Silkie chicks first snow

It snowed during the night, much to the surprise of the Silkie chicks in the grow-out pen. They were all hatched in summer so they've never seen the cold white fluffy stuff before. This morning when I opened their chicken coop door, the silkies all started to run down the plank like always....then they saw the snow and stopped dead! 

The silkies all stood there in silence for a few minutes. A low clucking sound started in the back of the group. I imagine they were saying 'hey, what's the hold up? Move it!'

The silkies in the front clucked quietly back. Probably something along the lines of 'what the heck is that stuff?' After a few minutes of clucking conversation a few chicks ventured off the plank into the snow.

Silkies are cold hardy

Eventually all of the chicks did cross over the snow to eat breakfast, then ran right back into their coop where they've been ever since. I tried scattering some scratch around, but the chicks couldn't be bribed to come out in the snow again. I suppose I'll go out later and shovel the run out for the picky little feather balls. *sigh* Spoiled, aren't they?

As much as this set of babies doesn't want to admit it, they'll be just fine in the snow! The only real problems I've had with silkies in winter is that ice tends to form on their crests if they get wet. I've had to cut the ice chunks off giving them quite a funky haircut, but effectively keeping their heads dry in winter.

They will get used to it though! I've raised silkies in western Pennsylvania for several years now and I've never lost one to the cold of winter....and it often drops to the single digits here!  

Think you might want to raise Silkies? Check out my post Silkie chickens, Why you should raise this adorable breed!

~L

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