Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I couldn't find a hatch along for Christmas day so I started one if any of you are hatching around that time come join me! (setting eggs around today give or take a few days)
I can't seem to paste the link to it so just look up ...

Christmas Hatch-Along​

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Here it is!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/🎄christmas🎄-hatch-along.1503294/

 

[TJAnonymous]

I went out to the coop this evening to check on Elsa and the chicks. She was sitting out on the covered porch, just outside the coop. I could tell she was sitting to keep her chicks warm but I was surprised that she would bring them outside so soon. I picked her up and 2 chicks fell out. Ummmm.... She is supposed to have THREE chicks. I took her inside the coop and locked her and the 2 chicks in a broody pen, then spent 30 minutes searching for the missing chick. No luck. I've got 3 thoughts on what may have happened -

1. A rat or a mouse got the chick? Now, I've never SEEN a rat in the coop but I have seen mice. I would think that a mama hen would take on a rat or mouse to save her chick? To be fair, Elsa is a first time mum and very docile. She does growl at me when I muss with her and her babies but she has never tried to peck or bite me.

2. The baby fell through the fence around the covered porch and went under the porch. The coop is built on top of pallets so the covered porch is raised about 4 inches from the ground. It is wrapped with both 4x2 welded wire and chicken wire, but I've had small chicks squeeze through the chicken wire. A day old Silkie hatchling could probably have fit through if it was under duress. I did look for it as far as I could see but saw & heard nothing (no chirping).

3. One of the roosters or the game hen attacked and killed it. I didn't find any blood or a body so I'm hoping this isn't the case, but it is a possibility.

Want to know the part that makes me just sick? I put Elsa and the chicks in the broody pen this morning. She went nuts and was stomping all over the babies while pacing the cage so I let her out. If only I had just kept her in there, I'd probably still have all 3 babies. *sigh*

I have 2-3 more eggs that are close to hatching in the next day or two.

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

I went out to the coop this evening to check on Elsa and the chicks. She was sitting out on the covered porch, just outside the coop. I could tell she was sitting to keep her chicks warm but I was surprised that she would bring them outside so soon. I picked her up and 2 chicks fell out. Ummmm.... She is supposed to have THREE chicks. I took her inside the coop and locked her and the 2 chicks in a broody pen, then spent 30 minutes searching for the missing chick. No luck. I've got 4 thoughts on what may have happened -

1. A rat or a mouse got the chick? Now, I've never SEEN a rat in the coop but I have seen mice. I would think that a mama hen would take on a rat or mouse to save her chick? To be fair, Elsa is a first time mum and very docile. She does growl at me when I muss with her and her babies but she has never tried to peck or bite me.

2. The baby fell through the fence around the covered porch and went under the porch. The coop is built on top of pallets so the covered porch is raised about 4 inches from the ground. It is wrapped with both 4x2 welded wire and chicken wire, but I've had small chicks squeeze through the chicken wire. A day old Silkie hatchling could probably have fit through if it was under duress. I did look for it as far as I could see but saw & heard nothing (no chirping).

3. One of the roosters or the game hen attacked and killed it. I didn't find any blood or a body so I'm hoping this isn't the case, but it is a possibility.

Want to know the part that makes me just sick? I put Elsa and the chicks in the broody pen this morning. She went nuts and was stomping all over the babies while pacing the cage so I let her out. If only I had just kept her in there, I'd probably still have all 3 babies. *sigh*

I have 2-3 more eggs that are close to hatching in the next day or two.

Snake?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Snake?

Well, it is the South and last spring I lost a chick in this coop to a black snake that got inside.... Today was really warm outside (74 degrees (so they would be on the move if not hibernating. I looked in every nook and cranny in that coop and saw no evidence of a snake. The snake that entered last spring actually tried to hide inside the coop after eating the chick. Naturally I had DH kill it.

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

I went out to the coop this evening to check on Elsa and the chicks. She was sitting out on the covered porch, just outside the coop. I could tell she was sitting to keep her chicks warm but I was surprised that she would bring them outside so soon. I picked her up and 2 chicks fell out. Ummmm.... She is supposed to have THREE chicks. I took her inside the coop and locked her and the 2 chicks in a broody pen, then spent 30 minutes searching for the missing chick. No luck. I've got 3 thoughts on what may have happened -

1. A rat or a mouse got the chick? Now, I've never SEEN a rat in the coop but I have seen mice. I would think that a mama hen would take on a rat or mouse to save her chick? To be fair, Elsa is a first time mum and very docile. She does growl at me when I muss with her and her babies but she has never tried to peck or bite me.

