New chicks!

[Hinotori]

The power strip my incubator is plugged into got turned off sometime last week on Monday. Eggs were cold when I noticed. I turned it on and hoped. Eggs looked ok when I checked two days later.

So today was day 21. Silkies usually start hatching the day before but that didn't happen. However early this morning I had this little one hatch.

I have 9 or 10 in there now out of 20 eggs. There are several visible pips and one was almost zipped when I last looked.

Looks like I may have a few blue partridge which is what I was going for. I also have a chance for some splash partridge as one of the roosters is a blue partridge and two of the hens in there are as well.

 

[Hinotori]

All 13 chicks are doing well. 7 weeks old now.

The 3 maybe splash partridge. Won't know until they get the teenager feathers in.

My favorite is this little blue partridge pullet.

 

[Hinotori]

10 weeks this Thursday. Sex count of 13 chicks is 9 boys, 2 girls, and 2 I'm not sure of yet which probably means girly looking boys. It happens to me sometimes.

 Cockerels

This is the hopefully splash partridge. Will know in the next 4 weeks.

Blue partridge. He's got a rather large crest. I'm hoping he stays good looking when he grows up.

Pullets

Both look blue partridge. Bottom one is moorhead. Top is a normal red head.

 

[Hinotori]

12 now and another zipping.

 

[Hinotori]

Regular partridge on the darker ones. The lighter ones will be blue or splash partridge.


The chicks still in the bator.

Some of the chicks with the mama. Both hens are talking to them. It's just a little warm for some them to be under her. There were some heads peeking out.

 

[Hinotori]

Second hen settled overnight. I really didn't give them much time because I couldn't get Molly to move downstairs. Most hens need a couple days and I only gave them one. Except the one who immediately took the chicks. She'd only been in there an hour because I'd moved the wrong hen and didn't realize. Hence the bracelet to mark her for future chick needs.

I removed hobbles and everyone was standing fine so out to the broodies they went. Got pecked for my troubles. I had a yelling chick in my hand and needed punished.

Got to love my silkies. If they have chicks they want more. And they love to co-parent with friends. I had a hatch went on over a week because I'd removed eggs from 3 nests. That hen was looking forward to my first visit everyday I swear. She wanted more chicks.

 

[Hinotori]

That judging look is directed at the phone, not me.

 

[Hinotori]

My question is how the heck do you sex them at that age?

Partridge is sexable by color pretty young. Ive known those 2 were girls since 6 weeks. Most girls are easier to sex. The combs on the boys are starting to come in. Girls in my birds have very small or no comb. Tiny wattle bumps on the boys are starting to become visible. Girls don't get any wattle and they are small on boys. The boys are also noticeably bigger mostly. Pick them up and they have heft to them. The girls are fluff.

The 2 I'm not sure on are probably boys. I do get a few boys that are hard to be positive. They are only slightly bigger than the known girls.

I had one, one year, that weight, comb, and wattle identified as boy. His feathers were very girly until around 16 weeks. Then he started getting the head streamers and adult feathers.

The issue with the orange gene that pops up in partridge silkies is what usually causes the hard to sex boys.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks for that explanation! I might get lucky occasionally but it sounds like you’ve figured it out!

 

[Hinotori]

Thanks for that explanation! I might get lucky occasionally but it sounds like you’ve figured it out!

Only on wheaten and partridge colors. I'm ok on BBS and whites.

I'm wrong a lot on mixed until they are 16-20 weeks and it's obvious.