05/14/2026
Tis the season for baby chick information!
Ever wonder how to raise baby silkies? Well, I've had quite a few requests lately asking for information. So here it goes...
Baby silkies need a heat plate or heat source. I highly recommend Producers pride heat plates from Tractor Supply. They are cheaper than other name brands and last longer (in my experience). You can raise them up and down as they have adjustable legs. There is a button for heater which is nice to use in coops in winter on their sides for adults or a button for brooder for chicks to use on all 4 legs. I always used an LED light at the other end of my brooder set up which is where the food and water is. That way the babies run to eat and then if they get chilly they go back under the heater. It worked really well. If I didn't use the led light the babies would stay under the heat plate (which is dark) and then they'd go hungry bc they didn't know to go get feed. I don't know if they were too scared to wander out to eat or what. So a light seems to help in my experience.
I grab a digital thermometer from lowes or Walmart and put it under the brooder plate. Remember it's going to be a lower temperature on the floor. However, babies stand up and stand against it and it's warmer up against the plate. Temperature should be 95 degrees the 1st week and drop a few degrees each week. I found that chicks running back and forth under the heatplate and outside of the heatplate with temperature swings sometimes will get pasty butt. This is from temperature swings. I have found that sprinkling cornmeal on the feed helps prevent pasty butt and also eliminates it.
Fast forward to approx. 8 weeks...you are starting to see babies wanting to jump/fly (they think they can fly). Some babies might be slower and less excited. Between 8 and 12 weeks of age babies will get coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is something that babies get and it spreads fast! Signs are ruffled feathers, hiding away from others, bloody stools, foamy stools, not eating, withering away, droopy wings, feathers look ratty. I recommend using endocox as a prevention rather than waiting for these symptoms and having to fight this to get rid of it. Order Endocox from Jedds.com or Google Endocox for birds and see who's the cheapest. Order it now and have several bags in stock. You will need to put it in their water every single month for 3 consecutive days until the babies reach 1 year of age. This works to prevent coccidiosis which stunts growth, development and also makes them so sick that they can perish. Endocox does not block vitamins like Corid does. I don't recommend Corid.
Fast forward again to 6 months. By the time the babies are 5 to 6 months they are off heat completely and likely outside. You'll now need to guard them from predators like fox, hawk, coyote, snakes, dogs, raccoons, opossum, etc.
1st Make sure their homes are on 1 floor (silkies don't like to do stairs and if they raise chicks in the future ..chicks will freeze at the bottom of the stairs once mommy goes up to bed) 2nd...use hardware cloth on the side walls and bury it under ground by using sod nails to hold it in place so predators can't dig under OR reach in to pull them through the wire. Use 2x4 on top of your kennel and lay a tin roof or even plyboard and paint it with flex seal as a roof. You'll be so much happier knowing flying predators can't get in. Look around for holes that you can fit your hand/fist through. If you can fit your fist through it, predators can squeeze through. Snakes obviously can fit through much smaller holes and if you want to prevent them from coming in You'll need hardware cloth everywhere.
Lastly, adults... if you've hatched 12 boys and 2 girls, you'll need to remove those boys except 1 for now. You can't keep all those boys. They will keep everything a hot mess of stress .... boys Naturally fight. You can't go and buy all girls to have a 1 to 1 ratio and expect everyone to live peacefully. That will never happen. A good ratio is 1 boy to 10 girls. You can keep another boy as a back up in a separate pen with 2 girls for company...just incase the 1st boy perishes of natural causes. It does happen. Don't beat yourself up over it. It's sad but it's part of farmlife. So a back up boy is wise. Just keep the walls covered with feedbag so they can't see eachother or they'll pull eachothers hair out during the day. Boys are wired to defend their girls by putting their own life on the line. your job is to keep them safe. Putting visual blockers up will keep them from kickboxing during the day.
Lastly...once the birds are outside they are prone to lice/mites which are brought in from wild birds, mice, rats, etc. It's also part of farming...you'll want to use preventable measures so they are healthy. Some folks use ivermectin pour on once a month. Some use elector, some use other things. I have a pinned post on my page for frontline/ pet armor plus or anything carrying fitpronil. That's my go to. I used that because it's 3 sprays, 1time every 3 months. Cheaper and less work and no bugs for 3 whole months. There is a lifetime egg withdrawal so if you eat the eggs don't use my method. However, if you only hatch silkies eggs like me, then ...have at it.
That's all the time I have for helpful hints this morning. Chime in if you want to. 😄
Have a happy Friday eve yall!
🩷Holly
