Silkie thread!

[JacobandMeagan]

My s

Hey everyone. I was looking to get two silkie chickens to add to my acreage. I currently have ducks and alpacas. My question is about the coops at home depot. Would the Summerhawk ones be warm enough? Think -40 occasionally in the winter......

My silkies are in a coop I ordered from Home Depot online and they do fine. I don't think it was Summerhawk. I will try to find the model number or at least the brand

 

[JacobandMeagan]

Here it is

 

[tjo804]

Hey everyone. I was looking to get two silkie chickens to add to my acreage. I currently have ducks and alpacas. My question is about the coops at home depot. Would the Summerhawk ones be warm enough? Think -40 occasionally in the winter......

I would talk to a sales person find out if the roof can withstand some snow on it and if it is made of REAL wood or some prefab paneling crap. That is what the one I got is made of it lasted 2 years out side and is now in the garage as a Broody pen it cant take anymore weathering and we don't get a lot of rain or snow here. The shingles are lifting up and the laying box on the side is crumbling I blocked it off on the inside for the Broody and her chicks. You also want to check the warranty and make sure when it arrives if you are not happy with the materials in any way you can easily return it.

Good luck with your decision.

Also check out the coop pages and do a BYC search for cold weather coops you may find you can build something very sturdy for equal or less than the Home depot thing.

Edit http://www.precisionpet.com/detail.aspx?ID=236
This is a link to the one I got and I was thrilled with it. Until it started coming apart. I expected better for what I paid. At least 5 years.

 

[tjo804]

I have my silkies in an 8X10 dog kennel with a tarp top and an old wood dog house I added a roost and legs to. they have plenty of room and do great!

 

[moomoodiddy]

I have my silkies in an 8X10 dog kennel with a tarp top and an old wood dog house I added a roost and legs to. they have plenty of room and do great!

thats the setup i use, so many advantages to these cheap kits

 

[tjo804]

The pre fab chicken coops IMO act like Chickens have no need to move around or flap their wings.
They are great as Broody houses,Chick grow out pad, Sick bays, quarantine spot But for long term they just make me sad.

I had one rooster in mine that I was growing for the table. and I apologized to him every day for keeping him in the coop labeled for 6 - 8 adult birds. I felt so bad I found him a home before he was fully grown. He is beautiful and happy now and they have the dog kennel set up too.

 

[WVduckchick]

Hi I was wondering if anyone can help me out. I incubated my first hatch of silkie chicks and one of my chicks had straddle leg and it is pretty bad ( I think that's what it's called) so I did some research and put a little piece of tape across to bring them together and each day or two I come Alittle closer . But now she just seems to be so stressed and doesn't want to walk at all . I'll add a picture in a minute . If anyone has any tips or something . I could really use the help . I'm new . Lol . Thanks !

Spraddle leg (also called splay leg) is usually fixable if caught in the first few days. Are her legs bending on their own? There could also be hip or tendon issues if she isn't responding.

Check out this site for more detailed info. I found it with a bantam cochin that I tried to recuperate. Good luck!
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[glenney08]

Spraddle leg (also called splay leg) is usually fixable if caught in the first few days. Are her legs bending on their own? There could also be hip or tendon issues if she isn't responding.

Check out this site for more detailed info. I found it with a bantam cochin that I tried to recuperate. Good luck!
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Thanks so much !

 

[WVduckchick]

I also have to agree about the prefab coops. I have one that I love as a grow-out coop, but it would be horrible for big chicks. Bantams would do better, longer, but I wouldn't trust mine in the weather. I have it on the porch of my shop and it gets wind and blown rain, but I doubt it would stand up for much. I think its a summerhawk also. I'd have to look again.

On the plus side, it does teach the little ones how to go up and down the ladder, (I added more rungs) and to go inside at dark, so I do use it for those purposes.

 

[Fancychooklady]

 this is her .

I use a bandaid, but it has to be a good one, the cheap ones don't adhere well . I prefer the cloth type ones. Wrap one little leg, then leaving the wound part of the bandaid , the space between the legs , wrap the second leg. The legs have to be under the chick and yes the chick will have trouble balancing at first. Check that the foot has not rotated so that it is facing out, as often as you can. If you've caught it in the first few days it is reversible .