Hatching with 2 broodies

[texgardengal]

Woooo hoooo!!!!! Congratulations.

 

[Teila]

Wow .. work is most definitely interfering with my social life! I come back 24 hours after my last post and have 2 pages to catch up on. I like that our Team is getting bigger and everyone is so helpful, nice and easy to get along with. Party time when we get to 1,000 posts?

Woo hoo TG, excellent news on the candling!

TGG .. lovely picture of George!
Aaaw, go Cookie!

Liz, better luck tomorrow! As I mentioned in an earlier thread, with it getting darker in the morning I am up at 04:45am, about 15 mins before the girls. I used to take ages to get up and dressed but now I am out of bed seconds after the alarm; dressed and ready to run outside if I hear a crow. Nothing yet but Suzi’s comb and wattles are very concerning compared to Tina. Having said that, she is exhibiting absolutely no rooster traits whatsoever. Still, being Silkies, who knows? I cannot imagine what the combs and wattles are like on the three I rehomed because they were significantly bigger than Tina and Suzi’s at 8 weeks. While you could not even see the beginning of a comb on Tina and Suzi, the others were already prominent and red. Ah well, the waiting game continues. Hubby reckons my fears are unfounded and judging by her actions and personality Suzi is definitely a girl .. I am not so confident but we shall see.

The young guy who I mentioned has not got his collar as yet, only just ordered it. I will keep you updated.

Riseupsunshine, I am chuckling as I type, when I saw your egg picture I was saying “put it down and step away” lol. So very happy for you that you have a bubby. Congratulations. Looking forward to the pictures when bubby ventures out from under mumma.

Aaaw TGG and MM your Broody turn will come and we will all be there for you as you have been for us.

Bed time for Dusty & Co … see what I mean about the comb etc? In body shape, size, feathering and personality they are identical. No long saddle feathers which apparently Silkie Roosters have. 16½ weeks old ……. It doesn't help that they have single combs and not the Walnut Comb of a well bred Silkie; nothing to compare it to! If you look at single rooster combs and believe me I have looked at heaps, the peaks are larger and less in number than the smaller multiple peaks on hens combs. Suzi's are similar in shape to Dusty's and Cilla's. I think I am living in denial and working myself up into a sorry state, the more I look at this picture the more disheartened I am

 

[MistyMountain]

Aww Teila, hang in there. I think there is heaps of hope yet. I had a leghorn pullet with a comb that was bigger than that at 9 weeks! Lots of people said Roo, but she lays a large white egg now! She also bites me.

If I remember correctly (thinking back to the two silkies I had for a short period of time) although the males have significantly bigger combs when they fully mature, females can have larger combs and waddles as well? Right? Anyhow, I love your silkie's combs. The walnut combs remind me of a brain on their nose too much LOL!

Thanks for the support on the broody dreaming. While collecting eggs yesterday (7 total, woo!) MJ fluffed back down around her egg after laying it. I thought awwww… wouldn't it be cool if…. oh wait, it is still winter NO NO NO! I feel a bit bad for reaching under her and stealing her green egg and a white leghorn egg but I couldn't keep waiting and it is super wet out. I don't wash my eggs until we use them or if they are super dirty, so I had to snag them up before someone else trampled all over them.

 

[riseupsunshine]

My delima so please help!! Ok. Where mama and baby are they can't stay. The nesting box is a step up from the floor of the coop..also the coop is up about 4' off the ground with a ladder for the chickens to use..I am afraid of baby chic getting out of the box. I thought about using a plastic tote and cut out an opening for mama and baby and put it in the shed and move them. This is warm enough until later this week when it's 25 degrees. Ideas?

 

[tommysgirl]

If you have a large pet carrier, and any sort of spare box for nesting you should move the little family into it and put it in the shed. Don't worry about the chick getting too cold in the 25 degree temp. It is about 100 degrees under mama.

 

[tommysgirl]

s. I think I am living in denial and working myself up into a sorry state, the more I look at this picture the more disheartened I am

keeping a good thought for you. I have no clue but her comb doesn't look huge or roo like to me. My Australorps and my Delawares don't have uniformly small combs and I have an OE pullet with an enormous floppy one. No despairing allowed until you know for sure!

 

[lizgarf]

Hello team!
Teila, I still don't know anything about silkies, but would a 16.5-week-old roo have a black comb? That makes no sense to me at all. Based on my very limited experience, I can't see how they could be anything but pullets.
In any case, my 16-week-old roo has an enormous red comb and wattles, is crowing, and is currently trying to mount his broody mom, Rousseau. Doesn't sound like Suzi is on the same planet with him, let alone the same gender.

