Pipd's Peeps!

[pattyhen]

Love the captions on the pics.

That number 2 has so much character already. You can see it in its expressions. The names are cute . What color is Marge? She is beautiful. Thanks so much for posting the pics they are sooooo cute.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Margie is a Porcelain Silkie 'cull'. I have no idea if that's what Porcelain Silkies are supposed to look like or not, but that's her origin at least. I'm just head over heels with these babies, such adorable little biddies! Both of the Silkies I've owned arrived when they were feathered in (Margie was about 15 weeks old and Reuben was around 6 months, I think), so I've never had Silkie babies before. Such cuties!!

I think Baby 2 will be my little Ben / Bennie / Benji(?). That name just makes me think troublemaker, and it seems to suit the little squirt! I can tell he's going to be a handful, that one!

 

[pattyhen]

Well Marge is a beautiful cull. I think the silkie chicks are the cutest. Those little fuzzy feet and top knots are adoreable. You really can't get any cuter then a silkie. Yes I think baby chick #2 is going to be a handfull. You tell by that little face and those eyes.

How Crash doing? Has she laid a hard egg yet? Wait until she sees the babies. I wonder what she will think of them.

Are you getting all this rain? We are on like day 2 of 6 straight days of rain. My yard is flooded and the ducks are in hog heaven.


Thanks for the update I love hearing about the little ones and Crash too.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Crashie's just fine. Probably a bit mad at me because my focus has been on Silkie babies for the past few days and not on her. She laid a third soft egg a couple days ago, and then nothing since. Tomorrow's payday, so I'm going to see if I can order some of that Nekton Msa stuff for her.

We did have some light, misty rain off and on today, but that was it. I think we're supposed to start getting real rain tomorrow or the day after, though. Just when the ground was finally getting less mucky! Ugh! The outside duckies are happy, though.

 

[pattyhen]

Give Crashie a big hug from me.

I hope she starts laying the normal eggs soon. That medicene is good and it should help her.

Have you visited the babies this morning? I can't wait to hear all about them. My grandson looked at my calendar on the wall and he said who is Marge? I told him she was a silkie chicken and that was her due date to hatch her eggs.

No rain today but we have 3 days straight of rain after today. Mud Mud Mud I'm almost getting used to it. I have my muddy shoes in a laundry basket by the kitchen door.

Have a great day and enjoy the little ones.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yup, just got in from visiting the babies! This morning, Baby 1 and Baby 4 are looking so similar that I almost could not tell them apart. I guess Baby 4 decided to darken! So I took just a tiny bit of food coloring and dabbed it on Baby 4's head so that I can tell who's who. Needless to say, this did not make baby or mama very happy!

Baby 4 had to immediately tattle on me for being mean!

Then all I was getting was dirty looks from the both of them!

Bennie (Baby 2) is still a little squirt this morning! He was the first one out from under Mama, and he ran right over to the water and drank! I know I taught one of them to drink yesterday, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't little Bennie! Clever little stinker!


Mama Margie is still in nest mode this morning, and I'm getting a little worried about that. I've encouraged her to eat and drink, but she still just sits in one spot at all times. We're still within that 3-day window after the first baby hatched, so I'm trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, but it is a bit concerning that she's not getting up to start teaching babies. The only reason the babies have learned to eat and drink at this point is because I pulled them out from under her to watch while she was eating and drinking. :/
Maybe I'm just being an overprotective grandparent...

At any rate, I have a harp lesson this afternoon (rescheduled from yesterday for obvious reasons ), so here's hoping everyone is fine while I'm gone! I mean, I'm sure they will be, but I'm hoping to see Mama up and moving at least by the time I'm back!

 

[pattyhen]

Precious pics. Marge will be getting up soon to start with the lessons. She's doing fine with the little ones. I would just keep the food and water in front of her so the little ones can find it easily. The dot is a good idea I couldn't tell them apart. Thanks for the update and the pics.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Margie has started shifting around, so I think you're right! She seems perkier now. Still not standing and walking, but she's definitely keeping the babies warm and watching them when they come out for food and water.


I can't help myself with these babies. I went out to check on them and saw little dark Baby 3 out under Margie's tail where sun was coming through the window, and I had to run back in for my camera! I missed out on Baby 3 in the sun, but I took a few pictures of them anyway. They are just too cute!!

Babies drinking!! Left to right, this is Baby 2 (Bennie the Squirt), Baby 1, and Baby 3:

Bennie says, "What?"

All the babies out and about! Mama cluck-cluck-clucked the whole time, but didn't do much else. Babies are figuring out eating and I even saw a couple of them make little baby droppings, so they must be getting plenty!

As you can probably tell from the above picture, Baby 4's purple spot dried lighter than I thought it would. I may have to add a bit more to it to make sure it stays (or maybe try some Blu-Kote on it--that stuff doesn't come out!!). Here is Baby 4 giving me looks for picking it up again! This is the one that was complaining in the egg because I moved it--lots of attitude between this one and Baby 1!

Speaking of Baby 1's attitude, here's a bit of it showing again! "Yeah, I'm in the food dish. What's it to ya?"

Baby Bennie! Bennie knows how to pose for a picture!

Here's Baby 3, refusing to pose.

And Mama trying to convince babies to go back under her for a nap.

 

[pattyhen]

Are you picking Marge up off the nest to go to the bathroom? I did that everyday until she gets out of the broodiness. It won't be long she'll be up and about. Is that fifth egg still not doing anything?

The pics are adoreable. The dot shows up real well in the pictures. They seem to be bigger then yesterday already. They grow so fast I just wish they could stay small for longer then they do.

Thanks so much for sharing the pics and Marge your a great mom.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Margie's off the nest now. She's just sitting around still like she's on the nest. The babies are coming and going from underneath her just fine now, getting food and water, so my only concern at this point is her wellbeing! She is eating and drinking, though, so I think we're not in any danger at least.

The fifth egg unfortunately died. When I candled it the last time, it was completely still and underdeveloped, so I think it must have died around the end of last week. :/ On further inspection, I found a rough patch at one end of the shell, so I think too much bacteria was able to get in.


I know, it's really odd how much darker baby's head spot seems on camera. Maybe it's the angle or the lighting? It seems paler in person, though! I think just a bit of Blu-Kote carefully applied will hold on better, wish I had thought of that this morning!

They're definitely heavier, if nothing else! And they have nice, full little crops on them, too. They do grow way too fast! That's why I need to take lots and lots of pictures!!