Silkie thread!

[laughingdog]

so this chick hatched, and seems to be either really slow growing, and getting more fur than feathers, was born with feathered legs, and isnt getting any feathers on tail, and only some very slowly on wings, with seeming more fur/fluff as it ages. looks like silkies in these pics, but with EE/game bird markings. was supposed to be rhode island red egg from female guy showed in pen full, but was an aruacana rooster in with them, he had just put with them to sell. anything special i should maybe know or do to care for it? it was by itself for week at least sadly as other egg just wasnt fertile to begin with it seemed, but game/rosecomb bantams that i put with to keep company seem to be developing alot quicker, and one a month maybe younger already has feathers...

 

[tgrlily]

Quote:
The only 100% hatch I've ever had from shipped eggs came from Sundown Waterfowl... you can't go wrong!

youre severely tempting me...what kind of incubator did you use etc? temps, humidity?

I can't remember all the details...LOL. That was 2 years ago! But -- it was a basic still air LG.

 

[kfchickenlady]

Quote:
youre severely tempting me...what kind of incubator did you use etc? temps, humidity?

I can't remember all the details...LOL. That was 2 years ago! But -- it was a basic still air LG.

ack! I keep hearing that silkie eggs are harder to hatch, but some say no. All I know is I have 4 live chicks out of 13 in my last hatch, and they were not shipped, I drove to get them...so shipping across the country, I woud need about 48 eggs to get 6 chicks!

 

[tgrlily]

Quote:
I can't remember all the details...LOL. That was 2 years ago! But -- it was a basic still air LG.

ack! I keep hearing that silkie eggs are harder to hatch, but some say no. All I know is I have 4 live chicks out of 13 in my last hatch, and they were not shipped, I drove to get them...so shipping across the country, I woud need about 48 eggs to get 6 chicks!

Ahhhh... That stinks!

I was bad at hatching till I got my sportsman. I don't usually turn as often as I should when doing it by hand. I had a great hatch on Silkies from Tennessee.... almost 90%. The next week I got some from Texas... 1 hatched. I paid considerably more for the Texas eggs. They were both packed very well. It happens. My own silkies hatch like popcorn popping.

You think hatching Silkies is hard? Try Dorkings!

One week, they'll all hatch -- the next two hatch. It's the same breeding group, same food, same everything. And I'm buying eggs on top of hatching my own. I have 40 I'm setting before bed from 2 breeders. I have some from another breeder that I set the 4th -- 6 out of 7 developing.

Either you keep trying or you give up.

Depends on how bad you want them. I apparently want them pretty bad!

 

[Colie <3]

Quote:
I can't remember all the details...LOL. That was 2 years ago! But -- it was a basic still air LG.

ack! I keep hearing that silkie eggs are harder to hatch, but some say no. All I know is I have 4 live chicks out of 13 in my last hatch, and they were not shipped, I drove to get them...so shipping across the country, I woud need about 48 eggs to get 6 chicks!

Don't feel bad I've been plagued by horrible hatches lately as well. I set over 100 eggs and how many chicks do I have in my brooder?? 14!!!

I think but I'm not sure that since I live in such a dry climate and I incubated at a lower humidity (as I had read to do on many thread here) the air cells became much to large for the chicks to hatch. I had countless chicks fully formed and dead in their shells without even pipping internally when I opened them up. I don't even want to go into how much I paid for all those eggs ugh!

Anyhow have you opened up any of the eggs that didn't hatch to get a better idea of what happened? This go round I got a brinsea advanced, I didn't candle and ran the humidity higher throughout. At lockdown I candled and I had to toss over 50% of the eggs because they didn't develop at all. Dunno if it was shipping or a fertility issue with where they came from. At least I know it wasn't something I did though. Tonite marks day 21 and I have one zipping so hopefully I get some more to grace me with their presence. I'm seriously tempted to toss in the towel on incubating for awhile. I've already given up and shipped in almost 20 birds just to give myself a start that way instead of pinning all my hopes, time and money on eggs

 

[Colie <3]

Quote:
I have no idea then! lol maybe someone else can help

I looked closer and I think I'd call him a silver partridge or a gray idk though! Whatever he is I imagine it's recessive when paired with a splash hence the blue chicks.

ARRRRGH!!!! Genes are not, CANNOT be recessive to DIFFERENT genes; only to different NUTATIONS of the SAME GENE.

Heeeyyy now back down killer

I didn't know that, hence me saying I have no idea and I imagine. I don't tell anyone anything without noting my uncertainty or adding that I'm guessing if I'm not positive on the answer. Adding it to the notes though...

