Taking Flight learning to grow roots!

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Hi! :frow Welcome to BYC! You said:
Taking Flight said:
But having animals that you are responsible for and want to practice good husbandry ....when you don't know what you're doing... is extraordinarily stressful. And will ground you quicker than anything! Or kill you trying!😉
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and I want to assure you, it wont kill you. :D In fact, it will make you want to live. I got very sick last year and my first thought was, I can't die now! Who will take care of my chickens??? :lau
 
So yes, I went MIA...because it feels like a building fell on me. I know NOTHING about farming and am terrified of anything happening...so when something does go wrong, I tank! Bad! After candling our first small batch of silkie eggs, 3 out of 7 were viable. Never having hatched before I put the 3 viable eggs under a proven broody hen. She did great! I screwed up! Did not know you shouldn't move eggs during "hatching" phase. The other two babies hatched about 2 hours apart and the last one by evening still hadn't hatched. So I moved the mom and 2 hatched into the nursery with the last egg. Could hear strong peeping, so I thought all was good. Mom continued to sit on last egg for another day and half. Then early following morning chick had mostly hatched but not completely. All dry but laying on side. Was kicking good and peeping but wouldn't get off side. Had some shell still stuck on side was laying on. I resisted getting involved because I figured mom knew what she was doing. An hour later, the chick died in my hands. I am still a wreck. I know, I know...I need to toughen up but it ripped me up. Now I am terrified of what will happen to the three under the other broody hen. She is in the same deep laying box and the problem is the babies hatched can't get out to food or water. So what if one of her's is a late hatch like my other one? Should I move her into the nursery now before the the final days when the chick inside positions itself for hatching? And I don't even want to think about me trying to hatch out the 6 in the incubator. I'm sure I will kill those too .I wish there was someone in Boise, Idaho that would help.
To end on a positive note....here are some of the gang! Affectionately called Lilibet's Liliputians
 

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drumstick diva said:
Welcome to Backyard Chickens. Silkies seem to enjoy sharing - nest boxes, hatching eggs, raising babies. Sometimes the rooster will even get in the act, and keep eggs warm while moms take a break.
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Do you think if I put 2 moms in the nursery together, each with their respective chicks....all will be okay? Meaning they wont fight or try to kill the other's chicks?
 
Taking Flight said:
So yes, I went MIA...because it feels like a building fell on me. I know NOTHING about farming and am terrified of anything happening...so when something does go wrong, I tank! Bad! After candling our first small batch of silkie eggs, 3 out of 7 were viable. Never having hatched before I put the 3 viable eggs under a proven broody hen. She did great! I screwed up! Did not know you shouldn't move eggs during "hatching" phase. The other two babies hatched about 2 hours apart and the last one by evening still hadn't hatched. So I moved the mom and 2 hatched into the nursery with the last egg. Could hear strong peeping, so I thought all was good. Mom continued to sit on last egg for another day and half. Then early following morning chick had mostly hatched but not completely. All dry but laying on side. Was kicking good and peeping but wouldn't get off side. Had some shell still stuck on side was laying on. I resisted getting involved because I figured mom knew what she was doing. An hour later, the chick died in my hands. I am still a wreck. I know, I know...I need to toughen up but it ripped me up. Now I am terrified of what will happen to the three under the other broody hen. She is in the same deep laying box and the problem is the babies hatched can't get out to food or water. So what if one of her's is a late hatch like my other one? Should I move her into the nursery now before the the final days when the chick inside positions itself for hatching? And I don't even want to think about me trying to hatch out the 6 in the incubator. I'm sure I will kill those too .I wish there was someone in Boise, Idaho that would help.
To end on a positive note....here are some of the gang! Affectionately called Lilibet's Liliputians
Click to expand...
I am sorry about the one that died in your hands. :hugs Yes, stuff like this is pretty traumatic. I wouldn't move the mom or eggs until all eggs are hatched, chicks can go a couple of days without food and water at first. Once all eggs have hatched, its ok to make changes. Good luck! :)
 

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