Chick Pics: Silkies

Sunday and Monday

NoWay and Sunday, white silkie chick

NoWay and Sunday

Monday, partridge silkie chick

NoWay's nest for the chicks, Cheeks is fascinated!

Silkie chicks in their little nest.

We Have Chicks!

The eggs are not due until tomorrow, officially (well that and a in a couple days, this is a very slightly staggered hatch) and we already have two beautiful and healthy chicks. The incubator makes photos impossible, so those will have to wait until I take them out, but I can tell you that they are adorable, fluffy, tiny, active, and have little poofy white topknots on their heads that send the boys into fits of giggles.

We have Pips!

The eggs are due starting tomorrow and we already have some singing in the incubator and at least one pip. I am really excited as I have taken extra care with this whole incubation process, being very very precise with relative humidity and temperature in the incubator.

Nothing to see yet, really, but I will post with photos as soon as we know anything is really happening.

Fun in the Backyard

The Chicks Are Out!

I moved the chicks out of the house today. It is nice and warm out and they need the space to move around. They are within the completely enclosed garden structure inside another whole structure, so they are as safe as I can possibly make them at this point. Their mini-coop is not in with them yet, as it was just too unwieldy for me to move on my own. The actual enclosure they are in is a doggy play pen that my mother in law had at her house. In the background you can see one of the raised beds waiting to be planted in my garden. NoWay picked a bunch of weeds for the chicks to eat.

So far the dogs are all too interested in the chicks. Here you can see Funny staring at the chickens. He has actually been around chickens previously, the only one of the dogs that we had the last time we had chickens. We actually had ducks at that point too. He has never hurt any of our animals, but sometimes I think chicks stretch his terrier sensibilities. 

Bandit was attacked by what we think was a coyote over Christmas break. You can still see his neck where he has healed.

I am more concerned about Bandit and Taco, they are notoriously hard to teach anything and Bandit, as a rat terrier, has been BRED to destroy small critters. We'll see if they will ever be compatible.

The chicks are delighted to be outside. Already they stretch out their wings to sunbathe and practice half-flying around. The pen is small enough that they feel secure, and large enough that they can move around like they have been wanting to for ages. They have access to the bunny cage that was their primary dwelling, but I will be reclaiming that soon as I have some eggs that are due to hatch the 31st. Those eggs are for silkies and I have 10 that are definitely developing. I have been VERY cautious with this hatching, monitoring Relative Humidity and temperature and turning by hand instead of counting on any leaning as being enough (whether or the whole incubator or egg cartons). 

Chick Pics

Chicks love Boy

Roosting on Boy

Theodore is watching Boy play his game.

Cheeks doing his happy Chicken dance.

Simon

Simon

Theodore

Theodore

Theodore

NoWay and Dave

NoWay and Dave

Dave

Hatchitis

I know there are other versions of this, but this is mine:


This is a Public Service Announcement.

Do you or someone you love obsessively look at eggs on ebay or other auction sites? Do you spend more time on BYC then you spend talking to your family? Do you have energy-eating machines in your house that you just can't seem to unplug?

If this is you, you may be a victim of Egg Hatchitis.

This incurable disease is highly contagious and can be spread through word of mouth, over the internet, or even reading books. This disease effects millions from the ages of 2 to 120. Symptoms include:

Involuntary egg bidding (which usually results in further symptoms egg unwrapping, egg placement in incubator, and hyperventilating when eggs are due)
Obsessive searching of auction sites for hatching eggs
Wide varieties of rare fowl ranging from bantams to Emus in suburban backyards

Hatchitis can become extreme. If you have any of the following symptoms you may need to seek help:

Hiding of eggs and or incubator purchases from spouse or loved ones. 
Ignoring of local HOA and Zoning laws
The need to increase coop sizes on a regular basis
Sleep talking the following phrases "'evil silkies' 'lavender Orpingtons' '...wyandotte'"
Random chicken stories at inappropriate moments, such as weddings...
There's a chicken in your car.
Frequenting BYC so often that the keys C-H-I-C-K-E-N-S no longer work on your keyboard and your 'real life' friends have forgotten you.

