I brought home 28 silkie chicks yesterday afternoon and put them right into the brooder inside the coop. We have a heat lamp and the bedding is straw. All of the chicks are huddled together in the corner, away from food, water and heat. It is not too hot in there and not drafty. If it was too cold, wouldn't they be closer to the heat source? I saw this morning that they were walking around, drinking water, etc. but still mostly huddled. Could they just need a few more days or is it possible the floor is too cold? I tried putting some on the roosts, but they just jumped down. Another thing, one of the chicks' beaks is really off. The top and bottom don't meet at all. You can tell that it was born this way, since the hook at the end of the top beak is really curved and longer than the others. What should I do? She's obviously eating, since she is 4 weeks old, and the same size as the others. Advice would be great! Thanks in advance
One thing I noticed about my Silkies is they will not roost. They prefer to cuddle one the ground. Sounds like the one chick has a scissor beak. I have not exp this but have seen other posts on it. Hopefully someone else can chime in. At 4 to 5 weeks they should have most of their feathering to where they do not require heat like day olds. They probably do fine at 75 to 80 degrees depending on what was provided by the seller. Depending on your local weather you may could not need a lamp accept at night when it is cooler.
Our weather is still cold (highs 5 and lows -1 at night) but my husband put some foam insulation around the outside of the brooder and they seem to be much happier. Still need advice on the chick with 'scissor beak'. thanks!
