Silkie thread!

[BuckNBark Farm]

That would be a good idea. The lady I buy chicks and eggs from says she makes most of $ by selling on ebay and eggbid. She sells a dozen Silkie eggs for $30+ shipping! More if its one of her more rare colors like porcelain, lavender or paint!
Nikki

YAY! That's good news!

 

[KBHatchery]

 

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

 

[peepblessed]

I woke up to 12 beautiful catdance babies this morning! I still have at least 3 pipped eggs so my question is, due to the chaos between egg shells and 12 very active chicks, do i remove them ... thus opening the bator... or wait it out. The poor remaining eggs are being kicked all over the place! 2 chicks were hatched day 19 and this in 21. Advice? I can lift an edge and get them - I don't have to take the whole lid off if that makes a difference.

I don't like to leave chicks for more than 24 hours in the bator after hatching. They seem to get too warm. Open quickly, spray a fine very warm mist with a squirt bottle before closing. Another option is to but the bator in the bathroom and run a hot shower until the room is steamy.

My last non-laying hen has finally started laying

Herein lies the problem....her eggs are massive! For Silkie eggs anyway. I feel pretty bad for her

Just to give you an idea, here's a picture I snapped after I collected my first batch of cackle berries today:

Ok, here's what you're seeing. At the top of the pic, the first 2 eggs are what my other girls lay. All of their eggs have been about this size (except for the occasional little fart egg). My biggest then lays the smallest eggs

The next 3 are Lola's (in the order they were laid, Lola is my smallest hen who apparently lays my biggest eggs). That white egg at the bottom is an X-large egg from the store to show exactly how big my Silkie poos are! Will they get smaller? I can just imagine a prolapse or egg bound issue if she continues laying these!
One more problem, all of my eggs are infertile

Are Silkies seasonal breeders and layers? When the weather was warm, and my roo was coming into his own, he was crowing and doing the deed quite a bit. At this point he's not crowing or treading the hens at all, that I can see. I'm going to have some breakfast for dinner tonight just so I can check fertility again, but I'm having my doubts. I may also give him a trim, but I don't see how that will help if he's not interested :gah I'm seeing all of these cute chick pics and I want to incubate while my girls are laying well!
WWWWHHHHYYYY!?!?!?
Nikki

Young pullets are some times not willing to let the roo mount. He has to be very determined. Trimming around the vent is sometimes helpful to on both male and female.

New baby coming home, from Bobbi Porto.

So pretty!

Sooooooo, I love my Silkies. Never got into them for money. BUT, after recent events of a predator getting into my crappy building, my Mom put a pre-fab barn on her credit card, and I am going to be making payments. Any chance of making money from them, any slim chance? I kind of implied that maybe I would. Or at least thought I would.

Pam Pittman

A few people do but mostly you are able to cover expenses.

Gorgeous shot!

 

[candicemarie]

Can silkies get along with rabbits??

Depending on your answers, we may be adding an 8 wk old bunny to our family lol.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Peep- its not my newest layer I'm concerned about him mating. Its the girls that have been laying for a while, that he was previously mounting. He's such a big hunk of feathers they all squat if he so much as looks at them (even the new layer), but that's about all he does...look at them. I think they're frustrated, everytime I go to their coop they run to me and squat at my feet. I literally had all 3 of the hens that are currently laying squat in front of me today, at the same time. I mean, I'm flattered, but I can't help them. I wish I'd had my camera, it was funny stuff. While I'm talking about them, here's some pictures I took today, I love them so I wish Mr. Wu would do his job so I can have more!

The handsome man and the lady I really want chicks from.

My beautiful blue girl Wednesday, I think she's just fabulous!

Lola being Lola. I don't get many full body shots of her. She finds the flash on my camera very fascinating!
Nikki

 

[OohLaLa]

Very Pretty.....ahem my husband said males are not "pretty"......Very Handsome

 

[katdevost]

Does anyone know where I can buy a few silkies in NH?

Thanks

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote: Some I know have taken the bator into a steam filled bathroom to get chicks out.

Peep- its not my newest layer I'm concerned about him mating. Its the girls that have been laying for a while, that he was previously mounting. He's such a big hunk of feathers they all squat if he so much as looks at them (even the new layer), but that's about all he does...look at them. I think they're frustrated, everytime I go to their coop they run to me and squat at my feet. I literally had all 3 of the hens that are currently laying squat in front of me today, at the same time. I mean, I'm flattered, but I can't help them. I wish I'd had my camera, it was funny stuff. While I'm talking about them, here's some pictures I took today, I love them so

I wish Mr. Wu would do his job so I can have more!
Nikki

Maybe trimming his fluff around his eye will help him see better to know they are squatting for him. Just thinking out loud

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Hmm, that's an idea I suppose. He sees well enough to go up and down the ramp to the coop though (and its a pretty complicated ramp at that). I'll be trimming his butt fluff tomorrow, so I might as well get his beard too! Thanks for the idea!
Nikki