The Tweeses

[Colby and the Dwarfs]

Soufflé-Yes, chicks and hamsters! The best combo ever!

Kyrilliondaemon: Haha, yes, it will be a long 3 weeks But hopefully, at the end of those 21 days we'll have some little white fluff balls!

[Colby and the Dwarfs]

Today, on the second day of incubation, the chicks will be starting to develop their earlobes and heart. Later in the evening, their hearts will beat!


I'm not expecting all 12 to hatch(don't count your chickens before they hatch!) because 12 is a lot of eggs for one mother to keep warm. However, she is an amazing mother, most chickens are, so fingers crossed!

[jemmalg]

Oh my goodness actual Easter chicks, how exciting! I've never known anyone who's bred chickens, I'm so excited for photos!! I didn't even know you could tame a chicken..! They're so pretty, so fluffy, I love them.

Originally Posted by Colby and the Dwarfs

The great thing about chickens is, Reese lays an egg almost every day, and I can put those eggs with another mother hen if I want to, and then each mother can raise silkie chicks, so one mother isn't worn out.

I don't know if I'm being dumb, I know nothing about chickens, what does this mean? Is she still laying eggs with chickens in?

[Colby and the Dwarfs]

Originally Posted by jemmalg

Oh my goodness actual Easter chicks, how exciting! I've never known anyone who's bred chickens, I'm so excited for photos!! I didn't even know you could tame a chicken..! They're so pretty, so fluffy, I love them.



I don't know if I'm being dumb, I know nothing about chickens, what does this mean? Is she still laying eggs with chickens in?

Haha, the way I worded it was pretty bad! Okay, so in a week, Reese lays 6-7 eggs. I can give those eggs to another hen, who will treat them like her own.

Then, Reese could 6 more the next week, and raise those. She will stop laying if I let her keep the eggs.

Also, raising chicks is hard on the mother. But she will still lay eggs after these chicks are weaned. Back-to-back litters are hard for her, so I won't let her hatch them. But, I can take the eggs and give them to another mother. So I'll still get more chickens, but won't be putting so much stress on Reese.

Oh and it's not a dumb question at all, it's hard to explain by typing!

Reese and Twix are from a breeder who uses an incubator and holds her chicks everyday from the time they hatch to the time she sells them, so all hers are so tame! I prefer to let the mother raise them(better hatch rates), but I hold them often as soon as they leave their mother, and although not as cuddly, they do make great pets! Reese likes to sit in my lap while I feed her corn...spoiled!

Silkies don't have the barbs in their feathers, giving them a ''furry'' appearance. They are so soft and sweet, they are my favorite breed by far, and I'm so happy to bring some more into the world

[jemmalg]

Oh that's amazing, how clever! Does the other chicken not freak out that the chicks aren't hers then? Also do you leave the male chicken with the female the whole time?

Originally Posted by Colby and the Dwarfs

Reese likes to sit in my lap while I feed her corn...spoiled!

That is so cute! This is making me really want a pet chicken, haha.

[Colby and the Dwarfs]

Originally Posted by jemmalg

Oh that's amazing, how clever! Does the other chicken not freak out that the chicks aren't hers then? Also do you leave the male chicken with the female the whole time?



That is so cute! This is making me really want a pet chicken, haha.

She doesn't know the chicks aren't hers(I never said chickens were the smartest creatures!). Chickens also are incapable of counting or processing numbers, so if her two eggs turns into eight eggs, she won't notice.

Sometimes a hen won't lay after you take her eggs, so I just put a golfball in there and she continues, haha.

Reese and Twix are bonded, so I just leave them together all the time. However, I will take Twix out in a few days, as although he wouldn't hurt a chick, he might step on it on accident or take food from it, as he will treat it like just another chicken, not a chicken that needs help like the mother will.

It's so sad to take Twix out though, he loves Reese so much! When I take roosters in bonded pairs like these out, they sometimes try to call their "wife" and generally freak out a bit, and look for her I'm putting it off, but I've got 21 days to take him out, I'll get around to it...

I also have laying hens, who I want chicks from, but also want eggs from. So I have "mother hens" who sole job is to raise chicks. I take eggs from the laying hens, and give them to one of the mother hens. They are all a very motherly breed and love chicks, so they are happy to have them. Plus, they get winters off!

Once, a mother had 6 of her own brown chicks, and one white one. She, at first, rejected him, but after two days, decided she liked him and took him in. She really scared me though!

[jemmalg]

Oh fair enough, that's good! I'm laughing at the image of your chicken not knowing the difference between a golf ball and an egg, haha. This is really interesting though!

Oh poor Twix, how long will they be apart for? Do you put them together again when the chicks are raised? how long does it take before the chicks are raised?

[Munchalot]

Awww!! They are so fluffy!! :3 Omg can't wait to see pics of the babba chicks, they must be sooo fuzzy!

[Truffle]

What a handsome mum and dad I can't believe how fluffy they are!

[basilthehammy]

You are so informational!!! I can't wait to see what happens actual Easter chicks, so lucky!!