My First Hatch! SILKIES!!!!!

TamiP · May 14, 2022

First off, sorry for the long post!
The babies are 6 weeks now and it's been a journey! I had the smallest one get a leg thing going and it was just poking out to the side. Didn't stop it from getting around or eating and drinking. I picked it up several times a day and moved the leg around gently. It finally went back to normal and the baby is just fine now. I thought for sure it was my only hen out of the 4 BUT a few days ago we started hearing some garbled frog choking sounds coming from their overnight crate when we turned the lights on in the morning. I caught him at it this morning and he kept on going after I picked him up. Now, one of the reasons I thought it was a hen is because the head feathers (what there are of them) were completely rounded while the others seem to have spikes coming up. Secondly, he is the smallest of the 4. Now I'm wondering if they're all Roos! The black one is the confirmed crower. The gray for comparison.

Buckingham Palace · May 14, 2022

TamiP said:
I am over the moon! I bought eggs online and they were not well packaged at all. It took me 40 minutes to get them unpacked without breaking any. I sat them for 24 hours on the counter and the air sacs were still split and sideways etc. I put them in the incubator in egg cartons and gently tilted them just the slightest bit for 3 days. I put the egg roller on and let it go. Temps were steady but humidity was a challenge. I was pretty sure I had killed them all. Days before lockdown I found info that bantams need to lock down early so I locked them down and this morning 5 had pipped and 20 minutes later we had the first hatch. Dumb luck had me sitting and watching it happen. Two more came within the next hour and then nothing. Just now 15 hours later we have another baby who I also got to watch. This is SO exciting! Now if I can keep them alive.

How long should I give the remaining eggs?

Another one is starting when I went over to take pics.

TamiP said:
YAY!!!!! We now have 5 fuzzy butts! I can't be sure what color the lighter ones are. I thought blue but they're changing constantly. One is now lighter and showing a few darker areas so possibly a splash? I've got them in their brooder with 2 eggs remaining in the incubator. One may be viable but I'm pretty sure the second isn't going to hatch.
Thank you all for the help!

TamiP said:
First off, sorry for the long post!
The babies are 6 weeks now and it's been a journey! I had the smallest one get a leg thing going and it was just poking out to the side. Didn't stop it from getting around or eating and drinking. I picked it up several times a day and moved the leg around gently. It finally went back to normal and the baby is just fine now. I thought for sure it was my only hen out of the 4 BUT a few days ago we started hearing some garbled frog choking sounds coming from their overnight crate when we turned the lights on in the morning. I caught him at it this morning and he kept on going after I picked him up. Now, one of the reasons I thought it was a hen is because the head feathers (what there are of them) were completely rounded while the others seem to have spikes coming up. Secondly, he is the smallest of the 4. Now I'm wondering if they're all Roos! The black one is the confirmed crower. The gray for comparison.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Such cute babys. I love it when Silkies start getting big fluffy feathers

TamiP · May 14, 2022

Buckingham Palace said:
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Such cute babys. I love it when Silkies start getting big fluffy feathers

Thank you! This was my first ever hatch of anything. I'm completely in love with them.

Buckingham Palace · May 14, 2022

Do they have names?

TamiP · May 14, 2022

Buckingham Palace said:
Do they have names?

Not yet. I'm waiting to see what sex they are.

Buckingham Palace · May 14, 2022

TamiP said:
Not yet. I'm waiting to see what sex they are.

Nice. I could never wait that long.

TamiP · Jun 26, 2022

UPDATE; The Silkies are almost 13 weeks old and one is a confirmed crowing Roo. I still can't be sure the sexes on the others because combs and feathers are confusing. Behavior is also confusing. I will post some pics and hopefully all of you smarter than me can help determine. First one;