Can my(estimated) 3 week old silkie chick be out in 50-60 degree weather?

[alnorris29]

I recently adopted a new silkie chick into my small flock, and although it wasn’t specified, I believe that she is between three to four weeks of age. My small flock consists of two other female silkies. I have a small coop, but I have limited resources to keep the new chick indoors under a heating lamp. Since it is becoming fall, it is around 50 degrees at night and it fluctuates between 60-80 degrees during the day. My two females and the chick have been in the coop together for a while today and everything seems to be going well. Both of my adult females are nice to her and the chick isn’t shivering or acting lethargic or sick. At night my two females huddle together to stay warm, even on hot nights, so I’d assume the baby will do the same along with them. I just wanted to see if it would be okay for the chick to be out there with them so she can adapt for when it eventually gets colder. Thank you!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's a bit cold for a 3 week old chick. If it's acting fine and getting warmth from the other 2 it may be fine. Only you can see what's going on. Generally chicks have troubles regulating their own body temperature until they get feathers.

 

[alnorris29]

Thank you for the tip! She’s been acting alright so far. I went out earlier to check on them in the coop and she was under the alpha females wing. She doesn’t seem shivery or like anything is wrong. When I was raising one of my other ones, he was probably only two weeks older than my new one and it was probably in the thirties every day. He was able to regulate his body temp alright and never got sick from it. He huddled with the alpha female and they were both okay. It’s about to get warmer tomorrow and for the rest of the week by a pretty drastic amount so I feel like she’ll be able to regulate and adapt better.

 

[alnorris29]

Update: It’s in the high fifties right now, and I went to check on my new chick, and my alpha female was sitting on her keeping her warm. She has layed her first eggs in the past few weeks and has always been a the motherly figure for my other chickens, and I’m glad that for this chick it’s no exception I think everything is going to be okay.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Silkies are good at being moms.

 

[harice4806]

I heard silkie hens will mama almost anything. Sounds like things are going good! My current brooder chicks voluntarily gave up their heat source around 4 weeks. Brooder is in my coop and we've been down to 30 degrees. So it shouldn't be long and the new one will definitely be ok!