since I tried it the first time. I also will mist the eggs down a couple times while they are incubating. Maybe once or twice a week.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I don't bother looking for movement. If I see development I leave them. I always sniff my eggs too to check for rotten ones. At lockdown I candle again and then if the development was arrested at three days or thereabouts I remove them then. See the candling progression thread if you need to (you can ask me for the link if you are interested).

I use dry incubation for the first half of the 21 days. Then I fill one water pot of my Brinsea mini advance until lockdown, when I fill both water pots.