Silkies

[ILuvMyPetChickens]

Can Silkies survive during the winter months? I'd really hate to see them not too. I love them!

 

[gritsar]

We don't get as cold as y'all do in the wintertime. Our winter lows are usually in the teens, lots of rain and ice, not as much snow. My silkies do just fine.

 

[ILuvMyPetChickens]

We have lots of snow storms. I'm sure they would just stay in the barn under the light.

 

[midwestchickenwrangler]

My silkies did just fine. I had 3 in a small outside coop over the winter and all did well. I don't use a heat lamp because the first winter I had chickens, some got frostbite on their combs.

 

[lvchicken]

Quote:
So does using a heat lamp cause more frostbite than without it?

 

[midwestchickenwrangler]

That seems to be my experience with heat lamps.

 

[ILuvMyPetChickens]

we just have lights hanging above no heating lamps. I dont know if that will work.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
So does using a heat lamp cause more frostbite than without it?

It can cause things to be a bit more....moist-er?...which can lead to frostbite.

Really, a chicken - any chicken - is better off being allowed to naturally acclimate to their enviroment and that includes the weather. Hang a heat lamp (or run an A/C, same diff.) and have a power outage and your chickens are not going to be equipped to handle the cold and/or heat. They have a nice down jacket to wear when not kept under artificial conditions. Mother Nature knows what shes doing.

Just MHO.

 

[BoltonChicken]

Mother Nature knows what shes doing.

This is the unblemished truth! It seems that so few on this forum know how chickens are wired to survive without being coddled.
In fact, chickens can stand a wider range of temperature variation than humans can.​

 

[jen5680]

My silkies do jsut fine in the winter. I have never used any heat lamps when it gets cold or ac when it gets
hot. I do run some fans in the summer and deep litter in the winter.
I agree with gritsar 100%!!!!!