Single silkie alone in coop - *cold* temperatures tonight and in coming days (sun zero)- advice please

[Gezellige_Poes]

Honestly, I'm struggling to catch my breath trying to understand the discussion of options here. How can you not bring her in? She's by herself, has no one to snuggle with to try and preserve body heat, much less manage any stress, the weather is clearly life threatening, and it appears you do not trust your heating situation in the coop...

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

Update- silkie flew/escaped her coop
Maybe I should put her outside in her coop until morning ? (It’ll be 11degrees F by dawn and keep dropping tomorrow, I could bring her inside in the AM?).

The set up is wonderful. I understand why she flew out: no top. That doesn't mean she wants to be outside! Just exploring her new surroundings. I have had Silkies, now have Japanese bantams, Cochin bantams, and Seramas, and they are all quite good fliers. They easily fly out of enclosures that do not have tops. Without a top cover, I would expect her to fly out.

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

Hoping this set up is adequate…
and they don’t try to fly their separate coops,
the garage breakers don’t trip overnight
and my husband is cool that I reappropriated his climbing pads and made a mess of the place
Thank you

Update- silkie flew/escaped her coop
Maybe I should put her outside in her coop until morning ? (It’ll be 11degrees F by dawn and keep dropping tomorrow, I could bring her inside in the AM?).

I expanded the picture for a closer look at your little peep. She is so tiny! How she has survived all that has been handed to her to date is a miracle!

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

She is 10 months. Her flock didn’t make it-mareks).
She’s been alone for months...

It appears I'm obsessing a bit about this post, my apologies, just so very concerned about this tiny little life!! Being alone for months is beyond sad. It's difficult going forward considering what you dealt with losing to Marek's. I would strongly recommend making her a little house chicken until she has a flock to call her own. This will at least give her some maternal love and comfort and feelings of safety! I cannot even imagine the stresses the little one deals with, all by herself. Instinctually she doesn't even have the feeling of protection from predators or the elements that her own kind would offer. I cannot think of an animal in nature that lives in complete solitude, while there are some that claim huge territories and appear to be "flying solo." Mother Nature has a design plan for all of them, and living apart from one's own kind is in violation of all her "laws."

All my chickens are house chickens. I "evolved" to this trying to live as cruelty free as possible and looking for good sources of protein in my diet. I live in the city, so am not allowed to have them outside. I researched ad nauseum a chicken's needs and have provided for them accordingly in an inside environment. It's a very long and involved story, but I've had chickens now for 4 years, and they are all very happy cluckers! So, it can be done, and successfully, and for your one little one, until she has her own kind, completely doable!

 

[gtaus]

Snow storm/cold snap starting today (image with temps below, will be in the teens by morning and sub-zero coming days).

Will she be ok? Should I bring her in?

I live in northern Minnesota, and our nights get down to -35F this time of year. I don't have any heat in my coop. But, my chickens are all winter hardy breeds and I have 7 chickens to huddle next to each other to keep warm while roosting. That makes a difference. Also, I have never had a silkie, and I suspect by your post that they cannot handle the cold as well as my full grown hens.

Given your circumstances, I'd bring her in until the cold snap or storm passes.

Update- silkie flew/escaped her coop

I use a plastic dog crate carrier to temporarily house any sick chicken if I have to bring the bird into the house. They are confined to the carrier, but I can put the bird in whatever room I want because I don't have to worry about them getting out and pooing on the furniture. I don't think it would hurt the bird to be confined for a few days.

How can you not bring her in? She's by herself, has no one to snuggle with to try and preserve body heat, much less manage any stress, the weather is clearly life threatening, and it appears you do not trust your heating situation in the coop...

Like I said, it gets down to -35F where I live on nights this time of year. My chickens will fluff up their down feathers to trap hot air against their body. Chickens have a normal body temperature around 105F. They can keep themselves warm in very cold weather. You don't want to have any draft coming up from underneath the roosting chickens, because that could affect their ability to trap the warm air against their bodies.

My chickens will roost, body to body, so I suspect they help each other conserve their body heat. Since you only have one chicken, she might be at a disadvantage in that respect. Again, my chickens are full sized winter hardy breeds, not a small silkie all by herself.

My suggestion is to get a dog carrier for now, and the future when you have more birds, because you can put a chicken in the carrier and put the bird in whatever room in the house you want. Since you mentioned concern over a young dog in your house, you could surely find a room and close the door to keep the dog out. I think a day or two inside the house would not be a bother for anybody.

If it's an emergency, maybe a large cardboard box would be OK for a day or two. Just cut some holes for ventilation and daylight. Chickens can't see in the dark and therefore will not drink or eat in the dark. Hope things work out for OP.

 

[Freedomrange]

Agreed. Northern AZ will be most likely zero with wind. Perches get covered for older Birds and more but a single silkie would be in big trouble. We have a Silkie Hen & Rooster in a Travel Trailer and even they will be getting special treatment for the next 3 days out here. Like oven on low to bring it to freezing. Feb, 2nd 3rd & 4th.

Then it's back to normal. Too hot can be just as bad as cold as You know.

 

[Freedomrange]

This is Faith. She's an Easter Egger Bantam. Cooped with 5 Lg Hens that sometimes won't let Her sit with them. We won't rist that with zero temperatures at night the next 3 days. Shes in Our Shower stall that's about 55/ 60 degrees. She will now be a Mother to 33 Mixed Bantams 1 & 2 weeks old. Shes 7 months. There's not much We wouldn't do for them.
Their Family. Well, about half of 136 are Relative's awaiting homes.

 

[Freedomrange]

Faith

 

[Redbrew]

One chicken? I'd bring her in! Dog crate, bathroom, big laundry basket, bathtub, any space with a thick towel that can be closed off for her safety will be fine.

Our high is 21 today and I have a flock of 41 birds, ground covered in ice, regularly get snow, had below zero temps in December (I'm in Inland NW). With sustained below freezing temps and dropping below 20 at night every night (and never getting above freezing during the day) they need support to survive weeks on end of this cold, avoid frost bite, and not become overrun with mites due to not dust bathing (yes my birds have an indoor dust bathing area, but they won't use it, they will only dig through the hay and dig into the ground!)

We use very deep litter method in barn floor, multiple heat sources strategically placed, *and* manage where/how they roost to ensure no one get's completely isolated from the flock in a corner somewhere (broodies, bantams, old, and bottom of the flock birds).

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Here is my livingroom slumber party setup Silkies and Polish are just not cold tolerant enough. Lucky for them, mama likes to waste money on natural gas, so we will be warm!