I have some silkies that are getting ready for their first winter and I have read that they are not too cold hardy so at what temperature do I need to start providing some heat in the coop to keep them warm?
I give my silkies (and everyone else too) a 100 watt bulb in the shed coop (which doesn't bring the temp up much at all) but I have it positioned so that they can huddle under it if cold- their choice. I turn it on when it goes down to around 28 or so. I have found that above freezing, everyone just gets grumpy from too much light in the coop. Below freezing they are very happy to see that light come on. Watch your ventilation and avoid drafts but make sure that moist air is getting out of the coop. No moving air should be in the coop. Give them shavings to huddle into as they like to huddle on the floor usually from what I have found. Some of the silkie breeders here on BYC give no heat for their silkies. But it all depends on your weather and coop. My weather is such that the fog and dampness coat everything, along with high winds on their hill. A recipe for frostbite. My shed coop has no insulation, and becomes very cold inside. Your conditions might be completely different and thus go with your gut, I say!
