INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[ellymayRans]

Experts??

 

[racinchickins]

Experts??

two of my hens are chocolate, and they were both laying at the time. So it is a definite possibility.

 

[Faraday40]

Here is the complete family!

Mama Margaret's off the nest now with them, in a blocked off section of the coop where the babies will be safe from the big meanies in the flock!

Babies 1, 2, and 3 as I posted before.

And here's Baby 4, hatched around 10:30 this morning!

They're getting a lot bolder now that they're off the nest! Here's Baby 1 playing in Mama's fluff:



This is Baby 2, who is already turning into a little stinker! Look at that face!!

Baby 3's already learning from mom how to eat.

Baby 4 was still getting its land legs when I took this picture. Mama keeping baby safe.

The good news--they can all be told apart pretty easily! I've got to come up with names now!!

Awesome pics! They are so adorable. I think I'm going broody just by looking at them.

LOL

 

[Leahs Mom]

1. Does anyone keep just ONE silkie in their flock to be a boodie? If so, how do the others treat her...does she get along okay?

2. Is there any other "more hardy" breed that is very broody that might be a better choice in a mixed flock? (@jchny2000 and @SallyinIndiana what about the Sumatras?)

 

[tmarsh83]

1.  Does anyone keep just ONE silkie in their flock to be a boodie?  If so, how do the others treat her...does she get along okay?

2.  Is there any other "more hardy" breed that is very broody that might be a better choice in a mixed flock?  (@jchny2000
and @SallyinIndiana
what about the Sumatras?)

Don't some folks use Cochins?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yep, brrody babes are 10x's more adorable! !!

So happy for you and Margaret!

Haha no studder, just a typo..

That was supposed to read broody.

No worries, I understood. They are just too cute!! I've never had Silkie chicks before (my youngest Silkie was Marge when she arrived, around 15 weeks old if I remember correctly) so I guess that's why I'm so head-over-heels with these babies!!

Well, and it probably doesn't help that I haven't had chicks since 2014.

Ok, last duckling out and in the hatcher. Ding dong me dropped the lid to my brinsea, now explain to me why don't they make the with handles!! Broke 2 duck eggs and 1 silkie egg... i opened the duck eggs and 1 fully developed but just dead, the other not as developed, silkie egg only about 1 wk along and i let it be, not seeping but sure it wont make it now. Geez!

1 duck egg left i think it isn't alive but not certain.

The last duckling to hatch is not all yellow but i am not sure what it is. So count is:
2 yellow
1 wild type
2 ?? They aren't wild type as i think or have seen.

Obviously i will have to post better pics once they are all dry.
1 of the yellow was so gooped up its not fluffing I'm sure its because its all crusty. SMH

I hate trying to get that stuff off. I usually wait a couple of days and then it just flakes away with my fingernails.

Aw, I agree, they need handles! Or at least some sort of grippy thing! Maybe you can stick something on it to help grip it? So sorry you ended up breaking eggs as a result.

I've read that that goopiness can result from it being too humid in the incubator. Not sure how true that is, though?

EEK, such a happy little ducky!! Sorry I can't help with colors, just had to comment on this little darling!

Awesome pics!  They are so adorable.  I think I'm going broody just by looking at them.  :cd   LOL

I know, they are too precious!! I'm freaking out just watching them, the cuteness is too powerful!

1.  Does anyone keep just ONE silkie in their flock to be a boodie?  If so, how do the others treat her...does she get along okay?

2.  Is there any other "more hardy" breed that is very broody that might be a better choice in a mixed flock?  (@jchny2000
and @SallyinIndiana
what about the Sumatras?)

Marge was my only Silkie for about 2 years and she did fine in the flock all that time. She's also been quite hardy, never slowing down in the heat or cold, no problems with free-ranging, etc. She is clean-faced, though, and so she has a lot more vision than bearded Silkies would have, I think.

As was mentioned, though, Cochins are also pretty broody from my understanding. Wyandottes and Marans as well, in my experience.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I want something that isn't feather footed.

 

[Indyshent]

It's an individual thing, though some breeds are more prone to it than others. So far, broodies here have been: Black Swedish duck, Muscovy duck, Welsummer, Australorp. Threatened broodies that never went full-on broody but may later: RIR, Cochin, Brahma, EE, BB white turkey. I've heard Cochins and Brahmas make really good moms (really often). Wellies and Orps (both Aussie and English) and pretty reputable broodies. Wellies were voted #1 breed to have in case of a zombie apocalypse because they're well camouflaged, they're good broodies, their eggs are camouflaged, and they're great free-rangers. Mine definitely live to that hype--and they're hatchery. Very quick minded, kind of like Leghorns. Orps, Brahmas, Cochins and Silkies all have a reputation as doormats in mixed flocks (once in awhile mean ones get in--usually from hatcheries), but in my experience, they've all been sweet-natured and trustworthy, and they haven't been such doormats that they've ever been hurt.

EDIT: Welsummers, ducks, turkeys, Orpingtons and Australorps are all clean-shanked. And, of course, there's always the recourse of incubators.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

@Mother2Hens I am glad you have found comfort in Lacy and have bonded so well with her, It's that reason ( and my own bond with her ) that I feel like like a bad chicken Mom. I know things happen and when you have as many birds as I do it is hard to notice each and every little thing but Lacy would ride on my shoulder and helps me feed and was around me alot more then any of the others, so I just feel that I should have noticed, not looking for a pity party, just saying.
After your loosing Screech I would feel real bad if you lost any more, especially Lacy.
I pray it is nothing bad and she gets well soon for both her and you.
Your DD may get a bit jealous when she finds out her room has been given to Lacy.... lol




Talking about getting things done in the great weather we WERE having, I have been trying to get the tin picked up that the high winds we had blew off the patio part of the red coop but bigger projects have been first, now that they are done and I can get to that... it starts raining!!! So I have started on the house chores that I have been neglecting all week

. And I really need to find boxes and start packing up the stuff we really dont need and get ready to start moving, that time is coming up fast... 5 days and counting... cant wait but also dred it at the same time. Does that even make sense??? I look forward to having a bigger place that is ours!! BUT I don't look forward to all the fence building, house building, horse barn, goat barn ect... and moving the critters and the household stuff. It's going to take us 2 months just to get moved!! Then it's putting things where we want them and setting up everything... but it will all be worth it in the end. I hope. Only 1 neighbor instead of 100's and 3 more acres of ground, even if it is woods.
And I already know I will be SOO far behind on the thread that I will never get caught up...

once we start the move. And it is so far out in the stix I still dont know how, or if we even can, get internet??? That would really be bad... talk about withdraws!!!
And I would miss all of you!!
But I'm not going to think about that now, will cross that bridge when I come to it, sometimes I think my brain needs a shut off switch... lol

Ugh I feel for you, I hate moving. I've moved 14 times, and I hope to never have to again. No worries at all if you get behind, just jump in when things settle down.

@Mother2Hens - thank you so much for the suggestions! I am hoping to sit down this weekend to discuss the chicken/dog thing and a few other issues (mostly repairs). I am compiling my list and expenses, etc. so I am prepared. I copied and saved what you typed so I can kind of make a bullet point list of things I need to say, just in case we go off topic or I get emotional...very possible!

Its never off topic here. (aside from BYC guidelines lol) I want this thread to be very open and friendly. And to give folks somewhere to rant or ask for help.. there is so many of us here, rarely does a question go unanswered! If it does, its due to the thread going so fast lol.

So many good looking birds! Congrats on all of the hatchlings, and good luck to Ellymayrans and your ducks! i just finished my 4th and final exam before spring break its been a very long week, and i am glad to be done.

Woohoo! I bet you're ready for a break.

I had 2 of 3 that were hatching showing signs that the goop was hardening so i pulled them all and assisted. Glad i did, 1 of them was pretty bad. All veins had receeded and yolks absorbed. I kept adding water through the vent to make sure humidity stayed up but it didn't help. May have made it worse.?? Also glad i did because another egg had externally pipped but on the under side which was yellow and dried out, i wouldn't have known if i didn't go to candle the others. Soo...ive been working on it every hour since i discovered it. Its veins weren't receeded all the way so trying to leave it be except to help progress it a little at a time.

So far 2 are all yellow and 2 wild type pattern. Can't tell with the last fella yet.

I placed the hatched into the styro bator to use as a hatcher.
Not a great pic but here it is.

Once all are dry, I can probably tell you every color you hatched. So exciting!

 

[chickiebaby1]

1. Does anyone keep just ONE silkie in their flock to be a boodie? If so, how do the others treat her...does she get along okay?

2. Is there any other "more hardy" breed that is very broody that might be a better choice in a mixed flock? (@jchny2000 and @SallyinIndiana what about the Sumatras?)

LF Cochins are very good broodies from what I have heard, and they can stand their ground within a mixed flock.