Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

The chicks are popping out of the eggs like popcorn. 6 out of 8 have hatched so far. #7 has externally pipped and #8 has internally pipped. I wish my BCMs hatched this easily. I have to admit they are cute. That little extra toe is adorable. But they are TINY. I didn't realize just how little they were until the little Marans got in the middle of them. It's almost double their size.
Holly is like, Nothing to see here, go away!
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Congrats on the new additions! Such little cuties!!! And mumma hen is gorgeous too!
Its always so egg-citing to see chicks hatch and watch mother hen care for them I'll never get tired of it!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

The chicks are popping out of the eggs like popcorn. 6 out of 8 have hatched so far. #7 has externally pipped and #8 has internally pipped. I wish my BCMs hatched this easily. I have to admit they are cute. That little extra toe is adorable. But they are TINY. I didn't realize just how little they were until the little Marans got in the middle of them. It's almost double their size.
Holly is like, Nothing to see here, go away!
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Just too adorable... i need some land so i can have more chickens!!

 

[LynnaePB]

2 of the silkies hatched so far. They are still a bit damp but are so cute. I was a little surprised though. I assumed being black they would hatch out all black, instead they have white chests. Similar to my Marans hatch down pattern. This is normal though right?

Congratulation on the new silkie babies, they are just adorable!

The down for the black silkies sounds normal to me. I don't breed blacks but I do breed paints so I get quite a few black babies from them. Some do hatch all black, some are similar to your babies, while others have even more yellow down on their undersides and wingtips.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

It's Winter here and I can't believe it but all my 4 pullets are laying! I've got so many eggs now with some of my hens are still laying aswell and looks like they might continue through Winter so I won't have to worry about having no eggs for a few months

I'll have to time a hatch or 2 same time again this year so the next year's pullets will lay through Winter too! .. I should have plenty of broodies on the job ... I think if I have 10 go broody I'll have to just let them go for it!! Can't control 10 crazy chicken broodies at once!.. 3 is the most I have done but I do have 4 broody cages.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

It seems there must always be a little heartbreak with each hatching. I went to bed last night with #7 egg pipped. I got up this morning expecting it to have hatched only to discover it had passed in the shell sometime overnight. It hurts to loose one so close to hatching. To make it worse, this one was white. I did not expect that with the eggs coming from a all black flock. I'm now worried about the final egg. Today is day 21 and I can hear nothing inside it and when I tried to candle can see no movement. Holly is still sitting on it but I will maybe make a safety hole tonight, although I fear I may have lost that one as well. In all though, if the other one has passed Holly did a great job. Including her own she has 7 healthy chicks. Coming from questionable eggs that is a great result. Even the one that was 14 days old when incubation started hatched. I never thought I would say this, but those little extra toes on their feet, are adorable. And they are already so curious and friendly, every time I'm out there with them making sure they are eating and drinking if they hear my voice they all come out from under momma looking at me. There is one, the biggest of the chicks that is already in running for being my favorite. It just cocks it's little head and gives me the most judging of looks and when I refilled their food dish it pecked my finger. I like its attitude already, and want to keep it. Of course, with my luck, that one is a little boy.

 

[Mariella posey]

Anyone ever order Silkie chicks from Ideal? Were they a good quality? Were they healthy?
I've been debating buying from them but would like to hear what people think of the chicks first.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Anyone ever order Silkie chicks from Ideal? Were they a good quality? Were they healthy?
I've been debating buying from them but would like to hear what people think of the chicks first.

My first chicks i got were from ideal. The silkies were very healthy (as were the D'uccles i got from there as well), so friendly, no aggression. They were both non-bearded, but still had a cute top fluff. Dark skin, 5 toes, small little girl combs once they came in.

Here they were at 3 days old... the blue and partridge (left and center). Sweetest things ever.



Here they were once they were grown, about 5 months old:



And 4 months, before little wattles came in. I loved her blue skin.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I am absolutely beside myself right now!

