Silkied Ameraucana Project

[EdenCamp]

and I'm REALLY enjoying the chicken tv of seeing them running around the new grow out pen. it's like OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! They're HERE!!!! Finially! They're here!!!!!!!!!

TSC - you have to know what that feeling is like with your lav silkieds. It's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!

 

[jkbfarm]

and I'm REALLY enjoying the chicken tv of seeing them running around the new grow out pen.  it's like OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!  They're HERE!!!!  Finially!  They're here!!!!!!!!!

TSC - you have to know what that feeling is like with your lav silkieds.  It's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!

Yay!!!!!

 

[EdenCamp]

Ok, found this over in a genetics forum - finially an answer to the silkied feather question...
Sigrid van Dort
8 hrs...
.
Interesting new paper on silkie gene:
A cis-regulatory mutation of PDSS2 causes silky-feather in Chickens. A must read for my English reading friends. Skip the complicated parts, first 2 pages can be read without a problem, good picture on page 3 skip the text there, page 4 second column good read, skip till page 9 'DISCUSSION', thats a good read too till Material and Methods.
I made a Dutch article of it because not all Dutch can read papers in English.
You can open the Dutch article (www.tuinvee.nl) to see photos of half silkied half smooth Silkies.
Check out the link below:
http://www.plosgenetics.org/…/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjourna…

Don't remember if I ever posted this link over here or not but...

 

[Gentry1350]

I'm so excited...I have a pip!

I thought I killed them at lockdown Tuesday night.

I'm in the process of building a mini fridge bator, but am using the hovabator for this hatch. It's a Thermal Air; I added a fan several months ago (quick connect that splices onto the existing power wires inside the bator). On my last hatch, I just unplugged the quick connects to disable the fan and the humidity shot thru the roof.....it worked REALLY WELL. This time, when I went to lock them down and disconnected the fan, the temps plummeted. After about two hours, it got down to 93*. I jacked the wafer all the way around (as hot as it would go) and it never got above 96*. After about an hour of patiently waiting for the temps to come back up with no luck, I plugged the fan back in and turned the therm back down. It got back up to temp pretty quick and I got it stabilized. Somehow, it needs that fan hooked up to complete the full power circuit to the heat element. I just don't like that fan running during lock down. Humidity was around 60-65%.

I saw a pip when I got up this morning and decided to tinker around a little more. I shoved a tightly-rolled paper towel into one of the air holes and dripped hot water onto it until it was saturated. I then got the bright idea to drill a couple more REALLY BIG (3/4") holes into the top and do the same with them. Now, humidity is up around 70-75% WITH the fan running and getting a little bit of condensation on the windows. I still haven't opened the lid....keeping my fingers crossed!

Asking for prayers, or good chicken ju-ju...whichever you believe in!

Oh, I also have one of the eggs under BERTHA-THE-BROODY (a beautiful black Eng Orp pullet that started laying in March and immediately went broody)

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

I'm so excited...I have a pip!

I thought I killed them at lockdown Tuesday night.

I'm in the process of building a mini fridge bator, but am using the hovabator for this hatch. It's a Thermal Air; I added a fan several months ago (quick connect that splices onto the existing power wires inside the bator). On my last hatch, I just unplugged the quick connects to disable the fan and the humidity shot thru the roof.....it worked REALLY WELL. This time, when I went to lock them down and disconnected the fan, the temps plummeted. After about two hours, it got down to 93*. I jacked the wafer all the way around (as hot as it would go) and it never got above 96*. After about an hour of patiently waiting for the temps to come back up with no luck, I plugged the fan back in and turned the therm back down. It got back up to temp pretty quick and I got it stabilized. Somehow, it needs that fan hooked up to complete the full power circuit to the heat element.

I just don't like that fan running during lock down. Humidity was around 60-65%.

I saw a pip when I got up this morning and decided to tinker around a little more. I shoved a tightly-rolled paper towel into one of the air holes and dripped hot water onto it until it was saturated. I then got the bright idea to drill a couple more REALLY BIG (3/4") holes into the top and do the same with them. Now, humidity is up around 70-75% WITH the fan running and getting a little bit of condensation on the windows. I still haven't opened the lid....keeping my fingers crossed!

Asking for prayers, or good chicken ju-ju...whichever you believe in!

