~ Silkie Hatch-a-Long August 2015 (SHIPPED EGGS GONE WRONG!!) ~

[H4ndyman]

Sorry to hear about their rough start.  Crossing my fingers they surprise you! 

X 2

 

[WaterFowl209]

I love silliest have hatched shipped before hope you get a descent hatch

 

[silkienrescues]

Hello. I'm a bit late joining in, but am sitting on the edge of my chair desperate for someone to tell me my chicks will be oK. Got 12 chicks from a local. 9 went into lockdown, 2 with oversized air cells, they were porous and I couldn't stop them loosing weight. tonight 6 of the 9 have pipped externally (1 is a large air cell egg). Started 12 hours ago. The trend setter has a small flap of shell, loose but doesn't seem to be going past that. the others are still just pips.
10 days in my silkie hen went broody, so I ordered 12 eggs from New South Wales (I'm in South Australia), its been the coldest winter in 18 years and she wants to be a mum! Bad move the eggs were sent 24hour express post, but the post office left them sitting for 22 hours on a desk! Only 3 are developing it seems. After a 3 days of sitting upright and still I started just tilting the egg carton a bit 3 times a day. day 7 and the air cells are all in the big end, but crazy shapes. Broody couldn't brood these so I put 6 eggs from the incubator under her and kept the other 3 with the shipped eggs For lock down I had to bring in the 6 and put the shipped eggs under broody, even though lying flat wont be good, I figured it was better than having them in too high humidity. I dont hold out much hope for the shipped lot anyway.
Dont think I will go with shipping again, I'd rather drive 12 hours and collect eggs, but then again I'm not selling any chicks and we cant keep too many. this was going to be a once and only incubation if we got enough chicks out.

Good luck everyone.

 

[RubyNala97]

Hello. I'm a bit late joining in, but am sitting on the edge of my chair desperate for someone to tell me my chicks will be oK. Got 12 chicks from a local. 9 went into lockdown, 2 with oversized air cells, they were porous and I couldn't stop them loosing weight. tonight 6 of the 9 have pipped externally (1 is a large air cell egg). Started 12 hours ago. The trend setter has a small flap of shell, loose but doesn't seem to be going past that. the others are still just pips.
10 days in my silkie hen went broody, so I ordered 12 eggs from New South Wales (I'm in South Australia), its been the coldest winter in 18 years and she wants to be a mum! Bad move the eggs were sent 24hour express post, but the post office left them sitting for 22 hours on a desk! Only 3 are developing it seems. After a 3 days of sitting upright and still I started just tilting the egg carton a bit 3 times a day. day 7 and the air cells are all in the big end, but crazy shapes. Broody couldn't brood these so I put 6 eggs from the incubator under her and kept the other 3 with the shipped eggs For lock down I had to bring in the 6 and put the shipped eggs under broody, even though lying flat wont be good, I figured it was better than having them in too high humidity. I dont hold out much hope for the shipped lot anyway.
Dont think I will go with shipping again, I'd rather drive 12 hours and collect eggs, but then again I'm not selling any chicks and we cant keep too many. this was going to be a once and only incubation if we got enough chicks out.

Good luck everyone.

Good luck with the eggs! They should start zipping in the next 12 hrs or so. Update when you can!

 

[GitaBooks]

Looks like it might be a rooster

I would guess roo, but I'm not sure

Guess hen

Pullet

Pullet


Sorry couldn't help but show off my babies. Feel free to guess on silkie sex they're 11 weeks I think the partridge is a cockeral.

They are all beautiful birds!

 

[GitaBooks]

A rough chicken day.

Precious, my silkie chick, got pasty and needed brought inside and washed. it was like cement. she was sore and wet and I held her for probably over an hour, then I put her up in a box in my room. She kept waking me up over and over and over during the night until I put her out with the others. She seems to be doing well out there, though her poor feathers are all messy.
Then, this morning, a hawk got one of my chickens for the first time. Poor Galadriel. I chased that hawk away, but it was too late. I put up orange plastic fencing on poles to deter attacks, since I can't just leave the chickens locked up forever. Those autumn hawks are hungry before migration, and all the babies are learning how to hunt. But I'm not feeding them!
Andi, one of my chicks, ran away when the hawk came and I still can't find her. She is a friendly girl, but very good at flying, so she could be anywhere.

 

[chickendreams24]

@GitaBooks
I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you find your chick. I'm grateful that although we are surrounded by hawks in rural WI that I have never seen any around our house in fact within two blocks of our house. Our girls did run for cover today when a crow flew overhead thank God for lilac bushes I love their smell and they are great cover for the chickens. I hope your silkie is feeling better and I'm sending you hugs and hope for Galadriel and your chick

 

[GitaBooks]

@GitaBooks
I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you find your chick. I'm grateful that although we are surrounded by hawks in rural WI that I have never seen any around our house in fact within two blocks of our house. Our girls did run for cover today when a crow flew overhead thank God for lilac bushes I love their smell and they are great cover for the chickens. I hope your silkie is feeling better and I'm sending you hugs and hope for Galadriel and your chick

Thank you so much.

Andi, the missing chick, returned. However, so did the hawk. It didn't get anything, but I'm not taking any chances. I locked up the chickens and the chicks, which are in a separate barn, are in a very small run, more like a porch, so that they can get fresh air but easily return to cover if a hawk ever goes after them. Hopefully it will move on during the migration and I can let my chickens out again.

 

[Griffin Nest]

A rough chicken day.

Precious, my silkie chick, got pasty and needed brought inside and washed. it was like cement. she was sore and wet and I held her for probably over an hour, then I put her up in a box in my room. She kept waking me up over and over and over during the night until I put her out with the others. She seems to be doing well out there, though her poor feathers are all messy.
Then, this morning, a hawk got one of my chickens for the first time. Poor Galadriel. I chased that hawk away, but it was too late. I put up orange plastic fencing on poles to deter attacks, since I can't just leave the chickens locked up forever. Those autumn hawks are hungry before migration, and all the babies are learning how to hunt. But I'm not feeding them!
Andi, one of my chicks, ran away when the hawk came and I still can't find her. She is a friendly girl, but very good at flying, so she could be anywhere.

Oh no!!

 

[Griffin Nest]

Hi everyone! OP here. Today is day 4, so I'm updating the progress! So far they are doing good.
Some have detached air cells, but most of them have reattached. Many are very porous so I have the humidity up to 60%.
Unfortunately, Egg "?" from the last batch died for unknown reasons. The rest of the newer eggs are going good! I'm not sure how many have started because I've only candled a few. Here are some progress pics!

DAY 1



DAY 2



DAY 3