Silkies - They’re simply SPECTACULAR!

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Do you all think my borderline 14 week old cockerel pullet is a cockerel now??

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I would say yes!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I would say yes!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Sorry

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I would say yes!

I don't think 4 boys are going to work so I'll have to get rid of at least 1 but which one? My older cockerel (near a year old) is in the other coop and then theres my 2 year old rooster who's a gentleman .. so I guess it might be out of these 2 young ones.. and well I have 2 x 5 week olds I don't know gender yet - they were abandoned by hen but doing well on their own now.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

My cockerel did that with one of the pullets for the longest time when they were younger and I was convinced that she may be a male as well. Ended up being female. He only did this behavior with her and not the others of the same age. So I guess that doesn’t mean it’s definitive!
You probably have some time before you have to make your final decision about which ones to keep.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

My cockerel did that with one of the pullets for the longest time when they were younger and I was convinced that she may be a male as well. Ended up being female. He only did this behavior with her and not the others of the same age. So I guess that doesn’t mean it’s definitive!
You probably have some time before you have to make your final decision about which ones to keep.

Really the cockerel and pullet fought!? Ok then, I'll keep them all till it becomes more of a problem.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So this little one is the only one left out of 10! There are two that haven’t hatched yet but I believe they are DIS. I will leave them in the incubator for a few more days just to be sure.
I did a partial assist as she had internally pipped over 24 hours without making any progress. I was so worried as I had lost chicks in the past not intervening in time. Now hoping she kicks off the rest of the egg herself to help prevent any leg and foot issues.
Don’t worry about the blood you see in the photo that is not active bleeding.
Hard to tell what color she is right now, I suspect possibly splash. I’ll know more when she’s dry!
I will post another photo when she’s out and all fluffed up and cute. I am willing this chick to be female as she is the only one. I have some older chicks she can hang with once she is stable on her feet and eating and drinking normally.
My other set of shipped eggs are on day 9 today. The one egg that was only 23 g did not have a yoke as suspected! 16 were either clears or too scrambled to develop at all and three were blood rings. I have 5 left out of 25! Darn these shipped eggs! Only way to get new bloodlines though here so hopefully I get a few good birds from these eggs. Of the paints, only one left is still viable.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

So this little one is the only one left out of 10! There are two that haven’t hatched yet but I believe they are DIS. I will leave them in the incubator for a few more days just to be sure.
I did a partial assist as she had internally pipped over 24 hours without making any progress. I was so worried as I had lost chicks in the past not intervening in time. Now hoping she kicks off the rest of the egg herself to help prevent any leg and foot issues.
Don’t worry about the blood you see in the photo that is not active bleeding.
Hard to tell what color she is right now, I suspect possibly splash. I’ll know more when she’s dry!
I will post another photo when she’s out and all fluffed up and cute. I am willing this chick to be female as she is the only one. I have some older chicks she can hang with once she is stable on her feet and eating and drinking normally.
My other set of shipped eggs are on day 9 today. The one egg that was only 23 g did not have a yoke as suspected! 16 were either clears or too scrambled to develop at all and three were blood rings. I have 5 left out of 25! Darn these shipped eggs! Only way to get new bloodlines though here so hopefully I get a few good birds from these eggs. Of the paints, only one left is still viable.
View attachment 2547514

Wow! That's not a good hatch rate at all. Can you get money back for some at least? Esp the no yollk. ..Makes that single chick a very expensive one out of that lot.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Wow! That's not a good hatch rate at all. Can you get money back for some at least? Esp the no yollk. ..Makes that single chick a very expensive one out of that lot.

No, this is the risk with shipped eggs.
I have had great hatch rates with shipped eggs and even some where none hatched. Hopefully I will have enough birds now not to need to bring in any more new ones. Hope the others fair better. Little one is out now and looks to be blue. Likely going to keep it either way, but sending the eggshell out for DNA gender testing so I do not need to wonder at least. Definitely not worth it to sell it!