Muddy Silkies

[Suechooks]

They are looking better - still covered in mud but at least its dry now! They're getting a bit tamer too and stand at the run gate yelling for their bit of mash! I'll be mixing them in with the "pretty girls" (oh and Alfie the Wyandotte boy) in a couple of weeks.
Still have 9 eggs looking promising in the incy - 12th day today.

[Suechooks]

Daft as a brush!

2 of the 3 refugees decided to get themselves out of the dry run and into the open muddy area beyond (still in the fox-proof run) and then couldn't get back over the barrier! So soaking wet Silkies again despite my best efforts!
The exciting bit is that when I candled the eggs tonight I could see some of them moving! Never seen that before! Watch this space!

[polo]

Typical isn't it! I have 4 of my friends hens to look after for a month, one of which is a silkie - its going to need its feet washing when it goes home! Not really set up for silkies! It has just come into lay as well - really dinky ittle eggs so I blew the first one to give to my friends.

The eggs sound great- how long til they hatch do you think?

[Suechooks]

They should hatch Tuesday next week - at least that'll be day 21! Had to discard anothe this morning as it was seeping and I could smell it when I opened the incy to turn them! Yuk! Will stop turning after tomorrow and increase humidity. Hoping to get at least a couple anyway.
2 of the three are laying again!

[chris]

Are they small eggs that they lay then? As in quail size?

[Suechooks]

Are they small eggs that they lay then? As in quail size?

They're about bantam size Chris - just weighed one 42grams.

[Suechooks]

Bit of a shock this morning - Day 19 and there was a chick all bedraggled and cheeping! Been waiting all day for something to happen with the remaining 6. Tonight 2 are pipped and cheeping so hoping they'll be out by morning. Poor little Billy-no-mates is under the electric hen with a mophead for company!

[polo]

Oh! What a surprise! Waiting with bated breath to hear about the rest

Polo

[broadway]

Oh! What a surprise! Waiting with bated breath to hear about the rest

Polo

Ditto

And pictures ASAP?

[Suechooks]

Well sadly one of the pipped ones is dead in shell this morning and the other one is struggling to get out. There are 3 eggs which look the same when I candle them and the remaining one looks different. Hoping I get at least another one to keep poor little Billy company.
I'll put Billys photo on shortly but was waiting (more in hope than expectation!) for more before I did it!
PS> Well sorry but for some reason my computer won't let me download photos from my camera this morning and Billy-no-mates posed so prettily for me too! Will try again later.

[Suechooks]

Billy and................

May I introduce Billy-no-mates and surprise surprise Billy's little newly arrived pal!
After much picking off of shell and damping of membrane the second chick finally struggled free about 15 minutes ago - more than 24 hours after Billy!
Not much hope for the remaining 4 eggs though but I'm delighted to get the second as I've not yet managed to locate any baby chicks this young.

[RichmondHens]

Oh he is very sweet (and I'll bet he is a he too, it's always the way). Hope the other little one makes it.

[polo]

Very sweet the pair of them!

[chris]

wow, I thought all chicken-chicks were yellow That's cool, I'd like to raise some chicks some day, but not sure I could get rid of the males if needed... so doubt I'll bother

Keep us posted

[RichmondHens]

Chicks can have all different colours of down - it is dependent on what colour the feathers are going to be.

You are wise not to consider breeding unless you have a plan for the males. At least half of all hatches are male. Occasionally you get lucky and have more females, but not often. I've lost count of the amount of ads I'm seeing at the moment for people trying to rehome or sell their cocks, and I should imagine the rescue centres are inundated. You can sometimes "move on" a good quality pure breed cock, but cross breeds are worth nothing beyond meat value. Better to get them in the roasting pan!