The pic below is not my pic I took it from the internet to help others identify a fertile egg.
This is an acclamation of info I put together from my personal experiences, and Google, I thought you may find helpful while hatching or raising chickens.
I use 2 Hova 1602's for incubation and a Hova 1588 for hatching. I have had great results this way as I have several chicks to prove it. I average at least 90% on my own eggs hatching. I have even to my own surprise been able to hatch the used LG I keep around when the other 3 are full.
Hatching eggs
21 days for chickensTemperature 99.5 to 100.5
Humidity 1-18 25-35%
at lock down 45%
sometimes up to 55% if I have a few still in the shell after most have hatched
Store your eggs with the pointy end down in a cool 55 degree room for up to 10 days. Rotate the eggs from 45 to a 90 degree angle at least 3 (or other odd number) times a day to prevent the embryos from sticking once incubation has been started. Bring the eggs up to room temp for 12 to 24 hrs before setting.
I get so many question about when is day 1 of incubation this is what I do and it works well for me.
If I set the eggs on a Sunday I count down to 3 Sunday's later. (since I have several incubators and incubate in one and hatch in another.) I count 3 days back from the hatch Sunday to the Friday before and that is the date I lock the eggs down. I write the date of lock down on the egg with an A for am or a P for pm. If I set them in the PM I will lock the eggs down around lunch on that Friday. If I set the eggs in the AM I will lock them down very early that Friday morning. So essentially I am locking down about 6 hrs early on day 19. I did this to prevent from going into lock down with pips.
Back to incubation!
So make all adjustments to the incubator well before putting your eggs in. I keep my bators on 100.5 and for the first 19 days humidity is between 25-35%.
I candle on day 5 day and before lock down. You should pull clear/blood ring eggs when you candle. I feed all clear eggs back to the chickens.
I cut my sponges to fit in the reservoirs and have fish tank tubing run to them and just syringe the warm water directly on the sponges. STOP turning eggs on day 19 and place on the incubator rack with pointy end lower. Or I use egg cartoons laying on their side against the side of the bator with the bottom cut out. At this point I bring the humidity up to 45-55% . DO NOT OPEN after lock down, not for any reason. The chicks that hatched can wait up to 3 days without food or water, while the others hatch. I think the longer you leave the chicks in the bator the healthier they will be once in the brooder. They need time to recover from hatching it is that simple. If you are hatching sticky chicks I would seriously lower the humidity. Either way watch your air sacs during incubation that will tell you where you are with your humidity.
Once the hatch is done put chicks in a brooder with a temp of 95 to 100.
Eggs should lose 13% of weight during hatch if weighing during hatch, if you are tracing weight.
I give medicated feed to the babies till about 2 mths of age and for treats I will make a warm, moist mix of the crumble and sneak some vitamins. Or I give boiled eggs which have been through the food processed. They love them. You can also give a bit of PLAIN yogurt if their little bottoms are pasting up. But put a dab of Vaseline on the bottom after cleaning it with warm water and a q-tip.
Hatching eggs
21 days for chickensTemperature 99.5 to 100.5
Humidity 1-18 25-35%
at lock down 45%
sometimes up to 55% if I have a few still in the shell after most have hatched
Store your eggs with the pointy end down in a cool 55 degree room for up to 10 days. Rotate the eggs from 45 to a 90 degree angle at least 3 (or other odd number) times a day to prevent the embryos from sticking once incubation has been started. Bring the eggs up to room temp for 12 to 24 hrs before setting.
I get so many question about when is day 1 of incubation this is what I do and it works well for me.
If I set the eggs on a Sunday I count down to 3 Sunday's later. (since I have several incubators and incubate in one and hatch in another.) I count 3 days back from the hatch Sunday to the Friday before and that is the date I lock the eggs down. I write the date of lock down on the egg with an A for am or a P for pm. If I set them in the PM I will lock the eggs down around lunch on that Friday. If I set the eggs in the AM I will lock them down very early that Friday morning. So essentially I am locking down about 6 hrs early on day 19. I did this to prevent from going into lock down with pips.
Back to incubation!
So make all adjustments to the incubator well before putting your eggs in. I keep my bators on 100.5 and for the first 19 days humidity is between 25-35%.
I candle on day 5 day and before lock down. You should pull clear/blood ring eggs when you candle. I feed all clear eggs back to the chickens.
I cut my sponges to fit in the reservoirs and have fish tank tubing run to them and just syringe the warm water directly on the sponges. STOP turning eggs on day 19 and place on the incubator rack with pointy end lower. Or I use egg cartoons laying on their side against the side of the bator with the bottom cut out. At this point I bring the humidity up to 45-55% . DO NOT OPEN after lock down, not for any reason. The chicks that hatched can wait up to 3 days without food or water, while the others hatch. I think the longer you leave the chicks in the bator the healthier they will be once in the brooder. They need time to recover from hatching it is that simple. If you are hatching sticky chicks I would seriously lower the humidity. Either way watch your air sacs during incubation that will tell you where you are with your humidity.
