06/04/2026
Let’s talk Heatstroke or heat related death of SILKIES.
I think this information is often gleaned over. If you own silkies, you know they are not JUST chickens. They are so unique in every way and have way different requirements for care.
Silkies don’t do heat, they can perish much faster than other chickens in the heat. Specifically, our heavily feathered high quality exhibition birds.
To put this plainly; silkies are HIGHLY intolerant to heat due to their hairlike feathers.
Unlike standard barbed feather birds, which have interlocking barbs that lock together to form a smooth shield from the elements, silkies feathers lack these.
Their “hair” creates a dense, downy "winter coat" that traps their body heat in and is very poor at dissipating excess temperatures.
This is all compounded and made worse when birds are super fluffy, and in full feather.
The heat is trapped against their bodies and raises core temps to dangerous levels quite quickly.
Additionally, Silkies have smaller combs and almost non existent wattles. Chickens naturally cool themselves by circulating blood through their combs and wattles. As you can imagine, silkies little walnuts aren’t very effective at this task.
Silkies aren’t really the dinosaurs they evolved from; they can’t see well to even save themselves by finding shade, water sources and safety.
Silkies succumb to heat related death much faster and more often than the average clean legged barbed feather bird.
These birds are unique. Those of us who raise them know of their fragile nature and how quickly they can be here and gone. Despite our best care.
People who don’t raise exhibition silkies often get things wrong about our birds care. They are shocked and in disbelief that a silkie can die sunbathing. Welp…. They do.
Have grace. Be kind.
Please send good energy out into the universe today.
Aura. 🖤
