Moving Day, Brooder to Coop

• What Fully Feathered Silkie Bantams Look Like
• Brooder to Coop, Suitable Outdoor Temperatures

The Silkies are 6 weeks old and ready to leave the brooder. They’ve been raised in an insulated shed with natural light, and their only source of heat was radiant heat from the Brinsea Brooder.

Night temperatures were between 48 and 55 degrees, and although I veered from the golden rule of keeping the brooder at 95 the first week and lowering the temperature by five degrees each week, my chicks showed no signs of discomfort.  I usually don’t move chicks from the brooder until 7 or 8 weeks, but being kept in cooler conditions they must have feathered quicker.

Here they are, Fanny, Jo, Pat, and Randi. Happy, healthy, thriving youngsters in their new coop. Which ones will stay or end up in the sale pen will be a question answered when they’re about 6 months old. This breed is nearly impossible to sex, so the only sure way is to wait for the eggs or hear the crowing.

Note: Remember to acclimate your chicks to cooler weather if they are being raised inside your house (not recommended). Chicks raised under a heat lamp and kept at a consistent temperature may take a week or two longer to fully feather.