Help with keeping Silkies warm in winter

[henry]

I have just got 3 Silkie X Gold Tops which are now 3 weeks old. We have them in my sons bedroom with an heat lamp and they are really growing in just the week that we have had them. I am worried about the winter for them. I have a good Rabbit hutch for them, for when they get older, but wondered if there are any steps i should take for them. I am mainly concerned due to the feathers, will they be warm enough or will extra heating be required.
I had thought of turning the hutch to face the house or a wall to stop wind chill, Also putting a thin panel up with large packing chips behind it on the sides roof and under the floor, and a thin carpet tile over the grill mesh.
What do you think.

 

[foxy]

Hello Henry, do you mean you have a rabbit hutch with a mesh front? Sorry I am a bit confused.. 07

Silkies cope well with the cold, however care has to be taken to make sure as with any feather footed bird they are kept dry in winter..and away from draughts, although saying all that adequate ventiliation is very important to otherwise the condensation build up can lead to damp bedding and respiratory problems.

And...where are the photos???

 

[henry]

Hi Foxy,
the other photos i have taken of the chicks were horrible, the chicks kept moving and blurred, so this is the only good one i could get. I have added a couple of shots of the coop showing what i meant. The other hutch i was talking about is a normal rabbit hatch with a bed door and wire front panel door, this is the one i meant about covering with some plastic or carpet tile.
Pete

 

[E3lx]

nice chicks!!!
Keeping them warm in winter is important, they may benefit from additional lighting to make the conditions more similar to those in spring.
At 7 weeks they need hardening off (off the heat, out in the run during the day, in unheated box at night). Then, put in a coop, staying out day and night, the first week of this should certainly be a mild one) .

 

[animartco]

Hello Henry.
A rabbit hutch would not be tall enough for chicken. Difficult to rig a perch up in one. The other house you have also looks rather small. How tall is it? Or did you only mean to keep the chicks in either while they are growing? It's a bit difficult with silkies because normally when they are fully fledged they can come off heat. But how do you tell with a silky, when it's fledged? It looks like you might have them indoors for some time especially with the weather we've got now!

 

[Chuck]

They are Silkie crosses so will have feathers rather than fluff. They will be hardy and should not need coddling.
How big they get will depend on their breeding i.e. were the parents/grandparents bantam or large fowl.
I think you'll just have to see as they grow if they outgrow the house you've got for them.

 

[henry]

Hi Chuck,
the parents were both small the father was a silky and the mother a gold top and they are both small so i assume they will be bantams.
The house for the older hens is only used for the night time, during the day they are either free range or in a 14ft by 8ft enclosure, I have added another house onto what i have already to make 3 seperate compartments, Minimum hight 2ft the third compartment is over 2 ft, and is a plastic garden storage box, 6ft long 2ft wide x 2ft6 high. I have got another large rabbit hutch for the 3 chicks when they do go out.
Pete