Once the hatch is done put chicks in a brooder with a temp of 95 to 100.
Eggs should lose 13% of weight during hatch if weighing during hatch, if you are tracing weight.
I give medicated feed to the babies till about 2 mths of age and for treats I will make a warm, moist mix of the crumble and sneak some vitamins. Or I give boiled eggs which have been through the food processed. They love them. You can also give a bit of PLAIN yogurt if their little bottoms are pasting up. But put a dab of Vaseline on the bottom after cleaning it with warm water and a q-tip.
Bathing and prep!
Oh there is so much to washing silkies!
1) Try to clip nails and beaks the day before bathing. Also if you need to pluck around the eyes do this that day as well.
2) Soak the feet 10 mins prior will help loosen up poop that may be caught in the feathers. Use a tooth brush to gently scrub them in the direction of the feather shafts.
3) Shampoo depends on what color you are washing. On my blues I use a gentle puppy shampoo. (I wash my blue 3 days out it helps them get their color back and not look black) On the blacks I use Quick Black (follow the instruction on the container) On my splash and whites I use a whitening shampoo. I keep my Shampoos in a pump it will help so much since you will be short on hands.
Also if you keep a pump of watered down Dawn as sort of a pre wash it will help since the oil on the feathers makes it hard to get them to lather up. Use the watered down dawn first just to loosen up the oil so the other shampoo can do it's job. Plus Dawn will kill lice, mites, and ticks on contact. I learned this working for the vet back in the days.
So now we have the washing down. On to the rinsing………….
Blues, Blacks and Splash go from bath to rinsing with 2 tbsp of vinegar per gallon of water in the first rinse and the second rinse has 1 tbsp glycerin (found in the soap making section at hobby stores) mixed per gallon of water. With the whites I also add 4 drops of Whitening blue stuff (yes the stuff for the laundry) in the final rinse. 4 DROPS otherwise you will have a blue bird.
I wash all birds of one color wrap with a towel leave in a warm room while washing the others and usually have someone to help blow them all out. I try to blow out in the opposite direction of the feather shaft when possible. I use the cool blast on the cushions. I have several pet grooming brushes the one for long hair coats (looks like a puppy comb will help remove feather shafts) the bristly one helps fluff the cushions and crest. I struggle the most getting the cushions just perfect and admit I suck at it. Put Vet RX on the combs and some cooking oil on the non feathered toes. On the blues and blacks just a dab of Show Sheen if needed. Too much of that stuff and you can forget it.
I am sure I have left lots out so feel free to ask about something specific. I would also welcome any advice on the freaking cushion I can get. I am bad to have Jack fix mine for me the day of the show. They are my nemesis! I do his beaks and he does my cushions. Chicken friends are the best. Hey if you are in the area I will need help getting my birds ready this weekend come on over!
1) Try to clip nails and beaks the day before bathing. Also if you need to pluck around the eyes do this that day as well.
2) Soak the feet 10 mins prior will help loosen up poop that may be caught in the feathers. Use a tooth brush to gently scrub them in the direction of the feather shafts.
3) Shampoo depends on what color you are washing. On my blues I use a gentle puppy shampoo. (I wash my blue 3 days out it helps them get their color back and not look black) On the blacks I use Quick Black (follow the instruction on the container) On my splash and whites I use a whitening shampoo. I keep my Shampoos in a pump it will help so much since you will be short on hands.
Also if you keep a pump of watered down Dawn as sort of a pre wash it will help since the oil on the feathers makes it hard to get them to lather up. Use the watered down dawn first just to loosen up the oil so the other shampoo can do it's job. Plus Dawn will kill lice, mites, and ticks on contact. I learned this working for the vet back in the days.
So now we have the washing down. On to the rinsing………….
Blues, Blacks and Splash go from bath to rinsing with 2 tbsp of vinegar per gallon of water in the first rinse and the second rinse has 1 tbsp glycerin (found in the soap making section at hobby stores) mixed per gallon of water. With the whites I also add 4 drops of Whitening blue stuff (yes the stuff for the laundry) in the final rinse. 4 DROPS otherwise you will have a blue bird.