This morning I realized my dear sweet Minette didn't come out to eat. I went into the coop and found her behind the block steps for the roosts. I wasn't sure if she got trapped/wedged while hiding from a bully or if she was hiding because something was wrong. I got her out but she seemed reluctant to go outside so I figured maybe it was a bully situation. I took her out and set her down by the water bowl. She drank quite a bit of water like she was really thirsty. I watched her for about 10 minutes. She mingled with the others and poked at food here and there but didn't seem really keen on eating. I left her with her flock mates and intended to check on her again later. Only I got busy with work and forgot! This evening (around 12 hrs later) I was outside with my husband. It was dusk and all the chickens had already gone into their coops.... That's when I noticed poor Minette laying on the ground in her run. I ran to her and was certain she was dead. I picked her up and she started moving very weakly.

I have her inside the house right now. She is laying on a heating pad. I have no clue what is wrong with her but I'm so worried she is going to die. Out of desperation, I syringed a bit of Gatorade, amoxicillan, and mineral oil into her mouth. She is hardly moving at all.

Tomorrow I can pick up some Nutri-Drench which will be better than the Gatorade. I just don't know what to do to save her.



ETA - I'm too late. Despite my best efforts, it isn't enough... My little Minette has passed. Heartbroken

 

[LynnaePB]

I am absolutely beside myself right now!

This morning I realized my dear sweet Minette didn't come out to eat. I went into the coop and found her behind the block steps for the roosts. I wasn't sure if she got trapped/wedged while hiding from a bully or if she was hiding because something was wrong. I got her out but she seemed reluctant to go outside so I figured maybe it was a bully situation. I took her out and set her down by the water bowl. She drank quite a bit of water like she was really thirsty. I watched her for about 10 minutes. She mingled with the others and poked at food here and there but didn't seem really keen on eating. I left her with her flock mates and intended to check on her again later. Only I got busy with work and forgot! This evening (around 12 hrs later) I was outside with my husband. It was dusk and all the chickens had already gone into their coops.... That's when I noticed poor Minette laying on the ground in her run. I ran to her and was certain she was dead. I picked her up and she started moving very weakly.

I have her inside the house right now. She is laying on a heating pad. I have no clue what is wrong with her but I'm so worried she is going to die. Out of desperation, I syringed a bit of Gatorade, amoxicillan, and mineral oil into her mouth. She is hardly moving at all.

Tomorrow I can pick up some Nutri-Drench which will be better than the Gatorade. I just don't know what to do to save her.



ETA - I'm too late. Despite my best efforts, it isn't enough... My little Minette has passed. Heartbroken

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I'm so sorry little Minette didn't make it. Sounds like you tried your best for her, it's always so tough when things like this happen!

 

[SusanMc]

First and foremost - ABSOLUTELY NO HATING ON SILKIES ALLOWED!!! If you aren’t here to support our fuzzy friends, don’t respond.

Silkies get a bad rap for the following:
"Looks like a dust mop"
"Too hard to maintain"
"Poor immune system"
"Dumber than rocks"
"0 predator awareness"
And oh, so much more.

Well my friends - I thought so too, until I actually got silkies for myself. These are some of the most wonderful birds out there.

I’ve found them to be highly heat tolerant, wonderful mothers, having the strongest immune systems in my Bantam flock, GREAT LAYERS (that’s right folks), adorable as all get out, and more.

I currently have 9 silkies - and my rooster has been nothing but a gentleman to his ladies. They free range daily and I’ve not had a silkie get killed by a predator yet. My hens average 5 eggs a week - not too bad for a silkie, eh?


Most of the time, these silkie haters haven’t even owned the breed, but rather pretend they know everything.


So... let the fun begin! Support our silkies!

Pictures always welcome.

Be mindful, and respect others...

Off-topic discussions are allowed, though try to maintain the subject of silkies.

-Kayla-

Hi,
Im not a Hater, but never had one, though we had a gal working for us who was OBSESSED over her silkies. I’m curious ... I think one of my new hatches might be half silkie. I’ll enjoy the discussions