Silkie thread!

[aleigh]

Is this one month old silkie boy or girl?

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

It's to early to tell yet

 

[shahtir101]

I have another pip!

 

[QueenMisha]

Hey there everyone. Long time no see. I've been dealing with a terrible coccidiosis outbreak this past week (as well as having to take care of my mother's animals while she is in SoCal to deal with my recently deceased grandfather's property and affairs) so I've hardly had time to sit down much less get online. Things seem to have finally calmed down and tonight I've gotten the chance to catch up on BYC.

Unfortunately my sex link Silkie project was impacted by the Cocci - over the course of about 3 days I lost over 40 chicks and among them were all my oldest sex link hatches, all but one of my Partridge split white babies, one of my two Splash/Blue chicks, and one of my two feed store Silkie chicks. Basically, in my outdoor brooder, I'm down to only the remaining feed store chick, the Blue from shipped eggs, and the very first Silkie I hatched (Partridge split White probable cockerel with poor pigmentation). Luckily my babies inside the house have fared better - I lost a couple but most have survived. The two or three that did die were of course pullets; I haven't had any cockerels save the two or three sex linked ones in the outdoor brooder. Figures.

I have remaining 6 cockerels and 3 pullets, 6 of them 3-4 ish weeks, the other 3 about 2 weeks.

The headspot has remained very unreliable. Most do not show much of a headspot at hatch at all. However, males have consistently had poor pigmentation in the beak, while all females appear to have solid black beaks.

Cockerels:

Pullets:

Beak pigmentation differences:

 

[aleigh]

Boy or girl?

 

[SilkieChickStar]

Hey there everyone. Long time no see. I've been dealing with a terrible coccidiosis outbreak this past week (as well as having to take care of my mother's animals while she is in SoCal to deal with my recently deceased grandfather's property and affairs) so I've hardly had time to sit down much less get online. Things seem to have finally calmed down and tonight I've gotten the chance to catch up on BYC.

Unfortunately my sex link Silkie project was impacted by the Cocci - over the course of about 3 days I lost over 40 chicks and among them were all my oldest sex link hatches, all but one of my Partridge split white babies, one of my two Splash/Blue chicks, and one of my two feed store Silkie chicks. Basically, in my outdoor brooder, I'm down to only the remaining feed store chick, the Blue from shipped eggs, and the very first Silkie I hatched (Partridge split White probable cockerel with poor pigmentation). Luckily my babies inside the house have fared better - I lost a couple but most have survived. The two or three that did die were of course pullets; I haven't had any cockerels save the two or three sex linked ones in the outdoor brooder. Figures.

I have remaining 6 cockerels and 3 pullets, 6 of them 3-4 ish weeks, the other 3 about 2 weeks.

The headspot has remained very unreliable. Most do not show much of a headspot at hatch at all. However, males have consistently had poor pigmentation in the beak, while all females appear to have solid black beaks.

Cockerels:

Pullets:

Beak pigmentation differences:

I am so sorry for the devastating losses

 

[SilkieChickStar]

My chicks are now 5 weeks old!

"Jemima"

"Rosie"

"Felicity"

 

[Shade454]

 

[Shade454]

 

[mommabird724]

I don't know about the missing feathers, but I wanted to say that you are wonderful to rescue thee sweet babies. Under your watchful eye and tender care they will be so much happier and healthier. Bless your heart and best wishes nursing them back to health.