Silkie Hatch-A-Long 2015

[RubyNala97]

I'm not sure on the first one, but my guess would be partridge or blue partridge. The second looks blue to me.

I've never even heard of blue partridge! I think you hit the nail on the head! Just saw your reply...thank you!

 

[H4ndyman]

You don't have to leave it in there. If I have external pips and one hatched, I do leave it in there. I wait till there are no more external pips and take them out. It seems to keep the hatch progressing, as the hatched one encourages the pipped ones to come out. I never leave a chick longer then 24 hours, though. You have to do what you're comfortable doing.

I've got 2 out now with another 2 with iexternal pips.Both the hatched chicks are polish cuckoo's. Just one of my silkie eggs have pipped and they're the ones I really want. I've got two silkie pips in my other incubator. The suspense is driving my kids round the bend, it's all good though. Trying to take my mind off it is proving to be almost impossible

 

[RubyNala97]

I've got 2 out now with another 2 with iexternal pips.Both the hatched chicks are polish cuckoo's. Just one of my silkie eggs have pipped and they're the ones I really want. I've got two silkie pips in my other incubator. The suspense is driving my kids round the bend, it's all good though. Trying to take my mind off it is proving to be almost impossible

Don't take your mind off it!! Just stare in the incubator all day!! The hatch will be over before you know it and you'll wish you had more pips to stare at!! Enjoy!!!

 

[darkbluespace]

Lol! Yeah, you can tell by day 6. If your going to pick up more, I would bring all the clears back to show the breeder. I hope all 3 hatch!! One of my fears with incubating, is getting a lone chick! I was just thinking if you got more, would you have to wait until this hatch is over, or do you have another incubator, or would you stagger??

I hope at least a couple hatch, the lone chick experience is a nightmare! I pretty much always have chicks around or a broody hen these days! I am going to get more eggs next week. I have 2 incubators ( 1 cabinet) and 2 hatchers, so I should be able to squeeze em in

. Hopefully the next batch will do better. Also my peafowl are on day 26! I may have 1 quitter but the other 2 look good...

How are yours doing?

I am so sorry. My boys have 100% fertility rate thank God!

Thanks, at least I get to get yet more eggs! I am determined to have my Silkies!

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Yep, there's always next time to get what you want. That's what keeps us going.

 

[RubyNala97]

I hope at least a couple hatch, the lone chick experience is a nightmare! I pretty much always have chicks around or a broody hen these days! I am going to get more eggs next week. I have 2 incubators ( 1 cabinet) and 2 hatchers, so I should be able to squeeze em in

. Hopefully the next batch will do better. Also my peafowl are on day 26! I may have 1 quitter but the other 2 look good... How are yours doing? Thanks, at least I get to get yet more eggs! I am determined to have my Silkies!

My 6 pea eggs are on day 17. All still alive and moving! I had a hard time, days 10-14 candling and I was frustrated. Then the last few night they have been super easy to candle. I could even see the little toes moving around in there! They look huge compared to chickens! I'm really nervous about the hatch though. Please update me on how's yours do! I'd love to hear a play by play! And I can't wait for you to get silkie babies. They are so adorable!

 

[RicGail]

Greetings All,
I am a newbie and was wondering a few things... I hatched out two silkies from my hen outside. I am learning as I go and reading books voraciously. The cicks that hatched seem very healthy but certainly didn't look like the pics I am seeing on YT and other places of day old chicks. Mine looked like their down was still wet "looking".. They didn't "fluff" out like my other eggs I purchased and received when they were three days old. I am bantering but can you advise as to how long it could take a chick to literally hatch? Would greatly appreciate your help. I love the breed and don't wish to loose any on them. One of my hen is sitting on 13 eggs. She is stealing the other hens eggs before I can get to it... Any suggestions on how to stop her? I don't think she can handle the 13 she has now. I must admit it is funny to watch her rolling an egg into her nest... Reminds me of the Easter Egg Hunt with the Egg Roll Game..
Thanks ever so much..
G.

 

[RubyNala97]

Greetings All,
I am a newbie and was wondering a few things... I hatched out two silkies from my hen outside. I am learning as I go and reading books voraciously. The cicks that hatched seem very healthy but certainly didn't look like the pics I am seeing on YT and other places of day old chicks. Mine looked like their down was still wet "looking".. They didn't "fluff" out like my other eggs I purchased and received when they were three days old. I am bantering but can you advise as to how long it could take a  chick to literally hatch? Would greatly appreciate your help. I love the  breed and don't wish to loose any on them. One of my hen is sitting on 13 eggs. She is stealing the other hens eggs before I can get to it... Any suggestions on how to stop her? I don't think she can handle the 13 she has now. I must admit it is funny to watch her rolling an egg into her nest... Reminds me of the Easter Egg Hunt with the Egg Roll Game..
Thanks ever so much..
G.

I can help with your question regarding the wet looking chicks. But I didn't understand clearly if you hatched them in an incubator or if your hen brooded them and hatched them. I had this happen with 3 chicks in my last hatch. When they hatched they were very sticky. As they dried they still looked wet and their fur was hard to the touch. It will go away. You can wash them in warm water but I didn't. It took about 2-4 days for them to look like "normal" chicks. I believe they hatch this way because there is too much humidity during the 21 days. I've also read that it could be from the eggs being older when they start developing. As opposed to fresh eggs. Let me know which method you hatched them with.

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Greetings All,
I am a newbie and was wondering a few things... One of my hen is sitting on 13 eggs. She is stealing the other hens eggs before I can get to it... Any suggestions on how to stop her? I don't think she can handle the 13 she has now. I must admit it is funny to watch her rolling an egg into her nest... Reminds me of the Easter Egg Hunt with the Egg Roll Game..
Thanks ever so much..
G.

I'll try and answer your second question about the 13 egg hen. Unfortunately, you're going to have a staggered hatch. Meaning the eggs have started developing on different days. Each egg she stole after she started sitting full-time will hatch late and mama may not keep sitting if she has newly hatched chicks to care for (maybe only 1-3 days after the first ones hatch). I can't advise you at this point what to do with this hatch, but the only way to keep her from stealing more eggs is to isolate her. In the future, if you can't isolate her, then you need to mark the eggs that she started sitting on day 1 and then daily remove any that she steals.

One thing you could do for this present hatch, is to candle now and keep a reasonable amount that seem to be at the same development stage and either toss or incubate the rest. I'm assuming your hen is a silkie and they really can't adequately cover 13 eggs. I'd say about 8.

Good luck.

 

[RicGail]

Ruby, the eggs were fresh and I incubated at 50-60% humidity... They are looking better today, but one of the chicks looks like he had a helmet on.. His head is funny looking. How can such a beautiful bird have such ugly looking chicks... The feathering down their legs is outstanding but I can't get over on of the chicks heads.. Make me laugh.. I know that's mean... But I love him..