My Silkies are freezing.

[ILuvMyPetChickens]

thanks what about chicken clothes?

 

[GA_in_GA]

Their feathers work better when they can fluff up and trap air to insulate themselves. So clothes will not help.

Their being wet makes them unable to fluff up and therefore they cannot trap the air. Therefore, they are cold.

 

[ILuvMyPetChickens]

oh ok. Know any cheap ways of keeping them warm?

 

[mhwc56]

a deep bed of shavings should take care of that. as the droppings decompose in the shavings it emits heat ......like a compost pile works .... just top off the old bedding with new so they're not standing in their manure .... don't remove the old bedding - or only replace 1/4 of it when you put new in.
This is what we did when i was growing up in New England....COLD winters there!

 

[elmo]

Quote:
First you need to make sure they can stay dry. A dry chicken can retain its body heat with the insulating properties of its down feathers. Wet down feathers won't insulate.