Silkie thread!

[CarolinaChickenKeeper]

Please dont tell me silkies are hard to hatch.....I have 5 in the incubator right now.

 

[silkieluver_07]

Quote:
I wouldnt worry about candling once at day 10. I have had many staggered hatches and havent had a problem with my own breeder's eggs being hatched... now shipped eggs are another story

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I candle around day 3, to peak at the eggs again at day 7 to toss the bads ones, if there are any. And then again before I put them into the hatcher. Plus I open the bator at least once or 2x a week to mist the eggs. Last year, almost all of my hatches were 100%. I'll have to keep track this year.

 

[ultasol]

I haven't had problems hatching silkies. I wait until day 7 to candle for the first time, and I try to keep the humidity around 50-60% from start to finish... usually more around 60%. I do staggered hatches all the time.

 

[Teresaann24]

wanted to show off my babies that are 3 weeks old.

Look at the leg feathering on these guys at just 3 weeks!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are beautiful, congratulations on the hatch!

 

[vfem]

Got a silkie on a nest!

Stuck a mix of silkie and japanese bantam eggs under her. That should keep her happy.

I was hoping to have eggs from my blue nn sizzle to put under her, but she's 4 weeks past the POL.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

JustAChickenLittle&More :

Yep, I have found that the silkie eggs are harder to hatch. They are very sensitive to any temp or humidity changes, or too many times opening the bator, etc., They are the hardest to hatch imo.

I have absolutely no problem hatching silkie eggs. I do find that humidity plays a bigger role than exact temperature, but that is for all breeds, not just silkies.

If you are having issues with eggs dying after partially developing, and the temperature or humidity settings are fine, then look to your breeder birds. What kind of diet do they get? Are you supplementing with any sort of vitamin/mineral product? Are they healthy? Many breeders recommend feeding an extra nutritious, vitamin enhanced diet for as much as a month before collecting eggs, and do not neglect to feed the cock the same diet (although less calcium is actually better for him).​

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
What is the question--do you want to eat the eggs? hatch them? make cute little Easter ornaments? ...

I use or have used all of the above except Frontline and Eprinex, and use the eggs as for all of the above. I have heard that with Frontline it is definitely necessary to toss eggs for at least a couple of weeks. Eprinex is supposed to have no withdrawal period.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I had one girl who went broody before she ever laid.

Wow! Before she ever laid!? LOL I had one go broody three weeks after she started laying. I have 3 seven month olds that are all broody together now. I'm curious to see what will happen when the eggs hatch. There are four eggs that they pretty much take turns sitting on.

Qurious was a 4 month old feed store silkie when she went broody the first time

Teeny tiny crest that looked like a Jackie Kennedy pillbox hat.