Silkies from Garry Farm "BARGAIN" ?

[fishermans wife]

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I forgot to ask, how many will you keep of the silkies? I may have already asked but I read so much in a day I can't remember everything lol!! Are you planning on just a roo or two and then hens or?

Yes, I am going to see what comes out in the wash with boys and girls, hopefully find some great breeding combinations, keep all the hens, and if I have an overabundance of roos, I am going to buy a big farm in the country and move! Just kidding- about the moving part.... I will rehome extra boys. I could probably sell them as I believe they will look great!

Here's some pics of the kids!!

 

[noahsmom]

Yes, I am going to see what comes out in the wash with boys and girls, hopefully find some great breeding combinations, keep all the hens, and if I have an overabundance of roos, I am going to buy a big farm in the country and move! Just kidding- about the moving part.... I will rehome extra boys. I could probably sell them as I believe they will look great!

Here's some pics of the kids!!

Aww I love the way they are looking at you, so interested They are absolutely adorable!
At what age will you be able to start telling their sex? Are you noticing any differences now?

If any of mine hatch we are thinking about keeping a roo of each breed, I have even pondered housing them all together until this summer and build a smaller coop/run just for the silkies I'm just not sure yet lol, I think once we have chickens for a while it wil become apparent how we want to go from there, I've never had them, so don't want to make to big of plans just yet.
Your babies are adorable and It will be exciting to watch your garry and catdance silkies grow!

Also, still very quiet in the incubator The humidity DID hold over night around 65%, so that is good. I just hope we can continue to keep it up. I will be ecstatic if even a chirp is heard from the incubator after work, but a pip or even a chick would be better.

 

[bargain]

Please don't increase that humidity.....I max ours at 55 to 60 percent. THey can get too wet!!!!! No more humidity if you are at 65 imho....

 

[noahsmom]

Please don't increase that humidity.....I max ours at 55 to 60 percent. THey can get too wet!!!!! No more humidity if you are at 65 imho....

That is what I have been told 55%-65% and no higher. I'm trying to keep it around that or lower.

 

[fishermans wife]

That is what I have been told 55%-65% and no higher. I'm trying to keep it around that or lower.

Glad to see your humidity up! Nancy is right on - that is where I keep mine - right at 58-60%. Chicks come out perfect, no extra liquid, no sticking! So nice to have her on here helping!

I am housing my silkies totally separate. They are so much smaller, and I don't want my EE roo mating anyone

! He has his own flock to take care of! I am sure they are all fine in the brooder together! There will be time when the regular chicks shoot past the silkies in size and weight.

Be sure to make a coop bigger than you think....because...well chicken math....They are like potato chips, you can't have just one!

Praying for a pip!

 

[noahsmom]

Quote:

Glad to see your humidity up! Nancy is right on - that is where I keep mine - right at 58-60%. Chicks come out perfect, no extra liquid, no sticking! So nice to have her on here helping!

I am housing my silkies totally separate. They are so much smaller, and I don't want my EE roo mating anyone

! He has his own flock to take care of! I am sure they are all fine in the brooder together! There will be time when the regular chicks shoot past the silkies in size and weight.

Be sure to make a coop bigger than you think....because...well chicken math....They are like potato chips, you can't have just one!

Praying for a pip!

Thanks and I know, looking at all the chickies and chickens on here I'm already coming up with more breeds I want! not necessarily many multiples of those different breeds, just a couple of each.

...Pretty egg basket sounds nice.

Will update if anything is worth updating when I get home, S.O. texted me and let me know humidity is staying up where it should be 62% (so it is very slowly coming down) Probably by the time I get home around 3:30 then I will have to add just a little to get it back to 60% I'm guessing. I will try keeping it between the 55%-60%.