Good news on the keeping Desi front: the neighbor who initially raised her concerns with me came over and admired my chickens today. She said she had not heard Desi's crowing attempts at all and agreed he was beautiful. I think we're in good shape!! As for the collar, I didn't hear any crows from him at all today until about a half hour ago, and it was pretty quiet. The current adjustment of the new collar is pretty tight, but he seems comfortable (though Jan likes to peck at it for him), and if the volume stays low, we should be in good shape! Maybe there'll even be some fertile frizzled/BCM eggs in our near future for the next broody!

Now, if only the Brady girls would start laying! 4 weeks now and this group has somehow formed a family, but no blue eggs yet!

MM, my Dark Brahma, Bettina, has penciling. Broody mom Frida has some blue on copper lacing, but she's a mystery mutt.

 

[tommysgirl]

Hello team!
Teila, I still don't know anything about silkies, but would a 16.5-week-old roo have a black comb? That makes no sense to me at all. Based on my very limited experience, I can't see how they could be anything but pullets.
In any case, my 16-week-old roo has an enormous red comb and wattles, is crowing, and is currently trying to mount his broody mom, Rousseau. Doesn't sound like Suzi is on the same planet with him, let alone the same gender.

Good news on the keeping Desi front: the neighbor who initially raised her concerns with me came over and admired my chickens today. She said she had not heard Desi's crowing attempts at all and agreed he was beautiful. I think we're in good shape!! As for the collar, I didn't hear any crows from him at all today until about a half hour ago, and it was pretty quiet. The current adjustment of the new collar is pretty tight, but he seems comfortable (though Jan likes to peck at it for him), and if the volume stays low, we should be in good shape! Maybe there'll even be some fertile frizzled/BCM eggs in our near future for the next broody!

Now, if only the Brady girls would start laying! 4 weeks now and this group has somehow formed a family, but no blue eggs yet!

MM, my Dark Brahma, Bettina, has penciling. Broody mom Frida has some blue on copper lacing, but she's a mystery mutt.

I have 4 EEs and an OE and only one of my EEs is laying. the OE and one of the EEs just stopped about 4 weeks ago. The other two EEs I brought home in October. One never started laying the other laid for a few weeks but I haven't seen anything from her since mid fall. grrrrrr

 

[MistyMountain]

Liz and TG, I took in 9 eggs today, 4 of which were colorful! Brownie laid her first egg (that I know of) today as well! I have blue, sage green and a little darker green in my basket. Sending these colorful egg vibes your way!!! Days are getting longer, they gotta start up soon!!

 

[Teila]

Howdy

Thank you all for your thoughts and encouragement.

I watched Suzi for quite a while this afternoon and admit that I am once again hopeful.
Tee hee TG, I chuckled when I read “No despairing allowed until you know for sure!“. Yes mum! lol. Of course you are right and that is what I am going to try to do.

MM I read somewhere that it is not a good idea to wash the eggs as it removes the protective coating making them more susceptible to bacteria and giving them less fridge or bench life. Washing them just before you use them would probably be OK .. but as I said, just something I read; I am no expert.
I totally agree about the Silkie Walnut combs; not very attractive. Don’t tell any Silkie Breeders I said this but I am secretly pleased my two have single combs

Riseupsunshine, apologies that I don’t really have an answer to your dilemma; in my part of Australia we do not have issues with the cold much at all; heat is our biggest worry. I agree with TG that under mumma is the best spot! She knows when to back off with the heat and when to turn it up

Liz “but would a 16.5-week-old roo have a black comb?” I think a well bred one would but my little darlings are mutts with non-silkie combs which makes it slightly more difficult. Silkies can apparently take up to 8 months to reveal their gender. If I do not look at the comb everything else says pullet. “currently trying to mount his broody mom, Rousseau. Doesn't sound like Suzi is on the same planet with him, let alone the same gender.“ Thank you for the laugh, perked me up considerably.
Great news about Desi and your neighbour. “(though Jan likes to peck at it for him)“ Smiling big time .. it sounds like everyone is getting along really well now; I am glad.
“Maybe there'll even be some fertile frizzled/BCM eggs in our near future for the next broody!“ oooh, how exciting would that be?!

I have learnt one thing and that is from now on if I want more Silkies I will be buying proven hens. Being able to keep a limited number of chickens I know going into a hatching that some will have to be found homes but having to wait 8 months to know which ones is no fun; just more time to fall completely in love with them! Anyway, I’ve had my disheartened episode and should be OK for a few more weeks now.

A lovely lady I work with has just moved out of town onto some land and got a few hens for egg laying purposes, nothing fancy. Anyway, we were chatting and I mentioned that I may have some bubbies soon; she wants some of them. She is happy with her egg layers but now wants some pet girls as well. It is comforting to know that I have someone who will look after them really well and I will be able to hear how they are doing. Sadly, she does not wants roosters.

I got 1 egg today! Lol