Silkie thread!

[QueenMisha]

what color is this silkie

I'm thinking either Lavender or Splash. Maybe a really light Blue but I doubt it... once it's grown you can test breed to confirm either way.

 

[foxandthehen]

How cold is too cold for my roo to be outside? Today, the high was 50 with gray skies and light rain, but he wanted to be out. I am just worried he may catch cold being chilly and damp like that. When he comes in this evening, I am going to give him a warm bath and dry him well so that he will be cozy when he goes to bed.

 

[chicken pickin]

How cold is too cold for my roo to be outside? Today, the high was 50 with gray skies and light rain, but he wanted to be out. I am just worried he may catch cold being chilly and damp like that. When he comes in this evening, I am going to give him a warm bath and dry him well so that he will be cozy when he goes to bed.

I let all my Silkies out everyday, cold days, warm days, wet days, dry days, even wintery days. In my experience they fair just fine. Today was a high of 35 and all of them were out going about their normal daily business.

They don't even seem to mind the rain or snow, but I do have a small covered area off their house to give them some relief from the weather, but I do plan to expand the cover to give them more protection from the rain and snow.

Does your Silkie sleep indoors?

 

[Sylvester017]

How cold is too cold for my roo to be outside? Today, the high was 50 with gray skies and light rain, but he wanted to be out. I am just worried he may catch cold being chilly and damp like that. When he comes in this evening, I am going to give him a warm bath and dry him well so that he will be cozy when he goes to bed.

Silkies like any other chicken love to romp in the rain and water puddles. However, my smallest Silkie got cold and sick being soaked to the skin in cold sprinkles and had to take her to the vet. Silkies don't have hard protective feathers like other breeds.

I don't let my Silkies out in rain. Light off-and-on mist or light sprinkles for 10 or 20 minutes and then stops is the best kind of rain to let Silkies romp if there's no cold wind chill. Changing temperature from cool outdoors to warm indoors is not good either. I've thoroughly paper-towel dried Silkies with too much moisture in their feathers and let them preen their feathers dry rather than blow-drying and put them back outdoors again. If you are needing to bathe your Silkie because he is caked with mud then obviously you'll need to blowdry him - otherwise a thorough towel dry with him preening himself dry should be good. We rarely get freezing temps but this week we did - I do not use heat lamps but I loosely tarp the top part of the coop to keep out any possible draft while the bottom tray has plenty of ventilation. It's amazing what strange bedfellows cold temperatures make as the chickens huddle with each other to keep warm.

Many times I've had to run out in a sudden downpour to put the birds back in their pen and 30 minutes later the sun comes out - only then will I let the birds out again if there's not a lot of muddy soil to cake up their feathered toes. Use your best judgement and the fact that you are questioning it should instinctively tell you what is good or not for your Silkies. If I question something then I don't do it till I'm sure.

 

[jmdarrow]

I let my silkies go out all day everyday too
They are 7 months old and was concerned with the first round of cold weather.
It's my first winter with chickens. So I watch all of them closely.
I also wait for it to warm up a Little before I let them out.
Learning as I go...

 

[Sylvester017]

I let my silkies go out all day everyday too
They are 7 months old and was concerned with the first round of cold weather.
It's my first winter with chickens. So I watch all of them closely.
I also wait for it to warm up a Little before I let them out.
Learning as I go...

Yep, we've all gotta do what fits our region.

 

[jmdarrow]

So, my silkie pullets are starting to squat. Does that mean that they will lay eggs soon? I really didn't think that they would lay at just 7 months.
If they could start laying then what should I do about the cockerels? Seperate them? I was hoping I had more time to decide who I was breeding with who. I should also rearrange my coop since they room with my laying hens. Any suggestions appreciated.
I'm feeling a little anxious.
Thanks-Jackie

 

[Sylvester017]

So, my silkie pullets are starting to squat. Does that mean that they will lay eggs soon? I really didn't think that they would lay at just 7 months.
If they could start laying then what should I do about the cockerels? Seperate them? I was hoping I had more time to decide who I was breeding with who. I should also rearrange my coop since they room with my laying hens. Any suggestions appreciated.
I'm feeling a little anxious.
Thanks-Jackie

Separate the cockerels from the Silkie pullets - you don't want chicks in the dead of winter. My Silkies layed at almost 6 months and one at 8 months so they can begin laying at any time. Heard of one owner who had a hen that never layed an egg in her life!

GL! but I know you'll get some good arrangements made - we all do what we have to for our situation. Many a time we've scrambled in an emergency situation.

 

[jmdarrow]

@Sylvester017
Good Lord, I have 6 cockerels. 4 of them are separated into their own coop, which is quite large. I'll have to add the other two. 5 of them are from the same flock. One of them is fairly new and is always on the outside looking in
They are all the same age/size, if I do say so myself, my original boys are quite handsome fellows. The other looks like he is catching up so I know he eats well, just have to put him in the coop EVERY night.
I sense trouble brewing over this change. I need all the luck I can get for this adventure.

 

[jmdarrow]

These are 4 of my boys, spash is in front of the batchelor pad, the 2 caspers and tricky dick inside the run. Sorry about the small pic, can't seem to zoom in on picture.