Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[AngBantamLuv]

So... after the guessing game about my little black chicklet... the polish are surpassing it in size and feathering, and it is starting to look much closer to the silkies.. i wonder if maybe its a satin silkie???

Im going to try to take a pic.. but every time i go there, that same little one starts doing zoomies and getting everyone else in a kerfuffle! posting shortly...

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

Do you think it’s possible that chick is sex link? With the spot on the head

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I'm going on egg watch with little Poppy. She's taken serious interest in the nest area's the last few days. I was almost certain she was going to lay her first egg yesterday afternoon. She kept trying to get to the nest the big cochin girls use to lay in yesterday morning and got ran off 3 times. After the big girls were done I locked them out and let her have access and privacy for the nest. She spent 3 hours in it reducing the size so that it only fit her and then took a nap. I've got everything crossed that she lays very soon. I had already made a plan that starting new years day I was going to start holding back my cochin girls eggs to fill up the incubator. If Poppy starts laying I'm going to toss every egg I get from her in it as well.

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

When do you guys decide to interfere with a chick hatching? I have one that pipped last night and hasn’t hatched yet. I know this is normal but it hasn’t been chirping or moving like all it’s siblings did. I’m afraid it’s week or something. I can see the beak moving but not doing anything.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

When do you guys decide to interfere with a chick hatching? I have one that pipped last night and hasn’t hatched yet. I know this is normal but it hasn’t been chirping or moving like all it’s siblings did. I’m afraid it’s week or something. I can see the beak moving but not doing anything.

I had one that pipped towards the bottom of the egg.. it was well over 24 hours and I could tell it was weakening...less movement and peeping. So I panicked and tried to help...then slowed down, looked it up and did it right! It was weak first 24 hours from where others had jostled it, stepped on it and trying to hatch. But it ended up being perfectly fine! Healthy as all the rest!
I'd say go with your gut.

 

[chickengr]

When do you guys decide to interfere with a chick hatching? I have one that pipped last night and hasn’t hatched yet. I know this is normal but it hasn’t been chirping or moving like all it’s siblings did. I’m afraid it’s week or something. I can see the beak moving but not doing anything.

I was told to let the chick hatch on it's own within 24 hours and lost 1. another one was getting weak so I helped it and saved it. I have decided to help any chick that didn't hatch within 12 hours.

 

[chickengr]

I'm going on egg watch with little Poppy. She's taken serious interest in the nest area's the last few days. I was almost certain she was going to lay her first egg yesterday afternoon. She kept trying to get to the nest the big cochin girls use to lay in yesterday morning and got ran off 3 times. After the big girls were done I locked them out and let her have access and privacy for the nest. She spent 3 hours in it reducing the size so that it only fit her and then took a nap. I've got everything crossed that she lays very soon. I had already made a plan that starting new years day I was going to start holding back my cochin girls eggs to fill up the incubator. If Poppy starts laying I'm going to toss every egg I get from her in it as well.

pullets eggs are not good for hatching, especially the very first ones. they do not have enough yolk for the chicks to develop properly. I have been told not to hatch at least the first 30 pullet's eggs. when I did it (when my dogs killed my chickens I desperately wanted to hatch their eggs) I got a few weak chicks that died.

 

[LynnaePB]

When do you guys decide to interfere with a chick hatching? I have one that pipped last night and hasn’t hatched yet. I know this is normal but it hasn’t been chirping or moving like all it’s siblings did. I’m afraid it’s week or something. I can see the beak moving but not doing anything.

This is a good guide on assisting and can help you take the steps to safely help if the little one needs it. You definitely don't want to break it out all at once in case it is finishing up absorbing still. At 24 hours if it pipped on the correct side it probably has finished but it's always best to be safe and go slow checking carefully to make sure no blood vessels still need to be absorbed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

pullets eggs are not good for hatching, especially the very first ones. they do not have enough yolk for the chicks to develop properly. I have been told not to hatch at least the first 30 pullet's eggs. when I did it (when my dogs killed my chickens I desperately wanted to hatch their eggs) I got a few weak chicks that died.

That's interesting...cuz these were the first eggs of my newly layin pullet (only layin 2 weeks) and they did great! Smaller than thr eggs I got from Alabama but the babies were just fine and all hatched on their own before the Alabama eggs hatched.

 

[HipMystic]

Happy New Year Everyone!!!