Silkie thread!

[chicken pickin]

Be sure to provide a ramp or ladder for them .

I will.

So far I have the legs, floor and back wall all together. The coop is 17 inches off the gound so they will be able to go under the coop if they want to when weather isn't great. I will add a very wide ramp and I also plan to do a porch/balcony with lattice railings on the front. Sounds like it might turn out cute but Im using all recycled wood and putting it together as I can fit it so we will see how it turns out. I still need to think about how I want to do a door and window

I only worked on it for about 2-3hours today so I didn't get near as far as I had hoped. But tomorrow is another day

I think when I am done I will paint it yellow and white.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I will.

So far I have the legs, floor and back wall all together. The coop is 17 inches off the gound so they will be able to go under the coop if they want to when weather isn't great. I will add a very wide ramp and I also plan to do a porch/balcony with lattice railings on the front. Sounds like it might turn out cute but Im using all recycled wood and putting it together as I can fit it so we will see how it turns out. I still need to think about how I want to do a door and window

I only worked on it for about 2-3hours today so I didn't get near as far as I had hoped. But tomorrow is another day

I think when I am done I will paint it yellow and white.

Elevated coops are great, just make sure you have enough clearance to reach in and get the eggs that they will hoard under there. In my SLW pen the broody managed to hide 20 eggs from me under the coop. I had to wait for them to hatch before I could collect them and put them somewhere safe.
Filled it in now.

 

[chicken pickin]

Elevated coops are great, just make sure you have enough clearance to reach in and get the eggs that they will hoard under there. In my SLW pen the broody managed to hide 20 eggs from me under the coop. I had to wait for them to hatch before I could collect them and put them somewhere safe.
Filled it in now.

I thought of that too. I made this coop looooong and skinny. It is 8ft long and only 2 feet wide. The nesting box will be on one end on the outside with a lid that lifts up. On one side of the coop I will have a roosting pole very low to the ground and the other end with the nest box just open floor. I hope I can find a large window at a second hand store I can use on the front. The coop is also going to have a spot built in that can divider can slide into for when they go broody if I feel I need to separate mom and babies.

 

[Banaynaychicken]

My one silkie hen got grabbed by an iguana today, luckily is still small and only bruised her leg she limps a bit but is fine. I was convinced I had lost her but she is tougher than I thought, the vet came to check on her and said I must keep an eye on her for the next few days.

an IGUANA!?! whaaat!? okee now im scared. hide the chickens . the reptiles can never know!

 

[City Chicks 13]

This is my first Fall/Winter with silkies and was wondering if a 40*F low is to cold for them to sleep out in the run. I have two options 1. lock them in the coop with food and water for 5 days to or over the long weekend.
or
2. put a heat lamp in the coop to draw them in.

Which would be the safest and best?

 

[chicken pickin]

This is my first Fall/Winter with silkies and was wondering if a 40*F low is to cold for them to sleep out in the run. I have two options 1. lock them in the coop with food and water for 5 days to or over the long weekend.
or
2. put a heat lamp in the coop to draw them in.

Which would be the safest and best?

Is the run predator safe? Is there a cover to shelter from possible rain? Heat lamps are dangerous, I would avoid the lamp, they don't need it anyhow. 5 days is a long time to not look in on them, do you have someone to pop over and see how they are doing, or to let them out in the AM and locked up in the PM?

As for Silkies handling cold temps, they can handle 40. My Silkies currently sleep in a coop with a wire front right now and are not bothered by the cold, night time lows have been in the high 30s here.

 

[Fancychooklady]

This is my first Fall/Winter with silkies and was wondering if a 40*F low is to cold for them to sleep out in the run.  I have two options 1. lock them in the coop with food and water for 5 days to or over the long weekend.
or
2. put a heat lamp in the coop to draw them in.

Which would be the safest and best?

Once silkies are ' feathered in ' and so long as they have plenty shelter , their walnut combs allow them to be cold hardy birds. Agree with previous post, heat lamps in outdoor coops can be very dangerous. If you are locking them up for 5 days, don't be tempted to leave one big water bucket. Best to have multi hanging water dishes , less danger of drowning. When I go away I put a peck block in the coop, delivers all their vitamins and keeps them busy.

 

[getreal]

I have a (maybe) dumb question....is there a rule on what breed roosters mate with silkies? I am new to raising silkies. only been raising chickens for a year and a half. I never had roosters or silkies before this spring. I now have 2 olive egger roosters (born this spring) 1 olive egger pullet,5 silkies not sure yet what sex also born this spring and 9 leghorn hens about 19 months old.

 

[Nanna34]

Hi everyone my chicks are getting big now what do you think:

6 weeks now, hoping this one turns out to be a pullet

4 weeks now, really hoping this one is a roo if it is I'm putting it separate with my black hen

 

[City Chicks 13]

Is the run predator safe? Is there a cover to shelter from possible rain? Heat lamps are dangerous, I would avoid the lamp, they don't need it anyhow. 5 days is a long time to not look in on them, do you have someone to pop over and see how they are doing, or to let them out in the AM and locked up in the PM?

As for Silkies handling cold temps, they can handle 40. My Silkies currently sleep in a coop with a wire front right now and are not bothered by the cold, night time lows have been in the high 30s here.

The run is predator safe and covered. I will be there for the 5 days they are locked in. I'm just trying to find a way to coop train them. They personally would rather sleep in a pile smushed up against the fence and was worried they would get chilled while I'm gone for a few nights.

Hearing that the heat laps are dangerous I'll avoid them.