Silkie thread!

[esme13]

I didn't even see your comment before I posted last night! Where are you? I'm in dutchess county. I have ten 6 week old silkies and seven 6 month old silkies. None of them roost. I did go ahead and put my mama heating pad cave into the coop last night. The younger ones are a little to big to fit under, but they piled on top of and around it last night. Also, I noticed it was warmer inside the coop then outside this morning, so maybe I will use that for now. I know I'll be a wreck when it starts falling below zero this winter...and snowing! How did yours do last night? Do they all go into the run, even in the cold? Mine never stay in the coop once the door is open.

Hi Rubynala97! I am in orange county. They did well it seemed last night. Everyone ran outside the moment that door popped open. Now I need to start keeping an eye for freezing water, soon will have to switch to the heated dog bowl. Works like a charm Mine go in a run and my old hens did not go outside last year when it snowed. All they wanted to do was stay in the coop. I gave them cat toys and bird toys to keep them busy. Also would make them a special breakfast on those awful days. Your older silkies are the same age as mine. Sounds like the babies liked the mama heating pad. I've noticed that the coops stay warmer inside do to body heat and im sure compose.. lol I do worry with ventilation that they could get chilled, but thankfully last year that was ok. I'm just new to the silkies and there feathers are a lot different.

 

[Frindizzle]

 

[kellyroberts01]

I have a nice porcelain hen and darker buff rooster. Just placed a few eggs in incubator. What colors could I get?

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[Saris]

I have a nice porcelain hen and darker buff rooster. Just placed a few eggs in incubator. What colors could I get?

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http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.htm...i&fgt=E:e^b/e^b,Co:Co/Co,Mo:mo/mo,Lav:lav/lav

According to the chicken calculator they will be buff split to lavender.

 

[jas humbert]

I was thinking about winter. I had assumed I didn't need additional heat and then I read a post where someone said someone elses silkies died in the cold.

I live in TN - only about 6 weeks of real winter- but some years there are a couple of nights it can get down to single digits overnight. I have a 4x4 hen house -raised off the ground but the actual interior is maybe 4 ft tall. I have 6 silkie girls (they are 5 months old) and 4 LF pullets who are 7 months old. I've had regular chickens (wyandottes and australops) without heat and they were fine. So I guess this question is about silkies specifically. All my chickens get along and sleep in the same coop but the silkies all pile together and sleep in a double nest ( I removed a partition) while the big girls roost. It is a small wooden house and I have good 12" of straw in the bottom and pushed up against the sides. I already have a warmer to keep their water from freezing ( I keep the water outside the coop) and a covered run that ought to keep most of the snow and wet out. Most years we have a couple of snows of an inch or two but they don't last - often melted by noon the next day.

Will the chickens be warm enough? I though about adding heat or putting them in the basement on the really cold nights but I don't want to unless I really need to.. What do more experienced people think?

 

[Fancychooklady]

I was thinking about winter. I had assumed I didn't need additional heat and then I read a post where someone said someone elses  silkies died in the cold.

 I live in TN - only about 6 weeks of real winter- but  some years there are a couple of  nights it can get down to single digits overnight. I have a 4x4 hen house -raised off the ground but the actual interior is maybe 4 ft tall.  I have 6 silkie girls (they are 5 months old) and 4 LF pullets who are 7 months old.  I've had regular chickens (wyandottes and australops) without heat and they were fine. So I guess this question is about silkies specifically.   All my chickens get along and sleep in the same coop but the silkies all pile together and sleep in a  double nest  ( I removed a partition) while the big girls roost. It is a small wooden house and I have good 12" of straw in the bottom and pushed up against the sides.  I already have a warmer to keep  their water from freezing ( I keep the water outside the coop) and a covered run that ought to keep most of the snow and wet out. Most years we have a couple of snows of an inch or two but they don't last - often melted by noon the next day.

  Will the chickens be warm enough? I though about adding heat or putting them in the basement on the really cold nights but I don't want to unless I  really need to.. What do more experienced people think?

Silkies and Wyandotte cope well with the cold as do most rose and walnut combed birds. Ventilation without draft is most important. Chickens create a lot of condensation in the coop and once it settles on the birds comb wattles or feet and a draft blows over it , then they are at risk of frostbite .
Our winter temps rarely drop below -3 degree Celsius and the water troughs freeze over but the birds cope . Never lost a bird to the cold, but have lost a few to extreme heat.
Any introduced heating source comes with the danger of fire . If you haven't read the story of 'Les farms ' tragedy , I would recommend you do.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/les-farms-the-barn-of-all-barns

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I'm in TN also, and my Silkies do fine in their uninsulated, well ventilated (but draft free) coop
They also have access to their run year round, no matter the weather conditions. I agree with Fancy, my Silkies do well in the cold, but the heat gets to them a bit.

 

[Adorkable]

Hi silkie people. I was wondering what kind of scale you all use for weighing your silkies, and where you purchased it. I am looking for something to weigh my silkies before I choose my breeders. I need to make sure they are the correct weight and not too heavy for the breed standard. I'm looking for something not too pricey as well... maybe $20-25 if possible.

 

[Sylvester017]

Hi silkie people. I was wondering what kind of scale you all use for weighing your silkies, and where you purchased it. I am looking for something to weigh my silkies before I choose my breeders. I need to make sure they are the correct weight and not too heavy for the breed standard. I'm looking for something not too pricey as well... maybe $20-25 if possible.

The only time my birds get weighed is at the vet's office and he has something that looks like a small digital curved baby scale to weigh my chickens. Cheapest baby scale I saw was around $45 discounted at Walmart but I would think any digital kitchen scale with a wide platform will work. Let us know what you decide on.

 

[Adorkable]

Quote:
Okay, thanks sylvester I will keep you all posted. Right now I'm looking at kitchen scales and postal scales from walmart. They are between $15 and $25. Not bad.

Today I actually picked up 1 of my 3 blue/splash silkie boys and I swear he has to weight at least 3-4 lbs. He is so big... I really need to weigh them all. If he is too big I may try him over a really tiny pullet I have to see if the offspring are somewhere in between lol. I do have a smaller boy that I'm guessing is a good weight, but I really need to be sure what they all weight to see what I have to work with.