 

[CarolinaChickenKeeper]

Colie <3 :

Quote:

ack! I keep hearing that silkie eggs are harder to hatch, but some say no. All I know is I have 4 live chicks out of 13 in my last hatch, and they were not shipped, I drove to get them...so shipping across the country, I woud need about 48 eggs to get 6 chicks!

Don't feel bad I've been plagued by horrible hatches lately as well. I set over 100 eggs and how many chicks do I have in my brooder?? 14!!!

I think but I'm not sure that since I live in such a dry climate and I incubated at a lower humidity (as I had read to do on many thread here) the air cells became much to large for the chicks to hatch. I had countless chicks fully formed and dead in their shells without even pipping internally when I opened them up. I don't even want to go into how much I paid for all those eggs ugh!

Anyhow have you opened up any of the eggs that didn't hatch to get a better idea of what happened? This go round I got a brinsea advanced, I didn't candle and ran the humidity higher throughout. At lockdown I candled and I had to toss over 50% of the eggs because they didn't develop at all. Dunno if it was shipping or a fertility issue with where they came from. At least I know it wasn't something I did though. Tonite marks day 21 and I have one zipping so hopefully I get some more to grace me with their presence. I'm seriously tempted to toss in the towel on incubating for awhile. I've already given up and shipped in almost 20 birds just to give myself a start that way instead of pinning all my hopes, time and money on eggs

Colie<3- Agreed.........on my first hatching attempt out of 48 shipped eggs, 24 made it to lock down, and 15 hatched. One was with its brain exposed. Yes I said brain exposed. It took me two days to finally have it put down. DH says if I cant deal with having to occasionally put chicks down, NOT to set anymore eggs!! I also paid HUGE bucks for another 24 eggs in which only 3 (yes three) developed. Still waiting for those to hatch. I have another 24 eggs in the incubator right now which I candled a few days ago, and its not looking too good. I use a Brinsea advanced too and humidity is not a problem. I'm wondering if the USPS shakes my boxes marked "priority fragile hatching eggs" for the fun of it??? Myself, I'm wondering what percentage is to be considered successful when hatching silkie eggs? And I'm really considering buying chicks, and saying toodaloo to the Brinsea.......CCK

 

[Colie <3]

Quote:
Don't feel bad I've been plagued by horrible hatches lately as well. I set over 100 eggs and how many chicks do I have in my brooder?? 14!!!

I think but I'm not sure that since I live in such a dry climate and I incubated at a lower humidity (as I had read to do on many thread here) the air cells became much to large for the chicks to hatch. I had countless chicks fully formed and dead in their shells without even pipping internally when I opened them up. I don't even want to go into how much I paid for all those eggs ugh!

Anyhow have you opened up any of the eggs that didn't hatch to get a better idea of what happened? This go round I got a brinsea advanced, I didn't candle and ran the humidity higher throughout. At lockdown I candled and I had to toss over 50% of the eggs because they didn't develop at all. Dunno if it was shipping or a fertility issue with where they came from. At least I know it wasn't something I did though. Tonite marks day 21 and I have one zipping so hopefully I get some more to grace me with their presence. I'm seriously tempted to toss in the towel on incubating for awhile. I've already given up and shipped in almost 20 birds just to give myself a start that way instead of pinning all my hopes, time and money on eggs

Colie<3- Agreed.........on my first hatching attempt out of 48 shipped eggs, 24 made it to lock down, and 15 hatched. One was with its brain exposed. Yes I said brain exposed. It took me two days to finally have it put down. DH says if I cant deal with having to occasionally put chicks down, NOT to set anymore eggs!! I also paid HUGE bucks for another 24 eggs in which only 3 (yes three) developed. Still waiting for those to hatch. I have another 24 eggs in the incubator right now which I candled a few days ago, and its not looking too good. I use a Brinsea advanced too and humidity is not a problem. I'm wondering if the USPS shakes my boxes marked "priority fragile hatching eggs" for the fun of it??? Myself, I'm wondering what percentage is to be considered successful when hatching silkie eggs? And I'm really considering buying chicks, and saying toodaloo to the Brinsea.......CCK

My mom works for the post office and I've talked to several employees that agree when the mail is being sorted if they see fragile they pretty much treat it like all the other packages. No special handling most of the time. My mom is a rural carrier and she does take care with fragile packages but she used to work years ago sorting and agrees unless it's a live animal which is set to the side separately people sorting usually aren't caring about fragile packages. What I was told is they assume since it's marked fragile that the shipper packed whatever is in there well and it's the shipper responsibility to have done so. Thanks right? lol Also was told to mark the packages with something eye catching as most ignore the "eggs" label as much as the "fragile" part. So yeah I'm thinking they are pretty much beating the crap outta and drop kicking the eggs we are all getting unless their attention is grabbed in some way and even then who's to say the next hands on the box even pay attention? Throw in temperatures and possible xrays and wow shipping eggs sucks right?

