Here we go again, worried about my silkies!

[gritsar]

We're supposed to have a snowy weekend in store for us, at least Sunday and Monday. I expressed my concerns about my two silkies to DH last night, since it's supposed to get down to 23 Saturday night. DH reminded me that we have already had 20 degree nights this winter and the silkies did just fine.

I was just checking the weather and Tuesday night the low is supposed to be 9 degrees! Now I'm worried about the silkies all over again.

They are in a draft free coop with 19 other birds, including 8 meaties that put off alot of heat. There is at least 6 inches of pine shavings and hay on the floor of the coop; the floor being the only part of the coop that isn't insulated. The other birds, sans the meaties, roost up very high. The silkies, not being able to roost that high, sleep on top of my broodys crate, so about 36 inches off the floor. I tried putting a bunch of hay on top of the crate for the silkies to snuggle up in, but the one silkie refused to sleep there after I put the hay down and all the other birds thought it was great fun to kick all the hay off in the morning.

My motherly instincts are screaming at me to bring the silkies in the house Tuesday night, but I don't think spending the night in a warm house only to go back outside in the cold the next day would be good for them either.

Are my silkies going to be okay? They are just so little!

We're not even going to talk about how much I'm going to fret when there's snow on the ground and the silkies insist on being out with the other birds.

 

[HeatherLynn]

I will be honest mine are out in the coop right now with no heat and they have done AWESOME. There are no drafts and they have tons of straw but still I thought they might struggle some. They have been fine. I think yours will come through it wonderfully too. I agree I don't think coming into the warm for a night just to be shoved back into it would be good for them.

 

[featherz]

Quote:
They will be fine. I just rehomed my silkies but they had no heat in 10 degree weather. They all snuggled together and were A-OK - and with 19 other birds that will help. If you bring them in the house they will have to get acclimated to the cold all over again.

I have four tiny d'uccles that were running around in zero degree weather. Didn't even seem to bother them.

 

[X2Farm]

I gotta say, I got three little ones, they're about 4 months old or so and are out enjoying all the weather.. rain, snow, freeze.... I feel bad for em, especially when they get wet, but they obviously have no problem ranging over the yard, even when its cold and wet! SO I just let em be, otherwise, they get mad at me

Oh, and they're in a big coop with 40 other birds, and they still sleep, just the three of them, under the ladder to the upper level, and stay warm and cozy

 

[cheri222]

My silky roo is in the coop with the 5 big girls and no problems, no heat. It was 18 last night and snow stacking up all night. My 2 silky girls are in the basement only because the big girls tried to scalp them and they had nowhere else to go . New silky coop planned for spring.

 

[The Fairy Godmartyr]

We've gotten down near zero a couple of times, and barely got out of the teens for most of the month of December. My three silkies did great--even my little girl who frequently sleeps alone in a nest box. And they are usually the first ones to run out of the coop to play on those cold mornings (unless there is snow--then they ALL stay in

). They should be fine.

 

[Judy]

My new chicks (11/27) have got to be at more risk than grown silkies. We had a couple weeks of unusual cold in Dec., teens for lows and 40's for highs, and they have been out and about all day since one week old. At first mama would squat and offer them a spot under her wherever they were, but after a week they ignored her. They have convinced me more than anything else I've seen with this flock that chickens are fine in cold.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You have chickens running around with nothing on their necks and you are worried about fuzz balls!!! Get your priorities right, girl!!!

BTW, Turkens are known as a cold hardy breed.

 

[artsyrobin]

what if you put them in a dog crate out there, with hay and litter, at nite, they can be nice and toasty with a smaller area to keep warm? i know- worry too about mine! current dilemma is the young silky cockerel grabbing them by their top knot and having a tug o war!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
But my turkens are bigger and I know they are cold hardy. The poor itty bitty silkies look like a) fuzzy tennis balls or b) toilet bowl brushes with legs.

Please note: Those are both DH's descriptions for them. I think they are cute. Aliens, but cute aliens.