I wash all birds of one color wrap with a towel leave in a warm room while washing the others and usually have someone to help blow them all out. I try to blow out in the opposite direction of the feather shaft when possible. I use the cool blast on the cushions. I have several pet grooming brushes the one for long hair coats (looks like a puppy comb will help remove feather shafts) the bristly one helps fluff the cushions and crest. I struggle the most getting the cushions just perfect and admit I suck at it. Put Vet RX on the combs and some cooking oil on the non feathered toes. On the blues and blacks just a dab of Show Sheen if needed. Too much of that stuff and you can forget it.
I am sure I have left lots out so feel free to ask about something specific. I would also welcome any advice on the freaking cushion I can get. I am bad to have Jack fix mine for me the day of the show. They are my nemesis! I do his beaks and he does my cushions. Chicken friends are the best. Hey if you are in the area I will need help getting my birds ready this weekend come on over!
Here is a percentage calculator to help figure your hatch/fertility rate.
Husbandry and general care
I highly suggest using hard wire cloth when building your run for your chickens. For silkies 7 sq ft in the run and 4 ft per bird inside the coop should be adequate spacing. I have a heat lamps in the coop for warmth and to keep the water from freezing in the winter, and in the summer I provide a fan inside the coop to keep my silkies from over heating in the GA summers. My main run is also fully covered with tin 90% and wiring the other 10% to allow sunshine in. I currently have 2 coops and runs completely covered, and a few hutches, all enclosed in electrical wiring to keep all predators at bay, as well as a baby monitor to keep an ear on things mostly during the night. I do regular checks for health issues, and provide treats on a regular basis. Not avocado though. I feed a 22% protein feed made by Specialty Pen, I do have very healthy adults using the higher protein. I add FOOD GRADE DE to the food as well as in the bedding to cut back on mites and lice and have never had a problem with either. I treat 4 times a year with ivermictin. Apple cider vinegar is added to the water for health benefits and the chickens seem to love it. 2 tbsp on the small waterers 6 in the gallon one. It will also cut down on the cleaning time as it stops mold from growing. IF you have some bottoms pasting up I would give a little pro bios or plain yogurt in a pinch maybe mixed in with the food. I highly recommend using Oxine for respiratory problems and I occasionally give it just to keep things at bay. I add 1/2 tsp to the gallon waters for adults birds. I do not offer this to the chicks unless I hear someone sneeze. I also keep a spray bottle around as well as carry on when we go to shows. If one chicken is sneezing you can spray them in the face a couple time a day. I also spray anyone going to or coming home from a show with the oxine mix. 6 drops to a qt spray bottle. For parasite control I use Ivermectin.
Meal worms make great treat for adult bird and it is a hoot watching them. So I started raising meal worms for the chickens. I picked up some live meal worms from the pet store brought them home added some chicken scratch and oats to a small plastic bin added a sponge for water and bam I have a live protein source the chickens love.
Meal worms make great treat for adult bird and it is a hoot watching them. So I started raising meal worms for the chickens. I picked up some live meal worms from the pet store brought them home added some chicken scratch and oats to a small plastic bin added a sponge for water and bam I have a live protein source the chickens love.
Dosing for common Meds.
Duramycin Powder (at TSC) 2 TSP per gallonfor 3 days
Tylan 50 injectable (at TSC) 1cc per adult bantam injected sub cue 3-5 days
Wazine 1/8 cup per gallon of water repeat in 10 days or use
Ivermectin pour on cattle wormer 5 drops per adult bantam.
Corrid 1&1/2 tsp per gallon for 5 days
Vinegar in water 2 tbsp per gallon
Sulmet 2 tbsp per gallon
Tylan 50 injectable (at TSC) 1cc per adult bantam injected sub cue 3-5 days
Wazine 1/8 cup per gallon of water repeat in 10 days or use
Ivermectin pour on cattle wormer 5 drops per adult bantam.
Corrid 1&1/2 tsp per gallon for 5 days
Vinegar in water 2 tbsp per gallon
Sulmet 2 tbsp per gallon
Wry Neck Treatment
Ok so in breeding vaulted silkies you will most likely have an issue with wry neck. This is the treatment I use and has worked for me.
I give predizone 5mg either a half of the pill or a whole depending on age and size. I also give an antibiotic called enrofloxine in liquid form or baytril in pill form, as well as vit E and B12. You will have to slowly wean off the vits and the pred though. And follow that with probios to get the good bacteria back in. Depending on the severity of the injury it could take days, weeks or mths to cure the bird but it can be done. I also isolate and provide a mush for food as in most cases they can not lift their head to drink water. At night I will roll a wash cloth up and wrap them in it to prop their heads up. I wish everyone the best of luck dealing with wry neck it is so hard to watch them go through it.
Sour Crop
With the hope of helping others I thought I would post how my avian vet treated sour crop! Early diagnosis will definitely help you when dealing with this. I caught Edward's within hours and was able to start treatment very quickly.
