Silkie thread!

[Fancychooklady]

I have had silkies hatch anywhere between 18- 21 days. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[388chick]

silkies normally, along with other bantams, hatch 1 day early, so you will prob hear cheeping and get a pip on day 19, and hatching on day 20. all my silkies for the new years hatch hatched on the 31st, and all my other breeds hatched the 1st.

Yaaaay! I did not know that!! I am even more excited now!! (How in the world did I wait 40 weeks for my own babies?!?) Can you hear the cheeping even when the eggs are under a little momma?

 

[chicken pickin]

silkies normally, along with other bantams, hatch 1 day early, so you will prob hear cheeping and get a pip on day 19, and hatching on day 20. all my silkies for the new years hatch hatched on the 31st, and all my other breeds hatched the 1st.

That is what I had heard also so I was expecting a slightly early hatch but all my Silkies for that hatch hatched Jan 1st-3rd(day21-23). Maybe it is because they were shipped Im not sure.

My Japanese Bantams hatch typically on the 20th and 21st day. Ive only gotten day19 hatchers from under a broody.

 

[Aria]

 
I'm pretty new to chickens so please forgive me if this is a totally stupid question but what do you do with an abundance of silkies?  Do you eat them?  Are they easily rehomed?  I know full size chickens are regularly processed but I can't imagine eating a silkie! 

I currently have three I got "by accident" and am having to drive for several hours to rehome the boy (sob!) but I watch this thread and see a bunch of you happily hatching away.  Doing the math, you can't really keep all the boys you hatch, can you?

I belong to a club where we hold swaps regularly on the weekends in warm weather. I sell off my boys and girls that I decide I don't want to keep. I pick out the best and sell the rest. I don't always keep all the best. I just keep what I need to improve my pens or simply add to them.  I normally hatch all winter and by spring I know who is staying except for the younger ones. I will make my first initial picks after they are about a week old. I let those grow out to about 3 months old and I make my final picks from those.  I'll sell a boy for as little as $5 just to find him a home. If I can't get them sold by mid summer they go to the auction house which I haven't had to do at all this past year. Thank goodness. I really hate to resort to the auction house. I don't like how they are treated since I am careful with them myself. They just yank them out of the cages and hold them up by a wing. I do still have a couple that the splash hens hatched but they will stay till I find new owners. I'm not desperate.

Wished we lived where people raise Silkies. In New York State there are very very few breeders. It is difficult to purchase Silkies.

 

[bantambury]

Yaaaay! I did not know that!! I am even more excited now!! (How in the world did I wait 40 weeks for my own babies?!?)

Can you hear the cheeping even when the eggs are under a little momma?

so cheeping the first day you have to strain to hear, but cheeping after pips is loud enough to hear....I think even under a broody. they don't cheep oftin in an egg, so you would have to wait to hear one. I normally leave my phone with the eggs on a voice recording. later I go in and listen to the cheepin if I missed it. hope this helps! good luck!

@chicken pickin
my japs all hatch first, on day 19 or 20 too!

 

[388chick]

so cheeping the first day you have to strain to hear, but cheeping after pips is loud enough to hear....I think even under a broody. they don't cheep oftin in an egg, so you would have to wait to hear one. I normally leave my phone with the eggs on a voice recording. later I go in and listen to the cheepin if I missed it. hope this helps! good luck!



 @chicken pickin
my japs all hatch first, on day 19 or 20 too!

Thank you so much for all the advice!!! You guys are awesome!! I will definitely keep you posted!!

 

[kabhyper1]

I can't wait to hear!! 21 days for ours puts ours on the 11th!! We have never done this so we have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Do you know whether silkies are pretty true to the 21 days or do they take longer?

Mine all took longer last hatch. Give them extra time.

 

[kabhyper1]

Our silkies today still hanging out in the house lol.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: I have never routinely had silkies hatch early, nor have any other bantams I have hatched. Incubation temperature/humidity can cause early or late hatches, but there are usually problems and lower hatch rates with both of those scenarios.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote: Wished we lived where people raise Silkies. In New York State there are very very few breeders. It is difficult to purchase Silkies.
The club website lists 12 breeders in New York state; that's a heck of a lot more than are in Arizona. And that 12 does not count folks from neighboring states... However, many folks purchase their birds and have them mailed to them, or arrange a purchase and pick up birds at a show they attend...