Silkie Duck Thread

[Coyote Night]

Thank you! I wet sanded them in a bleach solution that studies suggested doesn kill embryos last week in attempts to for more weight loss, seems thats my big issue, but I have only had one die so far. I think its around day 18 for them. I have some I put in on thurs as well. I see babies in most of them but this time I made sure the eggs were at least 7 days old before adding to incubator.

Keep us updated with your results.

 

[ChristineR]

I've never seen a Silkie, could someone post more pictures please, perhaps even a close-up of the feathers. Do the black Silkies have the iridescence of the Cayugas and the BEis? I have just bought a Trio of BEIs but upon closer inspection of the drake I find he has a lost of brown especially on his chest. I am a bit disappointed but I thought I better take what I could find. I didn't want to spend the summer duckless.

Have you looked at websites? Check out Holderread's website or Coyote Nights (she has her website posted in her sig line).

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote:

 

[aleksilkie]

Silkie ducks look so cute I would love some if I was only alloud to have them where I live.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I sure will, I am going to start a diary just for ducks but I have too much going on, so until the Easter HAL and contests are finished up I am just taking notes and pictures and will organize all the research I did too. I will let you know when I post all of it. Did you ever get a good hatch then? You said broody, but did you have issues with late death before draw down in the bator or weight loss issues? I read about the internal pips for someone and then death, what are your experiences?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Everyone's silkies still laying? Mine stopped a week ago.

what is their laying time frame?

 

[Coyote Night]

I sure will, I am going to start a diary just for ducks but I have too much going on, so until the Easter HAL and contests are finished up I am just taking notes and pictures and will organize all the research I did too. I will let you know when I post all of it. Did you ever get a good hatch then? You said broody, but did you have issues with late death before draw down in the bator or weight loss issues? I read about the internal pips for someone and then death, what are your experiences?

Most of mine that are artificially incubated don't make it to pip. Still not sure why just yet but attempting broodies this year.

 

[Coyote Night]

what is their laying time frame?

April - June is average laying time for mine.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I had two out of the last batch, not enough weight loss, had yellow like gel in messy gross shells after hatch, a lot quit on day 18-19 est weight loss on these two that did hatch was 13%, these were the two smallest eggs, all the larger eggs died and almost all the chicks appeared to be black. coincidence? idk Weight loss is key and 13 wont cut it, must go much more weight loss. At days 18-19 I could actually watch them die in the shell via candling, first I could see small blood dots that moved along the top of the membrane, and then it slowly progressed and some of the veining got funky and then they would die. I posted videos of this progression on the diary thread, very odd but I knew what was happening. Chicks were dying. Some had draw down, some had not. Most eggtopsy showed that the ducklings couldnt turn the head in that under tuck position to pip, they were in position with heads straight down the center of the eggs. All had some weird gel goop like humidity issues in chicks.

Current batch is doing better, with alot of work to get air cells down, still all over the place but at least I have loss, I am day 14 so I really have to work at a few air cells, and some I have to put in another bator to add humidity, I am shooting for weight loss of 14-17% by day 18-19.

At least I have two out of the first batch, I am told I should be thrilled, but I am not, watching them die like that was awful and if I go through it again, I know its genetics and its out of my hands, all we can do is change breeders I guess. But I do pray its a matter of weight loss and a greater loss will help them hatch. We will know in a week how a much larger air cell effects them!

 

[MargaretAnneHK]

I was glad to find this thread. I think the advice will be invaluable.
I have incubated about everything under the sun but this will be my first time giving silkie duck eggs a try.