Edward is a 1.6 lb Showgirl which you will need for proper dosing.
The medicine for sour crop is:
Metoclopramide 5 mg/5ml syrup give 2.5 ml every 6 to 8 hrs I would message this into the crop very
gently (never turning him upside down, just took my 3 fingers and gently messaged the med in)
Enrofloxacin Susp give 1 ml every 12 hours for 7-10 days this is the antibiotic.
Electrolytes in the water (I used watered down Gatorade)
Dr. Hoover also put him on a soft diet of Lefaber's mix (the crack in chicken world I guess) he went nuts and it gave him the extra boost of energy he needed. The Lefaber's mix has to be served warm every 2-3 hours mix 3 scoops with 10 ml water, it will look like a milk shake. (I added Probois to counter the antibiotics) I was fortunate enough to only have to force feed one time and am very thankful for that.
Dr. Hoover also told me to keep him inside under a heat lamp which is where he still is recovering. I highly suggest adding all of these to your emergency kit. I know this is what saved my babies life. When my Edward came down with this I didn't waste
anytime in getting him treatment I have only ever lost one bird and it was to sour crop. I am thankful to Dr. Hoover in Murfreesboro Tn and suggest him for all your veterinary needs if you are in this area. He treated my Chicken as a beloved pet. Which he is! I am very thankful to have him within an hours drive and will not hesitate to use him in the future. I have just read so much
contradicting information on the internet and didn't know how to treat him myself and Edward's life meant too much to me to risk it. I am very happy I sought a professional and so is my Edward.
I do hope this information helps save more lives.
Find a vet in your area who treats chickens.http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/200108/list-of-vets
I give predizone 5mg either a half of the pill or a whole depending on age and size. I also give an antibiotic called enrofloxine in liquid form or baytril in pill form, as well as vit E and B12. You will have to slowly wean off the vits and the pred though. And follow that with probios to get the good bacteria back in. Depending on the severity of the injury it could take days, weeks or mths to cure the bird but it can be done. I also isolate and provide a mush for food as in most cases they can not lift their head to drink water. At night I will roll a wash cloth up and wrap them in it to prop their heads up. I wish everyone the best of luck dealing with wry neck it is so hard to watch them go through it.
Sour Crop
With the hope of helping others I thought I would post how my avian vet treated sour crop! Early diagnosis will definitely help you when dealing with this. I caught Edward's within hours and was able to start treatment very quickly.
Edward is a 1.6 lb Showgirl which you will need for proper dosing.
The medicine for sour crop is:
Metoclopramide 5 mg/5ml syrup give 2.5 ml every 6 to 8 hrs I would message this into the crop very
gently (never turning him upside down, just took my 3 fingers and gently messaged the med in)
Enrofloxacin Susp give 1 ml every 12 hours for 7-10 days this is the antibiotic.
Electrolytes in the water (I used watered down Gatorade)
Dr. Hoover also put him on a soft diet of Lefaber's mix (the crack in chicken world I guess) he went nuts and it gave him the extra boost of energy he needed. The Lefaber's mix has to be served warm every 2-3 hours mix 3 scoops with 10 ml water, it will look like a milk shake. (I added Probois to counter the antibiotics) I was fortunate enough to only have to force feed one time and am very thankful for that.
Dr. Hoover also told me to keep him inside under a heat lamp which is where he still is recovering. I highly suggest adding all of these to your emergency kit. I know this is what saved my babies life. When my Edward came down with this I didn't waste
anytime in getting him treatment I have only ever lost one bird and it was to sour crop. I am thankful to Dr. Hoover in Murfreesboro Tn and suggest him for all your veterinary needs if you are in this area. He treated my Chicken as a beloved pet. Which he is! I am very thankful to have him within an hours drive and will not hesitate to use him in the future. I have just read so much
contradicting information on the internet and didn't know how to treat him myself and Edward's life meant too much to me to risk it. I am very happy I sought a professional and so is my Edward.
I do hope this information helps save more lives.
Find a vet in your area who treats chickens.http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/200108/list-of-vets
GA NPIP Testing
In the state of GA every bird over 4 mths will need to be tested every year. They actually have to get about 1/2cc blood on every bird to send it in for testing. Every bird will also get a metal leg band which is removed and replaced the following year. This will take some time so please allow at least 4-6 hours on the day of your testing. It is a prick under the wing and then they squeeze the blood into a vial. Hopefully the tester will allow the bird to clot prior to releasing them. I had a few that were slow to clot and am glad I was ready with blood stop and paper towels. There is an 8.00 fee and then you are charged .35 per bird tested. It will take 3-4 days to get the results back from the state lab and your tester should leave you with the forms for shipping birds that need to be submitted on a monthly basis to the state.