***OKIES in the BYC III ***

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First broody hatched silkie and first silkie hatched here for that matter! I am over the moon! I feel like a proud grandma! Lol! What color do you think? I actually thought it was my partridge banty cochin egg breed by a blue or black silkie roo. However it has all silkie traits that I can tell! Black skin, five toes.
 
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First broody hatched silkie and first silkie hatched here for that matter! I am over the moon! I feel like a proud grandma! Lol! What color do you think? I actually thought it was my partridge banty cochin egg breed by a blue or black silkie roo. However it has all silkie traits that I can tell! Black skin, five toes.
Father could also be a black smooth sizzle silkie.
 
Hi guys. I joined a few years ago, had to give up my chickens but do still stop in occasionally to get a vicarious chicken fix.

For all you that enjoy reusing stuff: Our metal garden shed blew over the other night, we were planning on replacing it anyway. We have the sheet metal, cleaned and stacked in my p/u free for the taking. It was an old Sears shed so the sheets are heavy gauge stuff. It was an 8x10 ft shed. We are in midtown Tulsa, easy on/off of the BA. Message me for more info. Again, it is already taken apart, screws removed and stacked. We also have some very usable 2x6s treated lumber from a deck we just took apart. This is the kind of stuff I'd love to keep if we were still on the farm but it is considered eyesore in midtown. Thanks for reading. The key word here is FREE.
 
My second incubator hatch in a couple of years was also largely a failure. The first one had 15 viable eggs, 3 hatched on their own, and I helped two that were in bad shape and later died. All the rest died at various stages--I also open mine to try to determine what to do better next time Because it appeared the humidity was too high and several of you have reported success with dry hatches, I decided to try it.

This second batch had 10 viable guineas and 2 very doubtful silkies. I confused myself about the day to stop turning (because of the difference in chickens and guineas) and stopped them a week early--for only two days. I did add some water at that time because when I candled them, I could see there were 10 guineas alive, but their air pockets were already very large--almost half the egg, which made me think they were too dry. I put them back in the incubator and added a bit more water. I think that actually may have been what saved the two that made it.

When I candled them at the actual time I should have stopped turning them, I could hear one peepng and could see movement in another, but the others looked very much too small and were not moving. Hatch day came and I could hear two peeping. One managed to pip, and I helped it out after 8 hours. It was very badly shrink wrapped, but very vocal. The other hadn't pipped, and when I tried to help it part way, it was also very shrink wrapped, very weak, and died soon after. I left them another night and partial day, and when I checked, a third one had actually managed to hatch by itself. Both it and the shrink wrapped one are very active, but the right wing on the sw one was rigidly held by a bit of "wrapping I'd missed. After removing that, I think it'll be OK. I had put two eggs in a day after the others, and feel sure these are the ones that survived. The two silkies' development stopped very early on.

I added a bit more water to the dry 'bator and have left the remaining eggs in it for another day "just in case". Tomorrow will actually be day 29 for the first 10 and day 28 for the others.

I think it must be different for guinea fowl, maybe partly because their shells are so hard; but I won't try dry incubating with guineas again.
 
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I hope you are all safe after the storms through the night be vigilant more on the way.yesterday I left my house for a hour and a half when I returned someone had broken in and stole several blackpowder weapons .I feel so insecure in my own home sleep less nights in the future!!enough venting i had 3of8 eggs under a broody hatch yesterday I will leave the other eggs under her for a while my first brooding hen hatch will she leave the eggs if they are not gonna hatch.


My condolences on the theft of your weapons. Be sure to report them here: http://www.hotgunz.com
Those of us who trade firearms, with any frequency, use this website, to ensure we are not buying a stolen gun.
I too, have a broody, that is on day 21. She has been very sweet, but not fully comfortable, with my little efforts to make her more comfortable. She's only pecked me once, as I was stealing an egg, that to the touch, was obviously no longer at incubation temperature. Otherwise, she has let me relieve her of eggs that were not fully under her, due to the number of eggs, that she is setting on. I get to stroke her, and tell her she's being a good mama. But, I'm getting anxious. I'm trying to leave her, to her brooding, but it's difficult.
My question is, how soon after hatch, does mama usually want to bring her babies out, for the world to see? I want to put fresh, new pine shavings down, just before she should want to bring them out. And, I want to make a new ramp, that will be easier for little bitty feet to climb up and down. Right now, the nest box she is in, is close enough to the ground, that the adults can just hop up to the perch, in front of the nest box. But, the babies will need a ramp. I haven't wanted to disturb, nor stress her, by building around her. But it is going to be needed. So, I will build it, away from the coop, then just go in, and install it quickly, to shorten the length of time she has to deal with the stress.
But, I'm just on pins and needles, waiting for those babies to hatch.
 

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