One week later...

Elvis is a very chirpy lil girl. I'll be very surprised if Elvis is a male. Based on my past experience female Silkies are nervous and skittish as chicks and the males are strong and silent types even at a week old.

She loves to be held and if she could, would be with me 24/7. I do wonder how Elvis will develop since she is a lone chick and chickens are social animals.  Is there an only chick syndrome? Will she be spoiled and needy and very confused? I take her outside to keep her in touch with PeeWee and Fuzztop but not much bonding happens. I don't want a situation where she ends up like Twinkie. However, the situation is different in that Elvis is bonding with me, unlike Twinkie who had a mother hen and chick mates. I think as long as I am outside when she is foraging she'll be fine.  PeeWee foraged alone for several weeks.

I have thought of getting another chick but since Silkies are not sex-linked, I don't want to mistakenly pick out a rooster only to re-home him later. I still have spend a lot of time observing a Silkie chick before I can determine what sex it is. I have had a full week with Elvis.  I have thought of finding a chick her age of a different breed that is sex-linked but the problem there is PeeWee and Fuzztop (maybe even Elvis) rejecting her as I have heard Silkies, as benign as they are, prefer the company of other Silkies.

Fuzztop and PeeWee are in the middle of a molt so interactions with Elvis are just not a focus. They want cat food and to be left alone until my yard is covered with white feathers. But Elvis and I are having a nice time and it mealts my heart to see her fall asleep on my hand.

Elvis Chick and "Mom"

Poor Fuzztop

She was not happy having her eggs removed and was in distress over Elvis' birth.  I really saw her become bewildered when I took the eggs she had sat on unsuccessfully for 21 days. I carried her to her favorite dust bath area. PeeWee was happy to have her out and about again. After a long dust bath she returned to a new and fresh nest. I hosed the coop down this afternoon and hooked the girls up with fresh hay, newly cleaned nesting cubbies and treats. It will be nice to get back to normal. I forget what disturbance hatching eggs and broody eggs can be.  I really like to have things running smoothly and peacefully in the coop as do the girls. We are all on the same page regarding changes. But lately there have been moments of high drama and I know I speak for them when I say happiness is the two sisters foraging and dust bathing together again.

I have decided to never do hatching eggs again and if the girls go broody well, we'll all have to put up with it. Buck Moore, the feed store down the street, began selling day old chicks again. I'm purchasing chicks from a local store next time I want to increase my flock. No more craigslist hatching eggs, mail order etc...

A Chick Named Elvis-no sound

I'm stronger than I thought. I never thought I'd be able to get through the blood and slime of  Elvis' entrance to the world. Hatching and birth don't always work out but I can't let things die right in front of me. I don't know if what I did was such a good thing in the chicken world. I don't think hardcore chicken people want you helping out weaklings. What's done is done.