Silkie thread!

[Viollettt]

Silkie suspect #2 8 weeks old

 

[Viollettt]

Silkie suspect #3 8 weeks old

 

[ChickNmamma]

I hope someone has some advice for me. I just want to figure out the best thing for my little silkies. Their broody hen decided to leave them tonight. They are eight weeks old so she has stayed with them longer than usual for her. This is her second brood for the year. She's a BA and a very good momma. We have a roost here in Georgia that is very nice but is outdoors, covered, sided, and dry. My chickens love it. I have not had any problems with the weather but I've also never had silkies before and also never had chicks this late in the year. Right now the silkies and their momma are in a makeshift box in the run with the rest of the chickens. They get to free range during the day. It's been raining and is going to be cold tomorrow. So tonight when I went out to lock them up for the night the silkies were on the ground right below the Momma. She was calling to them to get them to come with her. I like to just leave it all up to the broody to decide what to do but I couldn't just leave them there hollering. I was also worried about the weather being so bad and just putting them in the box alone so I put Momma in there with them and she stayed and all was well. At least for tonight. Sorry for the long story but I want you to have a good picture of what is happening. Will the 8 week old silkies be ok up on the roost next to the broody hen? Can they tolerate the cold well enough? They do fine with the other chickens. I find them to be spunky and smart in dealing with all the other chickens. I would love for them to be on the roost with the others. It's the best place for them. I want to be sure I don't put them up there if they might be too cold. They are already used to being outside. Thanks!

Since pictures are fun I am adding some I took a couple of days ago. I would love guesses on sex and type. They were all supposed to be the eggs of a buff silkie pen. (hahahaha) I can guess two of them are white.

Group photos first:

Silkies can roost - but they can't fly very well. Make sure your roost has some "hopping" steps so they can get up to where momma wants them to be. At 8 weeks old they should be fine roosting with momma and the big birds.

Silkies come from China in the Himalayas and it is very cold there, they should do fine. I always wonder why people think a bird with a fur coat, muffs and a hat will be cold

They don't do well in wet though - snow is fine - freezing rain not so good.

I am not going to guess on the sexes - they change so much. Ask again in about 16 weeks...

 

[K Epp]

Silkies can roost - but they can't fly very well. Make sure your roost has some "hopping" steps so they can get up to where momma wants them to be. At 8 weeks old they should be fine roosting with momma and the big birds.

Silkies come from China in the Himalayas and it is very cold there, they should do fine. I always wonder why people think a bird with a fur coat, muffs and a hat will be cold

They don't do well in wet though - snow is fine - freezing rain not so good.

I am not going to guess on the sexes - they change so much. Ask again in about 16 weeks...

I'm in North Ga and have mine in the laundry room only because their coop flooded today and they had not dried out this evening. I will move their box into the garage since they will be dried off tomorrow. Part of mine sleep on the ground in a pile and the others in a nest box. I would agree that as long as they are feathered out and dry they should be fine, but keeping them in the box with their mama is probably what I would do since our birds aren't as use to cold temps like those up north. In the last week I have went from teens to 60's now we are expecting snow and freezing rain tonight.

 

[Viollettt]

Silkies can roost - but they can't fly very well. Make sure your roost has some "hopping" steps so they can get up to where momma wants them to be. At 8 weeks old they should be fine roosting with momma and the big birds.

Silkies come from China in the Himalayas and it is very cold there, they should do fine. I always wonder why people think a bird with a fur coat, muffs and a hat will be cold

They don't do well in wet though - snow is fine - freezing rain not so good.

I am not going to guess on the sexes - they change so much. Ask again in about 16 weeks...

So that was the problem. They needed a step stool. The cold wasn't the entire problem. My concern was more about their age and the sudden biting cold as they were still getting under momma a couple of days ago. I'll fix the roost so there are more steps for them to get up to momma when she leaves them again. Glad to know that part. Didn't really expect definite answers on their sexes. Just thought it would be fun to guess. I've had enough chicks to be able to tell somewhat and I have my own guesses but would love to hear what others think. Still want to know what that one we call Camo/Cammy, the one that is not white, would be called as far as color.

Thanks so much.

 

[Viollettt]

I'm in North Ga and have mine in the laundry room only because their coop flooded today and they had not dried out this evening. I will move their box into the garage since they will be dried off tomorrow. Part of mine sleep on the ground in a pile and the others in a nest box. I would agree that as long as they are feathered out and dry they should be fine, but keeping them in the box with their mama is probably what I would do since our birds aren't as use to cold temps like those up north. In the last week I have went from teens to 60's now we are expecting snow and freezing rain tonight.

I was lucky mine stayed pretty dry considering how wet it was outside today. Yes, it was the drastic change in the weather that was a concern. I'll wait and see what happens tomorrow. It's not even going to be that cold tonight. We are supposed to get 40mph wind gusts, too. It's the 24F tomorrow and the next few nights that's a worry. We were in the 70s last week.

 

[Suzierd]

So that was the problem.  They needed a step stool.    The cold wasn't the entire problem.  My concern was more about their age and the sudden biting cold as they were still getting under momma a couple of days ago.  I'll fix the roost so there are more steps for them to get up to momma when she leaves them again. Glad to know that part.  Didn't really expect definite answers on their sexes.  Just thought it would be fun to guess.  I've had enough chicks to be able to tell somewhat and I have my own guesses but would love to hear what others think.  Still want to know what that one we call Camo/Cammy, the one that is not white, would be called as far as color.

Thanks so much. 

No one would guess on mine a little ways back
I will go ahead and give yours a wild guess 1 girl, 2 boy, 3 girl. All adorable!

 

[K Epp]

No one would guess on mine a little ways back
I will go ahead and give yours a wild guess 1 girl, 2 boy, 3 girl. All adorable!

I agree girl boy girl, nut not positive on #1. I would say #3 is a partridge based on the stripes. Is it as slivery blue as the pictures show? If so I woukd call ger a silver partridge. I'm no expert though.

Geez.... Its pouring the rain again. I hope my d'Uccle and Polish make it.

 

[Suzierd]

I agree girl boy girl, nut not positive on #1. I would say #3 is a partridge based on the stripes. Is it as slivery blue as the pictures show? If so I woukd call ger a silver partridge. I'm no expert though.

Geez.... Its pouring the rain again. I hope my d'Uccle and Polish make it.

It would be interesting to see if we are right.
Are they in the barn and dry? As long as their dry and no drafts they should be fine. I miss Summer already.

 

[Urchin]

The two chicks my Ella hatched out on the 21st. They're a bit different from the brooder chicks I've had. They are in constant contact with Ella when they're out exploring the pen. She clucks at them, they cheep back at her. The brooder chicks were generally more quiet unless somebody got upset over something. They also don't really huddle with each other like my other chicks did. When they're out from under mom, they're doing their own thing independent from each other. They also don't always listen. She'll call them back and they don't always come running.