Silkies in the rain

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Silkies in the rain

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wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 16 12:27 pm Post subject: Silkies in the rain

My poor silkies look very bedraggled in today's drizzle. I had an idea they shouldn't get wet as their silly feathers don't have proper waterproofing. Is that right, and if so how do I tell them that? I thought that if they had a nice warm shelter with food and water, they'd stay in it in bad weather, but they seem to prefer to get wet in their usual haunt in the patio. Must I keep them shut in their covered run when it rains? Or am I being exceptionally over protective?

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 16 3:58 pm Post subject:
They may be very stupid or they may be deceptively well-insulated I would err on the side of stupid! How tame are they? Can you cuddle one and see if it's wet through to the skin or just surface dampness?

chickenlady

Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 16 8:20 am Post subject:
When I had an outdoor silkie she used to get sodden - in spite of having a roofed run with dry flooring, she still preferred pottering about in the rain. However, I always made sure she was reasonably dry at bedtime (patting her as dry as possible with a towel). She had a couple of "normal" bantams to cuddle with at night time and I guess they helped her to stay warm.

BahamaMama

Joined: 21 Sep 2006
Posts: 2315
Location: Away with the fairies

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 16 1:46 pm Post subject:
I also had a silkie that had access to a warm, dry house but preferred to potter about in the rain. She was fine and lived to a ripe old age with no pampering or towel drying.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 16 4:28 pm Post subject:

BahamaMama wrote:

I also had a silkie that had access to a warm, dry house but preferred to potter about in the rain. She was fine and lived to a ripe old age with no pampering or towel drying.

Yes, this. Nothing madder than a wet hen and all that. Let them get on with it

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 16 5:23 pm Post subject:
I think they weren't wet through yesterday, and I wasn't hugely concerned as it wasn't cold. I was just thinking of later on in the winter. I'll leave them to it, unless they look miserable. They'll be in the eglu with with few other bantams to dry off on (they all like to sleep in a big pile in the nest box)

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 16 11:47 am Post subject:
They're hilarious in the snow. Mine used to try to jump from bush to bush rather than get their socks wet.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 16 4:08 pm Post subject:
Mine refuse to go out in the snow at all.

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