Surprise!

My DS Cody is taking care of a couple of Catsy's chickens.. and got a HUGE surprise this morning!

10 Babiez!!!

He didn't know she had any eggs. When I was home last, I disposed of the batch she was setting on, cause they were no good. She is always trying to be broody, so he just stopped paying attention.

He noticed egg shells that were perfect halves.. so he started investigating and heard peeping.. then he notices she is puffed up and there are feet under her!!!

Cody is a midwife! LOL

Run! Someone's coming!

Congrats Cody! Is this the beginning of a career? Congrats to Catscan too!!

Hide me!

One more..

That is Daughter of Biff! Her mother is a Nankin and her father was Biff, my beautiful long lost splash Silkie Roo. So she is what I think of as a typical Silkie/Bantam cross. VERY motherly.

I wonder who the father is?

Your roo.. no doubt.. Unless the Lavender Split Roo visited her while they were out a few weeks ago.

She has some splash babiez it looks like!

I can't wait to go see... Are you gonna go ?? I'm dyin for a full report!!

Cody posted a video on FB..

Then they are 3/4 Nankin....they will be incredible broodies!

They are adorable. Congrats on the babies.

So...does Cody get a cigar?? Or who?? lol. Congrats!!

What a trip, I love it. I'd give Cody a big hug but, think I'll just say congrats. Doggone it that put Catsy ahead of me again, that woman...LOL Catsy I have some in the inc that are eight days into their hatch...Hay

That hen is a real looker.

She is fierce!

Her papa was such a beautiful roo...blue splash. She was the first chick her Nankin mother hatched and the only one from that hatch to survive. I had just had to give away the father (can't keep roos here) and when the little blue chick peeked out from under its mother I was so happy! At first we called her Son of Biff (the father was Biff the Silkie) and then one day we realized she was a pullet.

And now she is a mother!

Way cool...Good job Cody.

Is Nankin a breed?

Yes. It is one of the oldest bantam breeds and quite rare. The only reason they survived is that they were used by gamekeepers to brood other game bird eggs, like pheasant and quail.

The are very small and buff coloured (like a palomino) with black on their tails. Mine have been extremely tame and very affectionate. They are incredible broodies.

Where can a person get one of them?

I wondered what a nankin was to so I gogeled it,they are cute remind me of a seabright.

LOL Wait till I get home Haystack.. we will leave you in the dust.. LOL

LOL! Cute photos and a happy surprise!

The Nankin is believed to be one of the breeds used in creating the Sebright...but in my experience the Nankins are much friendlier.

I have a very pretty Sebright, Calypso, who is the most strong willed hen I have. She rules everyone, bullies the babies, demands that I give her what she wants and goes broody at the drop of a hat.

The Nankins jump up on your shoulder and try to talk you into what they want....they are the kind of hen that when she feels her brood is in danger, will bring them over to you, talking the whole time, asking for your help.

I love my Nankins.

Beautiful hen and babies.

Congratulations.

Does she get the blue coloring from her dad? Are silkies big chickens?

Yes, she gets the blue from her daddy. Silkies come standard or bantam, but even the standards are smaller than most standard chickens.

I bought the eggs for my Nankins from Darlene Thompson who sells on eggbid as "lingling" and eBay as "etrulah" (sp?). Right now she is selling Serama on eBay. She is an extremely nice and helpful breeder. My first hatch was 5 pullets out of 7 eggs--quite a change from Serama!

There is a forum somewhere on Nankins. Apparently it is challenging to breed good ones because the genes controlling the colour of their feathers on different parts of their bodies are complex. The goal is an even golden shade. I think Darlene's are particularly nice and they have wonderful temperaments

I just emailed her and she said the Nankins are starting to lay so she should begin listing them again soon.

This message was edited Feb 24, 2010 7:26 PM

Thanks. I'd love to have a blue chicken. Ther are sure pretty. I have a blue and white spotted horse.

I'm home and got to see these lil darlings. They are screamers! Pick one up and it will wake up the neighbors!

Mom taught them well.

So I go out to feed them their special mix this morning.. they all go crazy and jump in the bowl... I reach in to scoop some of the feed out and 3 of them realize it's a HUMAN HAND and scream so loud, raise their lil stick wings and dash out running to mom.. it was so funny!!! I love these lil things.. they are so funny.

I think there are 11.. but it's like counting fish.. not easy when you are alone. (and mom is there)