So excited, I'm shaking! Hatching today!!

[Red Barn Farms]

Today is the day!!

My little black silkie bantam is now a mamma! Out of fourteen eggs she has a bakers dozen. Still waiting for this one last egg to hatch then she'd have a 100% hatch rate. Images will follow later. I don't want to upset her but I had to peek under her.

I just could'n help it!! They are the cutest little balls of black fluff I've ever seen except two have some yellow color around their faces? Funny, both mamma and new daddy are both black.

I do have a question however, She had made her nest on the side of a bale of hay in the barn loft. We left her alone with her eggs to hatch there. So do you all think I should move her and the babies to a safer location. I'm afraid when the babies come out to explore and mamma teaches them to eat and drink one might just fall off the edge of the hay bale. That's three foot to the barn floor. What's your opinions on this? Safe to put her and babies in the brooder box? It's a big 6 x 6 foot box. Maybe add straw and build her a new nest to put babies in then her on top of them tonight when it's dark?

 

[sumi]

I think you should wait until she shows signs of wanting to get up before you move her. Otherwise she might not want to sit on the last egg. Though, on the other hand, if you wait 'till tonight and then move her and the egg quickly it'll give the egg plenty time to hatch, as she'll be on it all night
I heard chicks are tough, but I'd be a bit worried too! I accidentally dropped a chick once and it did get a bit shaken... It was o.k. afterwards, but it was scary!

Congrats on the hatch and I hope you get number 14. But 13/14 is a fantastic rate!

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Thanks Sumi, Great advice. I'm also happy to update the last egg has just hatched.

Another little ball of black fluff. They all have the cutest little top hats. So tonight we'll move them to a safer location. I cannot believe her hatch rate either! Fourteen new silkie babies today!

Thanks bunches!

 

[sumi]

Congrats! 100% hatch is fantastic, wow. I wish my hens would do that LOL Can't wait to see them, they sound adorable.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Thinking back i remember taking four eggs from my Golden Campine and putting them in the nest with the silkies eggs. Four of these little babies are brown and yellow but silkie looking in all other ways. The fertile eggs all came from a black sizzle rooster. It's going to be so interesting watching them all grow up but especially these four golden campine/sizzle babies! Is this even possible?

 

[sumi]

I think they are going to be very pretty chickens!

 

[CKHuggins]

Not au-naturel, but my silkie eggs are pipping today . last batch was 8 out of 9, so I have high hopes for these 25 eggs. my silkies seem to be much more fertile then my "larger breeds"

 

[CKHuggins]

Here are some pics of the new chicks, 2nd pic in with some slightly older ones.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Here are some pics of the new chicks, 2nd pic in with some slightly older ones.

They are just adorable! My goodness. How many do you have there?

 

[Red Barn Farms]

Not au-naturel, but my silkie eggs are pipping today . last batch was 8 out of 9, so I have high hopes for these 25 eggs. my silkies seem to be much more fertile then my "larger breeds"

That is wonderful. How many did you have? Hope you post those images!