silkie homelife advice

[LilPeeps]

My birds are good to at least -15 without heat, your adult birds should be fine in the 20s. How old are the "little" ones? If they're still chicks, they'll need heat. The thing about heating them as adults in the winter is if they're acclimated to say 45 degree weather with the heat lamps, and the power goes out and it drops to say 15, they probably won't handle it too well. I've also found that the birds actually do better without the heat bulb or heated water...that's not saying I don't bring them out warm water to keep it from freezing faster, but they don't seem to do as good on water that's constantly warm.

 

[kathyinmo]

All my Silkies are housed just like my other breeds. I use electricity to keep their water thawed liquid, but no heat lamps. I DO heat for babies of any breed.

 

[drdoolittle]

I have never used heat for my birds--------they seem to do just fine.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

For any age bird (or creature for that matter) a drastic sudden change in temperature is far more stressful than gradual acclimation.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

This year I put my foot down and told everyone, "NO HEAT LAMPS in the silkie pens!!" You may laugh since we are in Florida, but we've already had 3 or 4 nights in the mid 20's and are looking at 3-4 nights this coming week into the mid to low 20's.

I did acquiesce and put a hanging red heat lamp in the pen with the 3 month babies for nights in the 20's ONLY!!! No adults are getting heat lamps this year! But I must say that the temps drop into the 20's for only a couple of hours just before dawn and it gets back up into the 50's or 60's during the day.

One night last week it went down to 26 and my DD got up in the middle of the night and went out to check on the 3 MO "babies" since we hadn't put the heat lamp up yet. She said they were in the nesting box together and when she put her hand in there to check on them they were VERY warm.

Another help is that the pens are on the south and south-east side of the barn so they are protected from the NW winds that we get when a cold front comes through.

Every night when I climb in bed under the down comforter I feel the warm start in about 15 seconds....and I'm reminded that feathers are VERY insulating.

 

[robin416]

Quote:
On humans too. I went from being outside in shirt sleeves to temps that won't make it to freezing. This type of thing happens around here a lot and it shows up in my coop.

There is no one good answer to heat or no heat. But for youngsters there is always the choice for warmth if they need it. They do not just hunker under the light 24/7 because they have agendas that all young animals do so activity is their primary focus.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I don't use heat lamps. The only thing I do use in a couple of the coops is regular lights, otherwise I can't see into the coops at night to make sure they are all in before I let the door down.

 

[kidseieio]

You are all so awesome to offer supports and ideas. thanks so much and Glad to know I am on the right track and keeping them warm enough.
Thanks

 

[suebee]

I don't use heat lamps either. My silkies are fine in the 20's and teens. As long as the coop is draft free they should be fine. Chicks are a different story, they need a heat bulb.

 

[barbieszoo]

What if they are coming from a warmer part of the country, (running about 20 degrees warmer than where I live), and going from having several together to there only being two? They will have a draft-free, out of the wind, but small wooden rabbit hutch with a solid floor (and attached run). They'll have shavings and a heat pad too. Should I keep them inside the house in a dog crate at night and outside in their coop and run in the daytime, until they get adjusted to the colder temps or until I see that they are not uncomfortable/shivering? Or is bringing them in at night a bad idea because it would keep them from adjusting? I've been out of chickens for a long time, and I've never just had two, or silkies, or gotten them new in the winter. (They'll be around 5/6 mo old). I don't even have them yet and already love them, and want them to be comfy and healthy here.
Thanks!