Oh, I also have one of the eggs under BERTHA-THE-BROODY (a beautiful black Eng Orp pullet that started laying in March and immediately went broody)

C'mon chickies hatch!!!!

 

[EdenCamp]

careful humidity doesn't get too high - will drown the chicks. Don't like mine over 70 max. 60-70 ideal.

Good luck! I have first egg pipped here too of small batch due late tonight.

 

[EdenCamp]

Ok, I've posted pics of my choc/mauve silkied feather Ameraucana project and things are going great guns with it - so looking at stepping forward with the birds growing out as next season's breeding stock. Which means - I'm going to offer up started splits from 2 pens now. In addition, I will accept advance deposits to reserve pairs from my actual S2 breeding pen to be sent out this fall.
Pen S2: This is a split to split pen that people have been hatching a good % of silkied chicks from. I've also been getting a few mauve and mauve splash pullets from it so the splash cockerel is proven split for choc as well as silkied. He can go solo now as I will be replacing him in the pen with untested blue and black cockerels for the remainder of the summer. There will be 3 blue hens to pair with these 3 roos. First $ first choice. Second and so on.

Split started chicks and juvenile pairs produced from this pen will also be available. Split to split breedings produce 25% full silkied, 50% silkied split, 25% non-silkied carrying. Young splash pullets from this pen may develop as mauve splash as they don't color in until well feathered. Choc, mauve and full silkied chicks will not be included in this deal. Choc/mauve is sex linked - females either show and are or are not - no splits. Males will be 50/50% split for choc genes if sire is split for choc. A choc split male can sire 50/50% choc/mauve pullets.

With the minimum purchase of 4 started chicks or a pair from S2 pen, the equivalent split counter parts from the SC pen may also be purchased (Juvie pairs substituted as no adult breeding pairs will be offered). All cockerels from this pen will be 100% split to choc. All splash pullet chicks will be mauve splash but males could also be or will at least be split for choc. Visible silkieds and choc/mauves will not be included in this offering. As this pen is also silkied split to split breedings - the same %'s apply as with S2 pen.

This is as good or better to what I started with from ChooksChicks - and you know that was not cheap. For those wanting choc/mauve SiAms, this is THE opportunity to snag the genes and birds reasonably. There's only been a few split chicks and eggs let go and only offered once before from the most advanced SC pen with choc/mauve males and females. You'll have some work to do but you should have the stock in hand to do it with. Those on board will continue to have first shot at anything else I decide to let go of prior to release. Don't anticipate offering eggs the rest of the year or next. Locking down to build up breeding pens. When released, full choc/mauve silkied pullets will be put on RBA for auction to set price. Not to be mercenary, but I owe the feed store big time with years of working on these birds.

Please PM for additional information or with questions.

 

[Gentry1350]

The "pip" from this morning busted out about 20 minutes ago. Looks to be Lav....Yay! I've got two more pips. Will post pics as soon as they are all out and dry...

 

[Gentry1350]

careful humidity doesn't get too high - will drown the chicks.  Don't like mine over 70 max.  60-70 ideal.

Good luck!  I have first egg pipped here too of small batch due late tonight.

Hopefully they won't. I did a "dry" incubation and tried to hold the humidity around 75% at lockdown...and they are upright in trays.

I see what TSC meant by needing to do them "dry". I only added about 1/4 measuring cup of water every time I open the incubator (at "set" and 7/14 day candling). This bumped it up to about 40%, but only for about 2 days each time...the other 12 days, humidity was not reading on my digital hygrometer, which meant it was below 20%. I have tested my hygrometer and its reading about 5% low. They really did not lose much weight...

Here's hoping for a good hatch for you as well!

 

[EdenCamp]

OK, all important question, have you calibrated your hygrometer? Here's why, they lie. The built in on my digital incy is off by 20%+, Think eggs need to loose 15% weight for chicks to have room to turn and hatch. If yours read that low and still didn't decrease much - thinking your's is lying to you too. Those walmart $8 square jobs with hi-lo daily temp and humidity are close enough on humidity I've found. Temp may be off by as much as 6degrees - but once you get a good reading you can translate

This is spring. It's humid. Unless you're in the desert should have plenty of humidity to not need to add ANY water during incubation. Really important with pullet eggs as they tend to be smaller anyway. plus, if it's off that much during incubation - and reading 75% at lock down ..... Sorry, I've just gotten badly burned by trusting digitals so always double or triple check them. Always.