There is no cure for this disease. If you or a loved one are suffering from Hatchitis, there is nothing you can do but succumb and enjoy it.

Thank you.

Chick Pic(s) of the Day

Boy playing DS with Simon

Boy and Simon are buddies

NoWay and Chicks watching Boy play DS

Dave, NoWay, Theodore, Simon, Boy

Snuggles

Chicks like cuddling up to NoWay, when he can hold still...

Simon napping on Boy's shoulder

I said, She said

I'm always interested to find out what people who know nothing about chickens assume about them. I thought I would share a few, and answer them as best I can... it's also a good laugh for people who know about chickens.

I took Alvin to school with me the other day to pick up the Boy. Boy explained that Alvin came from a blue egg.
His teacher said, "Like a robin? Is it a robin?"
Boy explained that it was a chicken. Chickens can lay all colors of eggs.

Another lady, waiting for her grand-daughter at the same school asked me how I feed my chickens.
"Oh," I replied, "I feed them starter feed, and some fresh foods and leftovers..."
She nodded. "In a dropper?"
(Chickens are born able to feed themselves. Quail and other similar birds can too. Yes, birds like parrots need to be fed through a dropper if a human feeds them...)

Same lady didn't know that incubation was possible. I didn't want to be offensive, so I didn't ask her where she thought they all came from, the ones we eat, but I didn't. I AM curious though.

I know that some kids, if you ask them, "Where does chicken come from? Where do eggs come from?" will answer, "The store."

This is actually one of the big reasons that I do what I do and that I want to expand my homestead. I think it is essential that children, well, people in general, know where their food comes from and how it gets to them, to have a sense of gratitude and respect for the animals that provide us with the nutrients we need to survive.

And to get to know animals as individuals, not as factories for eggs, meat, and milk. We should know them, thank them for their gifts, interact with them, and be grateful for their bounty.

Simply Simon

Simon 1/6/11 Put out about being taken away from food.

looking for a way to escape

Beautiful face markings

Simon is our smartest, fastest, and least people-oriented chick, at least, until you pick him/her up-- then everything's coming up roses!

Green legs

Ahhhh... a nice warm nap. No chicken can resist my always-hot hands!

Beautiful feathers coming in

Chick Pic of the Day

NoWay holding Dave, Boy holding Simon and Theodore-- Bunny ears for the chicks!

One Down

We had to be merciful and 'destroy' Alvin-the-chick last night. He never was strong, as he was the chick I assisted, and he never had leg function. While the other chicks thrived he would refuse to eat, even when I tried to feed him by hand, and was suffering. I've never had to put down a chick before this, and it was really hard.

We actually involved the children in the decision and they agreed that, as he was going to die anyway, it was not fair or kind to prolong his suffering.

The other chicks are a lot more relaxed without his constant crying.

I think it's an essential part of animal ownership to know when to be merciful. Death isn't the worst thing that can happen to an animal-- prolonged suffering is cruel and it was my responsibility to make the call.

I am blessed to have an amazing husband who took over and made it so quick. Alvin never knew what hit him and it is a relief, really, to know he's not suffering anymore.

I would have loved to have known what Alvin would have grown up to be.

Chick Pic of the Day

Cheeks with Dave (don't worry, Mom, this is the closest to holding him he got!)

Chick Pic of the Day

NoWay and Dave 1/4/11

Pictures Galore

I need to make one correction-- "Dave" actually hatched from a blue egg from the second seller, not the first.

Dave (2nd seller)

Alvin, the smallest chick, still looking a little icky from his rough entry (stupid incubator) 1st seller.

Theodore (2nd seller)

Theodore looking cheeky (2nd seller)

Left to right-- Dave, Simon (top), Alvin (bottom), Theodore

Left to right-- Dave, Simon (top), Alvin (bottom), Theodore

Cheeks watching the chicks

Theodore and Simon are best buddies. Theodore has really dark feet and legs.

Theodore, Simon, Alvin

Dave (bottom) and Alvin (top)

Dave (bottom) and Alvin (top)

Cheeks and NoWay watching Chicken TV