 

[noahsmom]

FIRST EGG HAS HATCHED!! Not a silkie egg but none the less I'm excited!
I just got home from work and found a Rhode Island red egg pipped and then with in a minute he zipped and popped out. Everything looks good with him and he is so loud and playing football with the rest of the eggs in the bator now, ugh. But what a great surprise.
I also have a Buff silkie egg that has pipped However, just a tiny bit concerned about where it has pipped, right dead in the middle of the egg. No movement or noise, but I figure he/she is resting.

 

[fishermans wife]

FIRST EGG HAS HATCHED!! Not a silkie egg but none the less I'm excited!
I just got home from work and found a Rhode Island red egg pipped and then with in a minute he zipped and popped out. Everything looks good with him and he is so loud and playing football with the rest of the eggs in the bator now, ugh. But what a great surprise.
I also have a Buff silkie egg that has pipped However, just a tiny bit concerned about where it has pipped, right dead in the middle of the egg. No movement or noise, but I figure he/she is resting.

Sounds like everything is perfect! They can pip wherever! I have had them pip on the wrong end each hatch and all is well! They will rest A LONG time! I had one rest 24 hours last time! I think once they get oxygen, they take their time - they need to absorb the yolk sack, and rest for the work ahead! I had a silkie hatch day 22 and is doing great . It is so hard waiting!! I am so happy for you!!! I think the hatched ones can encourage the rest to get moving! WooHoo! Such great news!

 

[noahsmom]

Woke up to our first little silkie chick this morning it was the first silkie to pip yesterday, a buff he or she is doing great still in the bator. The Rhode Island Red chick went in the brooder before bedtime last night, I woke up to him trying his food and showed him his water again. I've got another silkie egg and another rir that are pipped, just waiting. I'm hoping for a mad explosion of chicks lol but I have a feeling this is going to be a long drawn out process. It's only just turning day 21, so I need some patience I suppose - I don't know where I left it lol..

There feathers seem to be a little tough if that makes sense? Like with the rir most of his feathers are fluffed up but it's like when some of them dried on his back they are a little tough and are sticking together a little. It's not all over his body just in a few places and on his head looks like its going to be sort of the same with the silkie. He or she is fluffing up but just certain spots.

 

[fishermans wife]

Woke up to our first little silkie chick this morning

it was the first silkie to pip yesterday, a buff

he or she is doing great still in the bator. The Rhode Island Red chick went in the brooder before bedtime last night, I woke up to him trying his food and showed him his water again. I've got another silkie egg and another rir that are pipped, just waiting. I'm hoping for a mad explosion of chicks lol but I have a feeling this is going to be a long drawn out process. It's only just turning day 21, so I need some patience I suppose - I don't know where I left it lol..

There feathers seem to be a little tough if that makes sense? Like with the rir most of his feathers are fluffed up but it's like when some of them dried on his back they are a little tough and are sticking together a little. It's not all over his body just in a few places and on his head looks like its going to be sort of the same with the silkie. He or she is fluffing up but just certain spots.

Congrats! I LOVE my buff silkie! So sweet! Your temps may have been a little low - which will delay the hatch a day or two! My last silkie hatched day 22, and from what I read they tend to be more "on time" than the other breeds which tend to come day 20. I have had chicks that take longer to fluff, even under the heat lamp, etc. and look like they used hair gel in places. I think they just don't come out as clean. They eventually fluff up beautifully (like 1-3 days). It could be from the drop in humidity, but I would say as long as everyone is eating/drinking you are ok - the other stuff can be dealt with later! I would leave the buff silkie in the incubator as you have others pipping. That will keep your humidity stable. You don't want to risk it right now. They can stay in there a couple of days no problem! So happy for you! Do you have to work today? the other one might not eat or drink a whole lot yet as it is still absorbing the yolk .... as long as you have dipped it's beak in the water it will get the hang of it. Once it's hatch mates join him and do it too they all seem to catch on! I changed mine to a bigger feed and water dish yesterday and they all stayed piled in the corner like I had dropped a transformer monster in with them. I went back an hour later and they were all "digging in!". They are so funny. From their perspective I guess everything looks huge!