The Old Folks Home

[Cynthia12]

Had to send out one of my lenses for repair. Finally got the chance to test it out today. It is back to perfect working order!

I'm scrolling through your pictures with my DH behind me, he sees them, and says..oooh, that's pretty. Yep. Nice!

 

[chickadoodles]

Had to send out one of my lenses for repair. Finally got the chance to test it out today. It is back to perfect working order!

So beautiful!

 

[BunnyMomma]

Ok, change of subject of potty training. I got some SG/Silkie eggs to set. I thought I would ask here as well as on the other site, as to how you have incubated these eggs, if you ever have. I usually do pretty good with incubating eggs when the air sacs and fertility look good. But, have had the hardest time ever hatching the silkies. It's been a while, I gave up, did get a few here and there from buying those shipped eggs.
Any secrets I don't know about? More..less...humidity during incubation? Less heat? I thought I had tried it all, but maybe I've missed something.

Hi Cynthia! Silkies are a real booger to hatch. I have had about as many failures as I have successful hatches. Here are some things I have learned. From my experience, any breeds of shipped eggs run a high risk of damage during shipment. I always feel very blessed to have 25 to 35% hatch. On bantam breeds it can be much less, especially Silkies! I have had successful hatches and not successful hatches from the same breeder. Most people send nice, fresh, fertile eggs and are very careful with their packaging. If I want specific eggs I might order two or three times from a breeder, even if the first batch does not do well. I always know it is a gamble when purchasing shipped eggs. I have gotten some beautiful stock with my shipped eggs.
These are just some tips that I have used and I hope they help!

1~ Try to purchase from a breeder that is reputable. Contact others or get recommendations from other people that have had successful hatches from a breeder.

2~ Have your shipment insured through USPS for the value of the eggs. That way you can get your money back if the shipment is damaged and you will be able to purchase more eggs.

3~ Let the eggs "settle" for a minimum of 24 hours before you set them.

4~If you have an experienced broody hen, set them under her. You will have a much better percentage of hatching chicks.

5~ If you put them in your incubator, only put 1 Tablespoon of water in the incubator on days 1, 7 and 14. This is especially important in the summer when the humidity is really high. Put your incubator in an area that is not air conditioned. I have had much better hatches since I put my 'bators on the front porch where there is no air. In the winter, put the 'bator in a warm area that stays a constant temperature, if possible. Set your incubator at 1 degree higher than is recommended. I usually have better luck with a 100-101 temps.

6~ Candle them ONLY on day 12, and throw out the duds. Don't be tempted to candle them any more than this!

7~On Day 20 add 1/4 cup of water to the incubator, no more. I have found that adding more than this will drown your chicks.

8~ Don't turn off the turner! Leave them in the turner the entire time. It won't hurt for them to hatch with the turner on.

9~ Take the chicks out of the 'bator as soon as they hatch and put them in your broody box.

10~ If you don't want to leave them in the turner, put the eggs in a pyrex dish with a paper towel in the bottom of the dish. Arrange the eggs in the dish so that they are not too tight, but where there is enough space for them to hatch. The pyrex dish helps to keep the eggs a constant temperature in case you need to open the incubator to get the babies out.

 

[BunnyMomma]

Hey, I wanted to share one of my project birds with you all! I have been working on this project for 3 years. I call them "American Silkie Flowers"
This is a photo of my little rooster "Sir Dahlia" and one of my little hens "Lemon Blossom" They are very small and weigh less than a pound. The hens have little pea combs and the roo's have small straight combs. I wish you could see them in person. They are so sweet!
I am always working on genetic project birds. It is just a hobby of mine. The photos are not the best, I took them with my i phone.

 

[BunnyMomma]

So beautiful!

Awesome photos dsgard!

 

[Cynthia12]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/07/scrambled-eggsicles-for-chickens.html


Hey Bunnie, thank you so much! I hand turn. Now, I have heard two different things on the humidity. Had a gal say that higher humidity helps with her hatching them. We are in a Desert here in Utah. I filled one of the trays in the bator half full..have humidity in upper 20's. That isn't too high is it?
I was actually thinking I should go ahead and buy more from this person..they have exactly what I want!
Candling..yes, need to watch my candling! I am glad that you mentioned the temp..I was wondering about that..I had it at 100, then turned it down to 99..going to put it back up to 100 right now!

 

[BunnyMomma]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/07/scrambled-eggsicles-for-chickens.html


Hey Bunnie, thank you so much! I hand turn. Now, I have heard two different things on the humidity. Had a gal say that higher humidity helps with her hatching them. We are in a Desert here in Utah. I filled one of the trays in the bator half full..have humidity in upper 20's. That isn't too high is it?
I was actually thinking I should go ahead and buy more from this person..they have exactly what I want!
Candling..yes, need to watch my candling! I am glad that you mentioned the temp..I was wondering about that..I had it at 100, then turned it down to 99..going to put it back up to 100 right now!

Hi Cynthia, I would just make sure not to put so much water that you have any condensation on the windows or the eggs. I think I would add 1/2 cup of water every 5 days. If you still have water in there every 5 days you can reduce it or increase it as you feel you need to. What kind of incubator do you have? I think filling up the tray half full of water might be too much. I would rather err on the side of less water than too much. What kind of Silkies are you getting? Hey good luck with your hatch! Be sure to share pics!

 

[drumstick diva]

Bunny Momma - any comb but an ugly walnut(tumor) is fine with me. Are you breeding them for a particular type of comb? They sure look huggable. What are temperaments like?

 

[BunnyMomma]

Bunny Momma - any comb but an ugly walnut(tumor) is fine with me. Are you breeding them for a particular type of comb? They sure look huggable. What are temperaments like?

Hi! Yes, The hens have a very, very tiny pea type comb. (I corrected and earlier post where I stated that the hens had a small rose comb. I meant to say a tiny Pea comb) The rooster combs are just like "Sir Dahlia's" I've bred for very compact combs, so that they will not be prone to frost bite. The hens have beards and muffs, as do the roosters. Their temperament is so wonderful! Not flighty at all, very curious acting. They want to know what is going on when I am in the pen with them. They are actually more tame than most of my Silkies. It is not totally obvious in the photo, but the colors are really nice. That is why I call them "Flowers" They have unusual coloring that I have never seen on any chicken. It is a mix of Red, Buff, White and Blue. I have one rooster that is just Buff, White and Cream. I have 2 roosters that are the colors of Sir D.
The roosters are more friendly than the hens, but both are super docile. They love for me to pick them up, in fact they pretty much expect it. They lay a tiny light cream, almost white egg. They have extremely nice feathering on their feet and legs, again for frost protection. Plus, I am partial to feather footed birds!
Their Temperaments are very much like Silkies, but I think better because they can see. In Silkies, their poufs restrict their sight and they are sort of goofy! I love Silkies anyhow!
Thanks for asking! I'm glad you like them.

 

[insanity]

BunnyMomma

Very jealous.They are so cute and tiny. I love all the fluff on them.