Here's some cute pics of my chicks I hatched. They are about 4-5-6 weeks old. I have mostly silkies, some polish, 3-frizzles(beautiful) and some extras that were a surprise,,,cochin bantam I think....Let me know what you think of my babies! Link Below http://web.mac.com/ctsmd/iWeb/Site 2/Backyard Chickens.html
Your babies are gorgeous! You have done a wonderful job at hatching and rearing those babies. Keep us updated with pics.
Oh thank you,,,I'm so proud of them. It was a rough road of hatching and I would not recommend it to new people. I'm used to welping puppies with my show dogs and thought I was a "GREAT MOM" until I hatched eggs! It was so stressful as some died. I tried helping some out of eggs who appeared to be stuck but only learned the hard way this is NOT always the thing to do. Goooooood advice to other newbies hatching eggs is: "Don't lift lid of incubator till ALLL eggs have hatched"! As much as I read this before hand I still was temped to do it. Some survived my ignorance while others did not. I did safely help a few out of eggs and others I only caused death to. You can NOT help a chick out of an egg till days later of it's initial pipping and ONLY if it has already broken it's egg all the way around in a circle of the egg. Otherwise,,,,,don't do it! There is only a small chance it will survive. It's not worth it. I guess that's my best advice for rookie hatchers like me. Even though I had a nice hatch,,,many many did not make it and it broke my heart to be helpless as I watched. I'm great at saving any puppy but chicks,,,,I'm not good at saving. Didn't mean to bring on bummer news but I thought I should share the truth of my cute chick pictures before someone may be tempted to give it a try with their own hatch. I do not recommend it unless you have a strong stomach and an unbreakable heart. Julie
Julie, I'm sorry you had such a rough time. I guess hatching eggs is like living with a parrot or having children. You can read all you want to about it, but nothing really prepares you for the actual experience. If you ever do try again, I bet you will do really well. I have to say, I just adore that white frizzle of yours! What a beauty!
Thanks Woodlandwoman! I have to say,,,my frizzles are my favorites. Not because of their beauty although,,,I think they are precious,,,but their temperments are sooo funny. They are not shy at all and want to sit on my lap or my shoulders even being so young. They were always the first ones to the front when they were in their brooding pen when I would open the door. They are nosey and smart. Very curious and not so skittish as the silkies. My silkies are sweet too but these frizzles just seem to think they own the world over here. I'm glad you like them too! Julie
I'm new here but wanted to say that your hatch is really cute and the ones you saved are the ones to remember. We all make mistakes. I've hatched quite a few ducks and hubby can help them out of their shells and never lose one but I get too nervous. I just don't try it! I have 17 silkies that are 2 weeks old and 7 baby Rouen ducks. I also have 6 other mixed up chickens and one old brain damaged rooster that lives in the house, named kellogg! He's a hoot!
Hi Juliechickens what a nice bunch of babies you got there. You did a wonderful job with them! I am going to be trying my luck with silkies soon. I see you are from Memphis TN, I'm from Linden TN about 100 miles from you. Where did you get your silkie eggs? and if don't mind how much were they? I have been worried that they would get too hot here in the summer, are you planning on doing anything special to keep them cool? I have cochins, but they are bigger and seem to be able to keep themselves cool. Thanks for any info. you can give me Good lick with your babies Julie
Silkie chick! I think that is soooo cute that you keep your brain damaged rooster inside! That is totalllllly something I would do also. I also love the name Kellogs! Perfect! Thanks so much for your encouraging words also!! Julie
Farmertank, Hmmmmmmm,,,that's a good question. I think what I will do if my chickens get too hot, I will place a fan in there with them. They are in a chainlink fence for now so there is plenty air flow. I have the top with a tarp over it that will protect them from rain and give them shade. The pen they are in is about 6x10 feet and I have about 25 chickens at most. I just hatched some newbie silkies though, 1 week old. They are still in my guest bedroom till they get older.A lady had sent me more eggs when she heard I did not have a good hatch with her first set of eggs she sent me. Sweet but morrrrrrrrrre silkies!!!!! LOL I just love em but I don't want 100 of em! I have found a few sweet homes so far for some of them. I turned one caller down yesterday as she scared me with the future of my babies,,,I could not trust her. A momma knows these things,,,,usually.... Anyways,,,one thing is for sure....my chickens if they look hot to me,,,I will either bring them inside my house for a while hook up a large fan. Let me ask you this,,,if I offer a large pan of ice water,,would they enjoy walking through it or dipping their beaks in it or anything like that? Just curious...my dogs sure do! LOL Julie
Juliechickens, You can have a light sprinkler on them and if they are hot they will stand in this, but I have 2 kiddie pools for my geese and ducks and they don't go near it. You will need to change their water to cooler water more during the day. I never thought of a fan. great idea! I would love some of you baby silkies. do you know of anybody comming closer my way,maybe I could meet them. we are down to 1 vehicle so getting free time to drive that far would be difficult. do you have bearded silkies of non-bearded, just wondering. Julie