Hello there! silkie bantam question!

[DandK]

I recently got some silkie bantam chick's and two of them didn't make it so I am wondering do they need any special care? I just got two more silkie bantam chick's but they are about one month old but they have some missing feathers. Is this normal or should I be concerned?

 

[Basskids08]

I recently got some silkie bantam chick's and two of them didn't make it so I am wondering do they need any special care? I just got two more silkie bantam chick's but they are about one month old but they have some missing feathers. Is this normal or should I be concerned?

Hello and welcome to BYC!

At that age they are most likely losing baby feathers and growing in their adult feathers. I wouldn't worry to much about it. Good luck with you babies, I have some silkies also and they are just great!

 

[chickwhispers]

I tried some before getting them at just 2 days old and didn't have any luck. These I got at 2 weeks old raised by a momma silkie until then. This is one of them at 2 weeks and the other picture is just from Sunday at almost 7 weeks old. My friend that I got them from won't ship any until they are 3 months old and then it's overnight shipping. She says they do better when they stay with the momma for a few weeks. I don't live far and picked them up myself so I could get them sooner than usual from her. Other than that I don't know about any other special care that you wouldn't do for regular chicks. Maybe someone else may have other information. Either way best wishes to you and enjoy your new chicks. I hope you don't have any other problems with them.

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Silkies are pretty delicate birds. And sometimes do need extra vitamins, hair trimmed out of the eyes and sometimes even warm climates. You might want to take a look at this thread on Silkies. You can even join in with questions as well....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/297632/silkie-thread

Good luck with your birds! They are a very fun cute bird to keep. Welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X3, Silkies can be rather delicate and need special care, TwoCrows gave you a good link to check out. With your month old chicks, if it doesn't seem like they are just growing in their new feathers, you might post pictures of them where they seem to be missing feathers.

 

[drumstick diva]

Where do you have the young chicks? Are they in an indoor brooder with a heat lamp? They shouldn't go outside till they are fully feathered out - about 6 weeks or so.

Silkies don't usually roost - they like to pile up on the floor even as ground birds. Their feathers are really suitable for flying, and their crests and beards can obscure their vision. All of this makes them especially prone to predator attacks.

 

[gander007]

 

[DandK]

My little bantam that is only a week old is doing much better I put a thermometer in the box so i can make sure it's correct temp. She is also in the same box with two Amerucanas that are the same age. For my other two bantams that are a month old I got them from a local farm store in Utah. They are inside in a box with a heat lamp. They seem like they are adjusting well but I am wondering if they were stressed out after living at IFA for that long. I will post pictures later today of their missing feathers! Thanks for all of the replies!

 

[DandK]

Here is the picture. Sorry I didn't want to get too close because they are still adjusting to their new home. Let me know what you guys think. I also posted it in the silkie forum.

 

[TwoCrows]

New chicks can be very nervous of you unless you handle them a lot. This will help tame them up. If you just brought them home, you might not want to stress them out too much yet. But at some point, you need to start handling them, getting them out of the brooder, carrying them around the house so they know you are not going to harm or eat them.

Make sure your temp is right for their ages....starting at one week, chicks are started at 90 to 95 degrees. Temp is lowered by 5 degrees each week for 6 weeks. But the thermometer on the floor directly beneath the heat lamp.

Good luck with your new babies!