Silkie thread!

[sheeshshe]

Personally, I would give it a shot and see how they get along. If it's not going to work, it's not going to work.
I turned my heat lamp off during the day if it wasn't freezing cold to save on electricity. I don't know how much a lamp will drive your electric bill up. Can't imagine it would be too much? Anyone else have an idea?
And for a silkie pile...the more, the better!!!

There's no such thing as too many silkies. lol


They're on a mission!

I need to tell my husband that one. HA! He's not on the chicken bandwagon like I am Maybe I'll try and see what she does with them today.

 

[sheeshshe]

You can try this...tonight, after the birds have been settled in and sleeping for awhile, take a flashlight and gently remove the hen from her spot. Talk quietly before you pick her up and then add her to the pile of younger silkies. Watch them in the morning to see how they get along. This trick works well for putting together birds of similar ages. Hope it works for you.

thanks!!! I'll give it a try if she decides tht she isn't happy with them when I show them to her in a bit

 

[sheeshshe]

shoot. it didn't work. she started grabbing their beaks and twisting like. weird! I pulled her out bc the chicks were upset. I mean, they aren't THAT much smaller, but I am worried!

meanwhile, the suspected boy of the bunch I see wattles I don't see any on the others yet, so here is hoping that there is a chance they're female

 

[sheeshshe]

You can try this...tonight, after the birds have been settled in and sleeping for awhile, take a flashlight and gently remove the hen from her spot. Talk quietly before you pick her up and then add her to the pile of younger silkies. Watch them in the morning to see how they get along. This trick works well for putting together birds of similar ages. Hope it works for you.

ya knwo what? right now I have a light on for the chicks in there. bc one is getting rid of cocci. so I don't think this will work SHOOT! any ideas how I could do that with the light?

 

[peepblessed]

Just wanted to show off my new catdance babies my broody cochin hatched got 8. Looks like 1 lavender, 4 lav splits (partridge markings?) and 3 porcelian, so excited about these!

Just beautiful!!

So after reading about your silkie piles Im wondering are they the only chickens do that? Just sounded like it as everyone refered to them as silkie piles not chicken piles LOL

I have never heard of another breed that does this.

Took everyones advice and added 2 black pullets to my pile of 10 already. And 5 two week olds to add later. Soon as I get them home I will post pics of all. They are all going to be so warm this winter

I really don't think they pile for warmth. Mine pile no matter what the temp. One roosts by it's self. Silkies originated in China with extreme cold. It gets about 10 degrees here in the mountains in the winter. Their water freezes solid in their house. My silkies are in a building with wire windows. I protect them from wind and rain but not from cold. I've never had a sick silkie.

 

[sheeshshe]

Just beautiful!!
I have never heard of another breed that does this.
I really don't think they pile for warmth. Mine pile no matter what the temp. One roosts by it's self. Silkies originated in China with extreme cold. It gets about 10 degrees here in the mountains in the winter. Their water freezes solid in their house. My silkies are in a building with wire windows. I protect them from wind and rain but not from cold. I've never had a sick silkie.

this makes me feel a LOT better. I was getting a little paranoid

 

[flower]

There must have been something more than wet and cold that she died from. Especially this time of year. If it was sub zero temperatures while she was soaking wet, maybe, just maybe... It was raining here all day. Tonight it is hitting 30 degrees. I went down to the barn after dark and one black pullet was still a bit damp, but the silkie pile keeps everyone toasty warm.. Including 4 - 8 week old chicks that get in on the cuddling. Our temps are crazy cold in the winter, and I don't heat at all, or even insulate. Silkies are very hardy if they are dry. They can get wet. Just make sure it does't go down too low when they are wet. Wet during the day is fine, wet at night - not so much.
They are the same as any other breed of chicken. Any wetness on a polish will be bad as well, even a barred rock will not do well with wet AND cold.

Because she was the only silkie and only three months old, the wetness could have caused her demise. Where I live in the desert we have very cold and windy winters and I have a few silkies and polish in my flock. In general they do fine in the cold but if they do get wet they are vulnerable and I have lost silkies and polish to rare rain storms. I do not have enough silkies to make a silkie pile so they just sit up on the lower steps of the roost. Once I had a big shed and the two silkies that I had stayed on the floor.

So it is your choice if you decide to let your son have silkies, get at least three of them so they can make a pile.

 

[aoxa]

Just beautiful!!
I have never heard of another breed that does this.
I really don't think they pile for warmth. Mine pile no matter what the temp. One roosts by it's self. Silkies originated in China with extreme cold. It gets about 10 degrees here in the mountains in the winter. Their water freezes solid in their house. My silkies are in a building with wire windows. I protect them from wind and rain but not from cold. I've never had a sick silkie.

Come on. We need an excuse to keep more. It's for their own good

Mine pile up in the hottest of weather as well. It's a comfort thing. The pile does get bigger when it is colder. The boys tend to join in lately It went down to -2 last night. We bought supplies to make cookie tin water heaters for them. I can not afford all those heated water bowls for each pen.

I hope it works well!

 

[aoxa]

Because she was the only silkie and only three months old, the wetness could have caused her demise.  Where I live in the desert we have very cold and windy winters and I have a few silkies and polish in my flock.  In general they do fine in the cold but if they do get wet they are vulnerable and I have lost silkies and polish to rare rain storms. I do not have enough silkies to make a silkie pile so they just sit up on the lower steps of the roost. Once I had a big shed and the two silkies that I had stayed on the floor.

So it is your choice if you decide to let your son have silkies, get at least three of them so they can make a pile.    

I really don't think it was the cold. I mean, it went down to -2 last night and I have 4 - 8 week old silkies that had no heat lamp at all. They all made it through the night with no issues what-so-ever. She could have just had other issues..? I know my silkies are extremely hardy and very healthy.

 

[Fur N Feathers]

Come on. We need an excuse to keep more. It's for their own good

Mine pile up in the hottest of weather as well. It's a comfort thing. The pile does get bigger when it is colder. The boys tend to join in lately

It went down to -2 last night. We bought supplies to make cookie tin water heaters for them. I can not afford all those heated water bowls for each pen.
I hope it works well!

What is a cookie tin water heater aoxa? Sounds like I will be googling tonight!