You can order a pre-made coop online or build your own. A good coop will have a mesh ventilation window at the top of the structure, which you can close during rainy weather. There should be a door to let chickens out into the yard or run. Have an area for the chickens to roost and nest. This includes a bar they can roost on and hay so they can lay eggs.
Use wire with holes that are no larger than . 5 inches (13 mm) wide so that other animals can’t climb in. Either choose a coop with a solid floor or bury wire mesh into the ground under the coop. This prevents burrowing animals, like rats, from digging their way in. All windows and top openings should be covered with mesh. Check for holes and gaps regularly.
Chicken runs keep chickens safe from predators. They also prevent your chickens from escaping or becoming lost.
Free-range chickens often have a healthier diet, as they will supplement their feed with grasses and bugs. Make sure that part of the yard is shaded or covered so that the silkies have protection from rain and heavy sun. You can set up an overhang or plant trees for shade. Overhead covering is still important for free-range chickens since predators could attack them during the day. Even if your chickens are free-range, they must be kept in a coop at night to protect them from weather and predators.
Place the nest boxes in a dark, quiet corner of the coop. Keep them close to the ground, since silkies can’t fly or jump very high, or provide a ramp up the higher ones.
Bedding helps insulate the coop and keep your silkies warm. It will also absorb their droppings to make clean-up easier. Don’t use hay for bedding as this can cause respiratory problems.
Since silkies are docile, it may be possible to keep more than 1 male bird with the flock. If the males start to fight, however, separate them.
Hang the food and water dishes about 2–3 inches (5. 1–7. 6 cm) off the ground. The chickens should be able to easily reach the food and water, but they shouldn’t be able to climb on top of it. If you have a brooding hen or a hen with chicks, place a separate feeder and drinker close to it. Use a “no-drown” drinker so that the chicks can drink without falling in. [8] X Research source
Add just enough water to the grain so that it sticks together when pressed. This is called mash, and it prevents the food from sticking to the chickens’ beaks. If the chickens are less than 20 weeks old, use a starter or developer blend of chicken feed. If the chickens are older than 20 weeks, give them a layer blend of feed. These usually contain oyster shells to supplement their calcium intake. [9] X Research source A finisher blend is for meat chickens. Give it to them 6 weeks before slaughter.
In the winter time, bring in the drinker at night to prevent freezing. Refill it in the morning and put it back into the coop.
The chickens will self-moderate how much grit they have in their diet. Refill the bowl of grit whenever it starts to get low.
You can buy crushed oyster shells at pet stores or feed mills.
Silkies can’t fly, so you don’t need to clip their flight feathers.
You can buy a dusting powder at a pet store, livestock store, or online.
Do not use normal disinfectants, as these can irritate your chicken’s respiratory systems. You can buy bird-safe disinfectant at a pet store.
You can cook and eat silkie eggs as you would any chicken eggs. If the hen refuses to leave its eggs or if it acts aggressively when you approach its nest, it means that it is brooding. Leave the hen and its eggs alone. Soon you might have baby silkies!
Many breeders try to breed diseases out of their chickens. Take this into consideration as you choose where you get your chickens. Symptoms of this disease include a gray or misshapen eye, lesions on the skin, and weight loss. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. If your birds have been diagnosed with it, you will either need to permanently quarantine them from the healthy birds or euthanize them.
Other signs of mites include restlessness, excessive biting of the feathers, ruffled or patchy feathers, and skin lesions. Make sure to clean the coop thoroughly if you find mites in 1 of the birds. Use a bird-safe disinfectant.
After 21 days, move the silkie to a separate crate until the chicks have hatched to protect the eggs. Make sure to give the hen food and water during this time. You can move the chicks back to the coop as soon as they hatch. While you can place the eggs in an incubator, silkies are known to be excellent brooders. This means that they generally won’t abandon their eggs or chicks. If you have other breeds of chickens that won’t brood, try giving their eggs to a silkie. Silkies are known to brood any eggs, even egg-shaped items like rocks or tennis balls!
