Should I reconsider?

[EggSighted4Life]

A little of everything at this point. RIR, buff orpingtons, americauna, red star, black astralorp, barred rock and leg horns. We have 3 silkie roosters (2 were suppose to be hens) and our big rooster is a buff orpington.

Your Barred Rock cross to your buff should give sex linked chicks at hatch with males sporting a white spot on their heads! Essentially black sex links...

Your Easter Egger (going by spelling and other varieties kept), may give off some fun shades of "Olive egger" off spring depending on blah blah... fun to see. My EE is our favorite bird ever and she throws the cutest blue based babies

The buffs cross buff can make nice buffs... IF you like this guy.

I raised Silkies for a few years... the roosters dress well for the table. Most my large fowl hens won't squat for the bantam boys who insist on riding them like a bucking bull anyways and they would cause less peace in general. It's according to my past experiences and not taking into account personal emotion... but need that for the many "extras", the good of my entire flock and it's future including my own sanity.. I would let go (however you can) of the Silkies boys and keep the Buff... but only if he is respectful reasonably to his ladies and ALWAYS to the humans, dogs, and other animals on the pasture.

They (Silkie fellas) can also make nice pets in no hen homes, depending on the individual demeanor. If I wasn't able to re-home or send to freezer camp for whatever my reason... A stag pen with older boys too help raise the juveniles once booted from under mama or fully feathered and identified as male. Not many boys get long term free rides here... but a well mannered mature head guy to run the grow out pen can be wonderful! They break up fights, call youngsters (and the ladies on the other side of the fence) to treats, and make wonderful eye candy.

And hey if you're goofy... cross some of that Silkie in... Add some extra toes here or there... and some crests and feathered legs maybe some of that dark skin and funny comb to the mix.. and you DO get quite the variety of entertaining back yard chicken sitcoms to amuse yourself with. Seriously, sometimes very cool birds! The possibilities are endless.

Thanks for letting me in on your hatch fever.. got some brewing of my own, but birds are molting and/or juvenile. So I'm practicing the great art of patience.... for now.

 

[FortCluck]

Hi! I'm from southern Iowa. I'm hatching now. I just hatched out 20 Ayam Cemani they'll be in the basement for a while and then out to the insulated room in our shop. So it depends on where you have to put them. What part of Iowa are you in?

Hope you'll clean the basement daily. They'll creat a TON of dust. It's really not good for people to even breathe in dust from birds. I moved my 21 outside.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I love winter hatching but the challenges others have pointed out are real. On the other hand hatching now means chicks laying right in early spring next year.... Laying eggs for hatching by fall to repeat the cycle.

If you have a plan B for the extra boys if you can't move them to new homes, and are willing to accept potential losses, I'd go for it...! But not everyone would or should.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Hope you'll clean the basement daily. They'll creat a TON of dust. It's really not good for people to even breathe in dust from birds. I moved my 21 outside.

They're on puppy pads that get changed daily, no dust at all.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Been raising chicks like this for the last 13 years. Incubating for over 10 years.

 

[FortCluck]

I did the same with mine, I change them twice daily. There was still dust everywhere from them losing their down. Maybe my chicks grow faster than most. They're 20 days old and almost fully feathered.

All the other chicks I've raised, I've raised outside in the spring because it's 80+ then.

I'm actually allergic to bird dander, I have to change my parakeets cage daily. I never knew I was allergic until I got my parakeet.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

They're on puppy pads that get changed daily, no dust at all.

Been raising chicks like this for the last 13 years. Incubating for over 10 years.

Hmmm, never tried it.

Must research this topic further! Cost, actual experience of dust verses poo stuck on feet, ease, etc... would LOVE to see an article written about it by one of our fabulous members.. wink wink.

All the other chicks I've raised, I've raised outside in the spring because it's 80+ then.

Sounds wonderful! It stroke city heat wave status for my flock if we hit 80, even dead of summer. But it was about that when I was in Vegas last week and it was lovely weather.

It's true the dust (dander) can be much more of a problem for some folks than others. That is very the much the case for me verses my friend. She has a much lower tolerance before she starts having a larger reaction to chicks (stuffy nose, watery eyes, etc)... that is already having several indoor dogs, cats, and in the past a live meal worm colony in addition the people, cleansers, perfumes, and on and on. It's easy to see how things add up... I had to move my indoor mini size pigs OUT... before the night farts choked me out!

I'm trying to keep the "farm" animals out. But if being raised in smaller numbers more on a pet status..

 

[cibula11]

I'm in central Iowa. All good perspectives. I think I'll probably wait and make sure I have at least some idea what I'm going to be hatching and what I'll do with those I cannot keep.

 

[FortCluck]

I'm in central Iowa. All good perspectives. I think I'll probably wait and make sure I have at least some idea what I'm going to be hatching and what I'll do with those I cannot keep.

Good decision!

I think it is always best to have a plan and also have a plan b incase things don't go the way you think they will.