Cold Silkies

[sarahlorene]

Hi!
We are a brand new chicken family. We have 5 large breed hens and 2 younger Silkies. We have to keep the Silkies in a separate but close coup, because they get picked on, a lot. They all free range in the yard ok, but Im finding out I won't be able to keep them in the same coup.

We live in Spokane, WA. I was thinking they would all huddle together in the winter, I do have a good coop.
But it's becoming clear there won't be any huddling for the Silkies, at least with the big girls. The Silkies will just have each other.
Should I buy a few more. Silkies so they can keep each other warm?

 

[Blue Raptor]

Hi!
We are a brand new chicken family. We have 5 large breed hens and 2 younger Silkies. We have to keep the Silkies in a separate but close coup, because they get picked on, a lot. They all free range in the yard ok, but Im finding out I won't be able to keep them in the same coup.

We live in Spokane, WA. I was thinking they would all huddle together in the winter, I do have a good coop.
But it's becoming clear there won't be any huddling for the Silkies, at least with the big girls. The Silkies will just have each other.
Should I buy a few more. Silkies so they can keep each other warm?

Maybe you could put a heat lamp in there, just to warm up the place.

 

[Chicalina]

heat lamps in coops are fire hazards and unnecessary. A well ventilated and unsulated coop is fine even for harsher climates.

The silkies will be fine with keeping each other warm. They are literally covered with down.

If you let them squabble it out at roosting time, you'll find they can all go in the same coop.

 

[Mrs. K]

Don't think warm, think dry. Dry birds are warm, wet birds are cold. If they can get into a dry area - even if they come in wet, they will quickly dry off. If the coop is well ventilated, and provides protection from the wind, they will be fine.

Seems so counter intuitive, but to keep chickens warm, you need a way to get the wet warm air out of the coop. So it needs to be open away from the prevailing wind. NO heat lamp needed. No other birds needed.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

We have 5 large breed hens and 2 younger Silkies. We have to keep the Silkies in a separate but close coup, because they get picked on, a lot.

Did they all grow up together....or did you add the slikies later?

I do have a good coop.

Dimensions and pics would help here.

We live in Spokane, WA.

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