Silkie thread!

[peepblessed]

Congrats!!! I hatch only silkies and they are addictive!!!! The roos are so trainable! My first hatch of the year is due march 5-7th. My top female- HOPE- set aside 25 eggs in her carrier so I didnt have the heart to make her wait till next month to hatch. Needless to say all those eggs were traded for fakes and I gathered 14 for her to hatch hoping to bring out columbian markings in this next
hatching.

this is her stash.......
here she is with another female till I check sat for fertility and then all fertile ones will be hers.
hope is on the right angel is on the left...Angel is too young to have a brood yet...maybe next year.
this is the brooder indoors ..so easy to clean up, and I can kleep a constant eye on mom and chicks. Hope loves this arrangement ...she calls to me and I clean up or bring a plate for her brood to feast off of.

Nice set up!

Ok- so far, I have (from Catdance) 1 Buff, 1 porcelain (with an awesome vaulted head) and I THINK a black/Lavender split- I hope, because I want a black!! 2 are trying to wiggle and pip- but the 3 hatched ones keep rolling them all over the cage. I got the porcelain/lavender projects, but wanted a couple of buffs, too. I really hope that's a black/lav split. More pics of him when he's out of the brooder.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

My chickens made it today from McMurray - unfortunately, only 2 of my 11 silkies survived the trip ;( only 1 out of 5 of my black frizzles made it ;( but I also ordered 5 buff orpingtons, 4 barred rocks, 3 columbian wyandottes, and 3 rhode island reds and those are all healthy, happy, eating and drinking well

yay! I called McMurray and they are willing to replace my silkies/frizzles, but I don't think I will order them at this time of year again.... They arrived in 3 days, but it's cold here in SE Alaska, so I think that's what did them in

I think I will get some more Colombians and buff orps soon and add some silkies to my flock later on. I did notice that they separate the silkies from the standard chicks, probably because they are bigger for one reason and the other reason I think is because I've noticed the bigger chicks beating up my silkies (the two i have left) already.... Maybe they know they are weaker? I'm not sure... but I'm really hoping they'll make it thru the night. I may separate them if it continues. Wish me luck!

I woke up to on my my silkies dead in the brooder and i think thats the cause. I think the bigger babies just ran the poor thing over during the night. as fars as the attacking, i havent see much as far as the LF's ganging up on the silkies, but more the silkies getting in the way and getting bumped around. They dont play and run near as much as the other chicks so i guess that kinda makes them a liability in the scheme of things!

Like you i will ad more later, i have one left and hoping that it will tough it out and be smart enough to stay out fo the big kids way! bought those 2 silkies for my DW since she has been buggin for a little lap dog, and my common ground was a fluffly lap chicken. Maybe ill surprise her with some more silkies and some d'uccles a little later once the brooder clears!

Good luck with the rest of your chickens! and power to the silkies that are left!

 

[heirloomorps]

I woke up to on my my silkies dead in the brooder and i think thats the cause. I think the bigger babies just ran the poor thing over during the night. as fars as the attacking, i havent see much as far as the LF's ganging up on the silkies, but more the silkies getting in the way and getting bumped around. They dont play and run near as much as the other chicks so i guess that kinda makes them a liability in the scheme of things!

Like you i will ad more later, i have one left and hoping that it will tough it out and be smart enough to stay out fo the big kids way! bought those 2 silkies for my DW since she has been buggin for a little lap dog, and my common ground was a fluffly lap chicken. Maybe ill surprise her with some more silkies and some d'uccles a little later once the brooder clears!

Good luck with the rest of your chickens! and power to the silkies that are left!

We have a Dickey hatcher where we can split the Silkies and LF into different compartments in the trays. We have had a lot less hatcher deaths now we can do this.

 

[jessicaroo]

I worry about separating them only because then they won't learn how to be together...? Or maybe that's not issue? Do you think I should separate my silkies from my buffs until they are a little bigger? They do have lots of room ( for now)

 

[OohLaLa]

Soooo cute congrats

 

[CALI CHICK]

They can definitely overdose on vitamin E, you don't want to give too much. He really doesn't want you spending $8? Are you putting the liquid on only the tip of the beak? They don't like it but they will drink it after a few tries. You could try adding a little sugar to it. Don't give up on her, we didn't think the little one was going to make it either but she did and she had it very severely, head was completely twisted upside down and dragging on the ground. Definitely give the egg yolk, that is what really seemed to boost ours's recovery.

You were right about the egg yolk....Wow, she gobbled it right up! Even trying to eat pieces that were twice as big as her beak. It was funny and re-assuring to see her eat like that and fill up her crop. I was also able to buy the Poly-Vi-Sol by returning some items to the store. (My husband isn't a bad guy for not wanting to spend the money...his work has just been slow with the rain so we have to watch every expense.)

Today she seems to have a bit more energy and untwists better to eat. Hopefully improvement will keep up. Here's a picture of her the first day I started giving her vitamins - I think it was Saturday, so it's been 5 days of ups and downs. -Mostly downs.

^I have to support her head or she just goes into a ball
-like this> -See her beak underneath her? Well, time to go feed the baby.

 

[ChicksNherps]

You were right about the egg yolk....Wow, she gobbled it right up! Even trying to eat pieces that were twice as big as her beak. It was funny and re-assuring to see her eat like that and fill up her crop. I was also able to buy the Poly-Vi-Sol by returning some items to the store. (My husband isn't a bad guy for not wanting to spend the money...his work has just been slow with the rain so we have to watch every expense.)

Today she seems to have a bit more energy and untwists better to eat. Hopefully improvement will keep up. Here's a picture of her the first day I started giving her vitamins - I think it was Saturday, so it's been 5 days of ups and downs. -Mostly downs.

^I have to support her head or she just goes into a ball
-like this> -See her beak underneath her? Well, time to go feed the baby.

That's great! I hope she makes a full recovery, she's a pretty little thing. She is older than my friend's too so she should have a better chance. My friends' started at 3 weeks old, she's 5 weeks now and only has a slight head cock. It may be permanent but we'll see, she is still doing the vitamins just in a lower dosage.

 

[KristanB]

Why do the Silkies in hatchery books look so different from the ones I see on here and on other talk sites. The ones I like have the big puffy heads and faces are almost covered with fluff but the Hatchery ones arent as fluffy? Are they a different breed? Better or worse??? Just wondering.....thanks!

 

[ChicksNherps]

"Found my bed! I love my bed"

 

[ChicksNherps]

Why do the Silkies in hatchery books look so different from the ones I see on here and on other talk sites. The ones I like have the big puffy heads and faces are almost covered with fluff but the Hatchery ones arent as fluffy? Are they a different breed? Better or worse??? Just wondering.....thanks!

They are the same breed, but hatcheries breed for quantity rather than quality. They are just poor quality "pet" silkies