Are they cold?

[7L Farm]

Quote:
I think your right.

 

[LeghornLisa]

Silkies do not have the same feathers other chickens do. They are NOT WATER PROOF....check out www.shopthecoop.com they have a flat panel heater that I got for my coop when I had silkies. It kicks on at 32 degrees and shuts off at 45...leaving you free of worry.

Also, when my chickens were younger and first moved outside to the coop they always pig piled on each other when it was bed time. I think that changes with age. I remember running out to the coop to see what all the commotion was about, it was bed time and they were all climbing on each other.

I also have a new coop and many of my girls stopped laying once they were moved...they are very habitual. This too shall pass.

 

[Buugette]

Thanks for everyone's replies...

In the photo they are helping daddy put in a small walkway (so I don't have to walk in the mud when it rains). They were very concerned that it be done correctly.

My girls were a year old last August...

Not sure why they are stuffing themselves into the nest box. The silkies being in there leave my polish all by herself on the perch.

They still are not laying... still stuffing themselves into the nest box... and I am still worrying about them. This is there first winter outside. I kept them in the sunroom last year.

I will make sure they get a nice snack of cracked corn before bed...

D

 

[NellaBean]

Why don't you think they're broody? If they are over a year old and have stopped laying eggs....maybe they are broody? Seems to be contagious, so maybe they decided to all sit together.

 

[Buugette]

I think the one is broody... but the others are out and about... only Henrietta has been showing signs of broody. The others only go in the nest box at night... other than that they are out in the run, or out in the yard when we are home.

My polish isn't laying either... which is surprising. She doesn't spend a lot of time with the silkies... mostly a loner. She lays 3 days with 1 day off... now it has been almost 2 weeks.

They best start laying or hubby might get ideas for dinner...

D

 

[Jessie_Jazz]

I've got four ex battery hens (pretty big girls) who all squeeze into one nest box to sleep every night. They've done this since I got them 3 months ago despite my attempts to get them to sleep on the roosts so now I just leave them to it. I have 2 nest boxes and they lay in one and sleep in the other, seems to work for them and I've given up trying to get them to be 'normal chickens' I guess they're just specials