Black silkies

[Three Cedars Silkies]

It was incredibly HOT here yesterday with temps at the farm right at 102 degrees. I was working at the barn, installing a misting system just outside the pens on the eave of the barn. The juveniles seemed to be the ones that were having the hardest time and I have a large box-type fan up high blowing right down on them on high. They wouldn't even leave the coop to go outside...even though there is shade in their turnout paddock.

This particular black pullet was having the hardest time and she is such a nice 3 month old pullet that looks like she will be competitive this fall in our shows. You can see in the picture that she was holding her wings out and down...normally they are high and tight! I held her in the mist outside until she was pretty wet and then held her in front of the fan and she cooled down. Don't want to lose any birds to heat...especially this girl. Maybe the heat is harder on the blacks???

 

[robin416]

For whatever reason mine have always headed indoors during the hottest part of the day. I can't figure out why that is yet because it is far worse in the coop than it is outside. I guess I'm going to have to give in and put the AC back in the window for them.

But since remembering to do the mud puddle thing birds are hanging out a bit more and digging or dust bathing in the less wet areas.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Well, with fabrics, the darker the material, the more quickly and effectively it heats up, so I would very much assume this is the case with fur and feathers. I know my blacks take the heat alot worse than my white.

One of my hens could never survive that southern weather. She pants in 70 degrees!

 

[kfchickenlady]

Quote:
So pretty! Hope she is ok with the heat. If not, you should pack her up and send her to me, we havent had ANY hot weather yet, rained for last 4 days here...

 

[ChikieLyn]

Quote:
So pretty! Hope she is ok with the heat. If not, you should pack her up and send her to me, we havent had ANY hot weather yet, rained for last 4 days here...

I like your "avatar" - too cute! So fluffy!

 

[featherbaby]

Quote:
Oh Judy! She is SOOOO pretty! I've been designing and redesigning (in my head) a swamp cooler arrangement for my small coops. I know people with cool greenhouses use them but I haven't figured out how to adapt one for a coop that's open on 3 sides yet. When I do it, you might want to think about it for your enclosures too. All of us in Florida have this problem with our fur coated silkies. I think they look at me and wish they could take their feathers off too. HA!

 

[jen5680]

It's already July and no new posts on this thread peoples. Show off them black beauties!!

 

[rilly10]

LOL! Thanks for the reminder! I need to clean the coop and take pics today! Hopefully I will have some to post soon. I am STILL in need of a really nice black roo. I think after this weekends worth of collecting for a trade, I am going to hatch for myself. I have three REALLY nice black hens, but want a black roo soooo bad! I have like 90% males in all of my hatched but none are ever black! Why is it when you actually WANT to hatch a roo you can't!

 

[TinyBirds]

Here are 2 of the black silkies we got as chicks last summer from Destiny (Amy). They won BV and RV at the Fancy Feathers show in TX.

Thanks Amy!!

 

[TinyBirds]

Oh, and here are the girls dancing with their black silkies: