October hatch "Grow-a-long"🐥

[kurby22]

Thought it might be fun to keep track of our chicks from the October hatch-a-long.
Anyone else is also welcome to join in.

I currently have 22 chicks from my 4 October hatches. Ages range from
6 days of age (11) to 4 weeks (1).
Many of these chicks are for sale, some are keepers. Planning to “grow out“ many of them to choose for future breeding projects.
All are Silkies except for two that are Silkie/Cochin crosses, eggs that were inadvertently set to hatch.

The “mob”.
Had them out in the grass for the first time and I sat down in the grass and they all came down and sat next to me. They are all so sweet!
Odette, hatched 10/2
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Kept her as she is the only dominant white I hatched from my two test hatches and also because she was quite the ugly duckling at hatch and nobody wanted to buy her. She’s actually turning out quite nice. She had completely pink skin at hatch, including beak and toes and now these have turned black and you would never know that she is dominant white by looking at her now.

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This is the little “crele” girl:

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This is Paloma, the porcelain girl:
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These are Hanabis two chicks from 10/8. Half bantam Cochin and half Silkie
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This is the visually impaired check. She’s doing great. She was also funny looking at hatch. Very tiny and not the typical fluff nugget!
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These are the rest of the chicks from the shipped eggs from 10/14. Didn’t have the energy today to do individual photo shoots.
The rest of the mob is pictured, too.
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And these are Layla’s super fluff nuggets at six days old. They were in a plastic tub while I was cleaning the brooder. They are all super gorgeous chicks: great bearding, perfect feet and combs. Nicest looking hatch I’ve gotten thIs year. Layla is definitely staying in my breeding program!
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They’re all so cute, but you are right that Layla is worth keeping as a breeder! Those are just perfect looking baby silkies!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

This is the only one. I'm not confident about mixing ages in the brooder.

I got confused as usual n thought u had done 2...sorry bout that!
Yeah I wasn't sure it would work cuz back in July I had silkies hatch a week before the 2 cochins and they refused to get along and the cochins were so much smaller than the silkies.
So this time, thank God, it was reversed! Cochins a week old then the silkies and so far so good! I got the one still fluffing up in the incubator but will try in the morning.

 

[3KillerBs]

I got confused as usual n thought u had done 2...sorry bout that!
Yeah I wasn't sure it would work cuz back in July I had silkies hatch a week before the 2 cochins and they refused to get along and the cochins were so much smaller than the silkies.
So this time, thank God, it was reversed! Cochins a week old then the silkies and so far so good! I got the one still fluffing up in the incubator but will try in the morning.

Since I only have one incubator, my hatches would have to be separated by 3 weeks.

Unless, come spring, I can convince a broody to actually use the maternity ward setup.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Such gorgeous chicks! I plan on potentially getting the chicks I hatched out in the grass pretty soon. I will hopefully be doing pics for those as well.

Thanks!
Can’t wait to see the photos of yours!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I've got 13 chicks in my brooder, hatched on Oct. 9 and thus 3 weeks old today.

I will have them out for individual photos on my day off on Tuesday, but here are a couple long-distance group photos.

Alas, my hens deceived me. Instead of being pure Australorps, 4 of them are half Cochin and 3 have rose combs. The Cochin shouldn't have been laying because she was in a heavy molt and the only rose-combed bird in the flock is a pullet I hadn't thought was laying yet.

So only 6 keepers. The crossbreeds are for sale: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fall-chicks-in-central-north-carolina.1552734/

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I can see some serious combs already. I should be able to ID my boys with reasonable confidence by Tuesday.

So opposite of the Silkies! Nice to be able to see genders early and not have to pay for DNA sexing!
Can’t wait to see your individual photos too!
Sorry for the mixed breeds. Kind of in the same boat with me! I actually gave away two of the Cochin mixes to folks who bought the last batch of chicks.

Six is a good number to deal with though!
Your little splash is pure Australorp though, right?

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Following this thread!
All of the Silkies here are so cute! We have one adult Silkie, but I can't find any pictures of her.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

They’re all so cute, but you are right that Layla is worth keeping as a breeder! Those are just perfect looking baby silkies!

Thank you!

 

[CloneFly]

Yup! We have La Salette, Pia, Nellie and Carmel

Congratulations! They are precious!!
Ya got names for em yet?!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I just came up with a solution to what I’m going to do with this last batch of chicks, since I haven’t sold any yet.
I need to get them out of the house and there’s really not much space in the outdoor brooder right now with the mob. I can make it work, but it will be a bit crowded especially as they get bigger. I have two older birds in my tractor right now which I’m trying to sell. If I get the birds sold that will free up that space.
Himawari just went broody so I think it might not be too late to try to give them to her. I have a sectioned off space of the coop I use for integration. They could be in there at least temporarily. Do you think giving her all 11 would be too many? She did a great job with Kai, who is now rather dejected that her mama just wants to sit on the nest box all day!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Yup! We have La Salette, Pia, Nellie and Carmel

Awe! Luv em!