Raising Silkies in Winter

[bycmanda]

I am a brand new chicken mom and I am worried about winter. I have 4 silkies and one bantam cochin (my best guess) that were hatched on September 24th. They will be 3 weeks old on Monday! Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any advice about when I can successfully move my girls out to their coop. All of my books suggest buying your chicks in early spring and none give advice about what to do in winter. I don't want them to move outside before they're ready and I'd like to know what a reasonable timeline for that would be. I live on the eastern shore of Virginia and our winters aren't awful. Does anyone have any advice about when they should be fully feathered and ready to move outside / how to go about getting them ready for the big move? Also can anyone tell me if Mabel is a cochin? Thanks!




Mabel

Myrtle

Lucy





Ethel

Spaghetti (my husband named her!)

 

[Fur & Feathers]

mabels feet look furry but also on pure cochin chicks they have a good spread of fur up their legs to from birth,is that how it looks?
am not sure how silkie chicks look to compare to be honest.

and hope this not offend by mentioning but from own view of them; some of them look like cockrels-ethel and lucy both look like they have the build and standing position of a cock chick but may be wrong.
and though spaghetti is in a relaxed position she/he is getting their adult feathers in quicker than myrtle and mabel for example,the boys tend to get their adult feathers in quicker than girls.

if it does happen to be a multi cock flock,hope are not disapointed mine all get on great with each other,its the poor hens they harass.


they can go out when they are completely adult feathered and the weather isnt cold,this is around two months but everyone slightly differs in both directions.
make sure to wean them off the heat lamp completely as well before letting them go out.

they all look gorgeous by the way,congratulations on being a new mum!

 

[bycmanda]

Thank you! I did buy them straight run so I knew a mixed flock was a possibility. Unfortunately I am only allowed hens but I do have a good friend who has offered to take in my cockerels once they're grown. I appreciate your help with guessing! I did suspect that Lucy and Spaghetti might be boys. Mabel and Myrtle are sweethearts so I'm really hoping they are girls.