Silkie thread! - Page 1986

I haven't had silkies before so I was wondering when you all put yours outside without heat? With all my other breeds I just go by when they feather out completely. But it's obvious with Silkies that they don't feather out the same way. I am even worried about puting them out in the garage with heat! Lol!

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMHunter 

I haven't had silkies before so I was wondering when you all put yours outside without heat? With all my other breeds I just go by when they feather out completely. But it's obvious with Silkies that they don't feather out the same way. I am even worried about puting them out in the garage with heat! Lol!

They aren't much different than other birds. when the day time temps are over 70 they can go out by 6 weeks old 

Summertime my incubator hatched chicks are outside at about 3 weeks old in a hutch, and if the temp drops (60 or less at night) I will put a small heat light in the hutch and then put them on the ground by 6 weeks and in the coop. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScaredOfShadows 

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMHunter 

I haven't had silkies before so I was wondering when you all put yours outside without heat? With all my other breeds I just go by when they feather out completely. But it's obvious with Silkies that they don't feather out the same way. I am even worried about puting them out in the garage with heat! Lol!

They aren't much different than other birds. when the day time temps are over 70 they can go out by 6 weeks old 

Summertime my incubator hatched chicks are outside at about 3 weeks old in a hutch, and if the temp drops (60 or less at night) I will put a small heat light in the hutch and then put them on the ground by 6 weeks and in the coop. 

Ok, good! I was picturing silkis in my dining room until like the end of August! I have 4 that are 2 weeks old and 13 more eggs in the incubator due to hatch in 2 weeks. Too many to have in the house that long depending on how many hatch.

Follow the leader~

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMHunter 

I haven't had silkies before so I was wondering when you all put yours outside without heat? With all my other breeds I just go by when they feather out completely. But it's obvious with Silkies that they don't feather out the same way. I am even worried about puting them out in the garage with heat! Lol!

Okay, with ALL chickens, 95 degrees the first week, then decrease by 5 degrees each week.  When the outside temperature is the same as what they should be, voila!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whittni 

Follow the leader~

Cute!

What colors are these called please.

I'm assuming black

I'm assuming White

Possibly partridge?

Possibly Grey?

Assuming white.

Not really sure what this color is.

Any help would be great. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adriennesmom 

I am so glad that I'm not the only one that enjoyss watching chicken TV with coffee in the mornings and a glass of wine in the evenings!! Those are my favorite times of the day

Amen! I have my coffee! and I need it I was way behine in posts this morning!

Quote:

Originally Posted by peepblessed 

 

 

 Amber Waves charges $25. for DNA testing on chicks. http://amberwavessilkies.blogspot.com/p/silkies-for-sale-updated-92811.html

Hi again.

SORRY to go back in time here to the chat about sexing chicks.  Man this thread zooms!  :)   I missed the further comments.

MY understanding [please correct me if I'm wrong] is that Amber Waves silkies will sex them via DNA after you buy them.  So if you buy 12 and they tell you they all came back cockerels that's what you get.  You can't ask for and pay for sexing ahead of time and then buy the pullets.  Please correct me anyone, if necessary!!  Apologies if I read their info wrong.

I checked with my exotics vet and there are lots of labs that will do avian sexing.  Your vets will know as they DNA sex parrots etc etc all the time.  You don't have to go through your vet either to get it done.  The labs will send you a card and you either clip a toe nail a tiny bit tight to get a few drops of blood on the card, or on larger birds, pull out a few breast feathers.  The latter method isn't as fool proof though.  The testing is pretty inexpensive at about $15 - $20 each I believe.

Just food for thought.  :) 

[PS:  I'm hatching some silkie eggs soon---I caught the fever!]

Quote:

Originally Posted by annabell254 

Amen! I have my coffee! and I need it I was way behine in posts this morning!

I know what you mean! I just made my coffee and am catching up on all the new posts. It's almost time for chicken TV