2. The baby fell through the fence around the covered porch and went under the porch. The coop is built on top of pallets so the covered porch is raised about 4 inches from the ground. It is wrapped with both 4x2 welded wire and chicken wire, but I've had small chicks squeeze through the chicken wire. A day old Silkie hatchling could probably have fit through if it was under duress. I did look for it as far as I could see but saw & heard nothing (no chirping).

3. One of the roosters or the game hen attacked and killed it. I didn't find any blood or a body so I'm hoping this isn't the case, but it is a possibility.

Want to know the part that makes me just sick? I put Elsa and the chicks in the broody pen this morning. She went nuts and was stomping all over the babies while pacing the cage so I let her out. If only I had just kept her in there, I'd probably still have all 3 babies. *sigh*

I have 2-3 more eggs that are close to hatching in the next day or two.

So sorry you lost your little one.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I just checked the eggs in the incubator. One is pipped internally

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I went out to the coop this evening to check on Elsa and the chicks. She was sitting out on the covered porch, just outside the coop. I could tell she was sitting to keep her chicks warm but I was surprised that she would bring them outside so soon. I picked her up and 2 chicks fell out. Ummmm.... She is supposed to have THREE chicks. I took her inside the coop and locked her and the 2 chicks in a broody pen, then spent 30 minutes searching for the missing chick. No luck. I've got 3 thoughts on what may have happened -

1. A rat or a mouse got the chick? Now, I've never SEEN a rat in the coop but I have seen mice. I would think that a mama hen would take on a rat or mouse to save her chick? To be fair, Elsa is a first time mum and very docile. She does growl at me when I muss with her and her babies but she has never tried to peck or bite me.

2. The baby fell through the fence around the covered porch and went under the porch. The coop is built on top of pallets so the covered porch is raised about 4 inches from the ground. It is wrapped with both 4x2 welded wire and chicken wire, but I've had small chicks squeeze through the chicken wire. A day old Silkie hatchling could probably have fit through if it was under duress. I did look for it as far as I could see but saw & heard nothing (no chirping).

3. One of the roosters or the game hen attacked and killed it. I didn't find any blood or a body so I'm hoping this isn't the case, but it is a possibility.

Want to know the part that makes me just sick? I put Elsa and the chicks in the broody pen this morning. She went nuts and was stomping all over the babies while pacing the cage so I let her out. If only I had just kept her in there, I'd probably still have all 3 babies. *sigh*

I have 2-3 more eggs that are close to hatching in the next day or two.

Oh so sad to loose one
Elsa doesn't sound like great mum unfortunately. The chicks are only young so I wouldn't expect them to be out foraging till at least 10 days old.. mine usually take their babies out from 2 weeks old but not far to start with.
If rat or mouse at night time mother hen wouldn't be able to see so wouldn't do anything, during the day yes hen should attack anything to protect her chicks.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Oh so sad to loose one
Elsa doesn't sound like great mum unfortunately. The chicks are only young so I wouldn't expect them to be out foraging till at least 10 days old.. mine usually take their babies out from 2 weeks old but not far to start with.
If rat or mouse at night time mother hen wouldn't be able to see so wouldn't do anything, during the day yes hen should attack anything to protect her chicks.

I should clarify... I don't think Elsa took the chicks out to forage. They did not leave the covered porch of the coop. I was just surprised that she took them out to the porch at all. My standard breed mamas usually keep inside the coop for the first 4-5 days. I'm really thinking that something happened inside the coop to drive her out. Maybe one of the roosters or a rat/mouse.... It was dusk when I went out to check them. I have no idea how long she had been on the porch but whatever happened, it was daylight when it happened.

I put her and her 2 remaining chicks in a 2 ft x 4 ft broody pen. Mice can get in, but roosters and rats can't. We'll see how it goes in the morning. She was calm and warming her chicks when I went inside. Let's hope she stays that way tomorrow in the daytime.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I may have found a local source for crele, chocolate, chocolate paint, mauve, and paint silkies!!! Just need them to hatch eggs plus i need my coop setup completed...

Anddddd, i gave my girls an Epsom salt pedicure spa bath today.... and 3 have pox. Let's hope it's fowl pox and not avian, otherwise my parrot is probably going to catch it, if it isn't incubating already