I have 8 going in to lockdown tomorrow. They aren't shipped eggs so I'm hoping for a good hatch, but you just never know....Oh I of course have no idea [and know you'll get lots of great help from others], but I am so happy we're both on day 18 together!
I'm so nervous since I have no idea if any of mine are alive. I didn't candle at all so I am going into these next few days completely blind!
I personally would say 4, as long as they had a bigger run. I have a little dog house a bit bigger than that and it houses a mature roo and 3 mature hens, and I am actually thinking that one more he nit it would be fine. But they have a 10x10 run during the day. I have often heard 2 sq ft per bantam. We are going to be building new 4x4 houses and I am thinking 6-7 in each (again, with a 10x10 run).I have a question about the amount of space silkies require. Do they do well in smaller cages or are they like my layers and need room to roam? I just got an insulated dog house that I'm going to make a silkie coop out of for the silkies I'm getting. It's 3 feet in length by 2 ft, 8 inches in width. How many bantam silkies do you think that it could house? They have a nice big run as well but I just want to make sure they have enough coop space to stay nice and dry in. Could it house more than 2 bantam silkies? How many b silkies would you put in it? Here's a pic of the new silkie coop. You'll have to excuse it, it still needs a coat of paint.
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Good to know! She does have a very well developed crest but she seems to be able to navigate well enough when she is doing her walk abouts. That's when she makes all her "grown up" noise. She just REALLY looks broody which sort of seems odd with a bird that young and tiny. And she's pissy like a broody. Is there anything I should be doing for her? Any precautions I should take? Will she continue to develop properly??? (She is still sleeping in the Silkie pile up at night so she obviously isn't completely gone .... )
Certainly wait it out. I had 1 hatch on 21st day, 5 on the night of day 22, and 2 on day 24. They all went in the same day, they jusy developed at different rates.Thank you Basel....do you, or anyone, know if on day 18 a lot of fluid can still be seen upon candling? There are a few more that I can see veins and a little movement....but it still looks like they need another week to grow---unlike the other bantams I've hatched at this stage. The air cells in these were pretty shot, but the membrane has tightened that up....lots of air cell seen, too.
Are silkies that much different in growth/incubating/hatching than other breeds, or is this just typical for badly packaged/shipped eggs?
Someone please help....
Glad to hear that they will get cute again. They are my first Silkies.They will look pretty awkward for a few more weeks. I can usually enjoy looking at mine again at about 9 or 10 weeks.Those are pretty large combs on the last two which indicates boy but I have seen large combs on hatchery girls.
Oh wow. I'm so excited you have some hatching at the same time too!
I have 24 [!] that were shipped from 2 different wonderful breeders with great show lines [even though I just want beautiful pets]. I can't help being nervous though that none will hatch. My temperature has been right on, spot on, the whole time, but the humidity did fluctuate a bit and there were a few times when it was a little high, and a few times a little low. The vast majority of the time it was at 56% humidity.
The humidity thing really worries me because I have read so many people say to do the dry incubation. I spoke with silkie breeders though that have also said that they incubate at a higher humidity. So I've been somewhere in between so that, along with not candling at all, both have me so so nervous. Gulp. I have NO idea if I have viable chicks in there at all! Ack!
The problem with letting the humidity get high for days at a time during the first 18 days is that the air cell may not get large enough for optimum hatching. Also Hygrometers are rarely even close to accurate. It's always a good idea to test them when they are new and again every year after.Oh wow. I'm so excited you have some hatching at the same time too!
I have 24 [!] that were shipped from 2 different wonderful breeders with great show lines [even though I just want beautiful pets]. I can't help being nervous though that none will hatch. My temperature has been right on, spot on, the whole time, but the humidity did fluctuate a bit and there were a few times when it was a little high, and a few times a little low. The vast majority of the time it was at 56% humidity.
The humidity thing really worries me because I have read so many people say to do the dry incubation. I spoke with silkie breeders though that have also said that they incubate at a higher humidity. So I've been somewhere in between so that, along with not candling at all, both have me so so nervous. Gulp. I have NO idea if I have viable chicks in there at all! Ack!
