Silkie Chicks at My Farm
It’s always so exciting when we have babies at my farm - this time, cute, fluffy, little chicks.
Last month, I attended the 2024 Northeastern Poultry Congress - a poultry show held every year in Springfield, Massachusetts. The event features more than 2500 birds, including large fowl, waterfowl, turkeys, pigeons, Guineas, and of course, a variety of wonderful breed chickens. I brought eggs home with me to hatch - and so far, we have 15 healthy Silkie peeps that are nothing short of adorable.
Enjoy these photos.
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- We set up our incubating and hatching equipment down in my Stable feed room. It is all from GQF Manufacturing, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia – a company that specializes in game bird and poultry supplies. There are several crucial conditions needed for proper embryo development in all birds. These factors include: proper temperature, controlled humidity, and sufficient air circulation.
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- When the eggs arrive, they are placed into the incubator where they are safe from other birds and closely monitored until they hatch. Chicken eggs take 21-days. While the eggs incubate, they are automatically turned once a day, 45-degrees each way, back and forth during this period.
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- From days 17 to 21, they’re placed into this hatching cabinet, where it is still very warm. Eggs are placed in divided sections, where they are safe and cannot roll during the hatching process. Here is the first peep to hatch. The chicks remain here until they can walk and their down is dry.
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- Once stable, the chicks are moved into this cage in the same room where they are checked often. Towels are placed on the floor of the cage for good footing.
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- This is a hat lamp, which keeps the chicks warm – it is very important.
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- Over the weekend, the cage was full of adorable chirping chicks. The heat lamp, which has a red bulb is on. The red color of this bulb helps deter chicks from picking at one another and also makes it easier for them to sleep.
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- We always keep a record of when they hatch and are moved into the cage.
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- Within a couple of days, they are all alert and very curious. All the chicks are walking around and exploring their new surroundings.
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- Fresh, clean water is always provided. In fact, every chick is personally shown where their food and water sources are, so they know where to find them.
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- The chicks are fed organic chick starter for the first six to eight weeks.
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- Baby chicks need constant monitoring until they are at least a month old. Chicks require an air temperature of 95 degrees during the first week, 90 degrees the second week, and so on – going down by around five degrees per week until they’re ready to transition to a coop.
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- Wherever one goes, the others follow. There are eight Silkie color varieties accepted by the American Poultry Association. They include black, blue, buff, gray, partridge, splash, and white.
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- Because they are raised here at the farm, they quickly become used to everyone on the crew and all the noises.
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- Silkies were originally bred in China. They are best known for their characteristically fluffy plumage said to feel silk- or satin-like to the touch. Underneath all that feathering, they also have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot.
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- This breed grows a bit slower than other chicken breeds. Both male and female chickens have combs. Baby chicks hatch with tiny combs that get larger as they mature.
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- Silkies are also adaptable and playful. And, they are naturally more calm than most other breeds.
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- Because the Silkie’s feathers lack functioning barbicels, similar to down on other birds, they are unable to fly, but they can stretch and flap their wings.
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- At this stage, it is difficult to know which are the males and which are the females, but some signs will start to show around three months old. The female Silkies will keep their bodies more horizontally positioned, while males will stand more upright, keeping their chests forward and their necks elongated. Males will also hold their tail more upright, where females will keep it horizontal or slightly dipped toward the ground.
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- There are still more eggs waiting to hatch, but our 15 babies are all doing very well.
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- In general, chickens are quite vocal. When full grown, they make around 30 different calls to communicate with each other, expressing everything from “I am hungry” to “there’s a predator nearby.” While these birds are a bit quieter than others, they still peep and communicate within their flock.
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- It is believed that the Silkie was first mentioned by Marco Polo around 1290 to 1300 during his journey across Europe and the Far East. Although he did not see the bird, it was reported to him by a fellow traveler, and he wrote about it in his journal, describing it as “a furry chicken.” The Silkie chicken made its way westward either by the Silk Road or by the maritime routes, most likely both. Experts accepted the Silkie into the British Poultry Standard of Perfection in 1865 and the American Poultry Association standard in 1874. These little feathery puffs will certainly enjoy their time here at Cantitoe Corners. Keep following to see them grow and thrive.
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