After you posted about the chickie with it's skull exposed/brain exposed I did some research and saw mostly that what happened is pretty seldom, thank goodness. I'm surprised the poor little guy even made it two days but you did the right thing by putting it down. In my experience quality chicks are hard to come by but Bobbi Porto does sell some beauties in the spring time IMO so she is a good source. You might do better finding a good breeding pair or trio then hatching your own eggs at home and going from there

That at least is my plan

 

[CarolinaChickenKeeper]

Colie <3 :

Quote:
Colie<3- Agreed.........on my first hatching attempt out of 48 shipped eggs, 24 made it to lock down, and 15 hatched. One was with its brain exposed. Yes I said brain exposed. It took me two days to finally have it put down. DH says if I cant deal with having to occasionally put chicks down, NOT to set anymore eggs!! I also paid HUGE bucks for another 24 eggs in which only 3 (yes three) developed. Still waiting for those to hatch. I have another 24 eggs in the incubator right now which I candled a few days ago, and its not looking too good. I use a Brinsea advanced too and humidity is not a problem. I'm wondering if the USPS shakes my boxes marked "priority fragile hatching eggs" for the fun of it??? Myself, I'm wondering what percentage is to be considered successful when hatching silkie eggs? And I'm really considering buying chicks, and saying toodaloo to the Brinsea.......CCK

My mom works for the post office and I've talked to several employees that agree when the mail is being sorted if they see fragile they pretty much treat it like all the other packages. No special handling most of the time. My mom is a rural carrier and she does take care with fragile packages but she used to work years ago sorting and agrees unless it's a live animal which is set to the side separately people sorting usually aren't caring about fragile packages. What I was told is they assume since it's marked fragile that the shipper packed whatever is in there well and it's the shipper responsibility to have done so. Thanks right? lol Also was told to mark the packages with something eye catching as most ignore the "eggs" label as much as the "fragile" part. So yeah I'm thinking they are pretty much beating the crap outta and drop kicking the eggs we are all getting unless their attention is grabbed in some way and even then who's to say the next hands on the box even pay attention? Throw in temperatures and possible xrays and wow shipping eggs sucks right?

After you posted about the chickie with it's skull exposed/brain exposed I did some research and saw mostly that what happened is pretty seldom, thank goodness. I'm surprised the poor little guy even made it two days but you did the right thing by putting it down. In my experience quality chicks are hard to come by but Bobbi Porto does sell some beauties in the spring time IMO so she is a good source. You might do better finding a good breeding pair or trio then hatching your own eggs at home and going from there

That at least is my plan

I'm sure it's hard on the eggs, especially when eggs come all the way across the US.....And yes, after researching myself I found out too the brain thing can happen, but only a small percentage of the time. I just hate it happened to me on my first hatch. Almost did me in, I'm not ready for that!

Sounds like you are wee on your way to expanding your silkie empire. Good for you. CCK

 

[Colie <3]

Quote:
My mom works for the post office and I've talked to several employees that agree when the mail is being sorted if they see fragile they pretty much treat it like all the other packages. No special handling most of the time. My mom is a rural carrier and she does take care with fragile packages but she used to work years ago sorting and agrees unless it's a live animal which is set to the side separately people sorting usually aren't caring about fragile packages. What I was told is they assume since it's marked fragile that the shipper packed whatever is in there well and it's the shipper responsibility to have done so. Thanks right? lol Also was told to mark the packages with something eye catching as most ignore the "eggs" label as much as the "fragile" part. So yeah I'm thinking they are pretty much beating the crap outta and drop kicking the eggs we are all getting unless their attention is grabbed in some way and even then who's to say the next hands on the box even pay attention? Throw in temperatures and possible xrays and wow shipping eggs sucks right?

After you posted about the chickie with it's skull exposed/brain exposed I did some research and saw mostly that what happened is pretty seldom, thank goodness. I'm surprised the poor little guy even made it two days but you did the right thing by putting it down. In my experience quality chicks are hard to come by but Bobbi Porto does sell some beauties in the spring time IMO so she is a good source. You might do better finding a good breeding pair or trio then hatching your own eggs at home and going from there

That at least is my plan

I'm sure it's hard on the eggs, especially when eggs come all the way across the US.....And yes, after researching myself I found out too the brain thing can happen, but only a small percentage of the time. I just hate it happened to me on my first hatch. Almost did me in, I'm not ready for that!

Sounds like you are wee on your way to expanding your silkie empire. Good for you. CCK

I hate that it happened to you too

And Ohhh yes I'm planning big big things, just don't tell my hubby haha