Lonely silkie rooster and winter chill.

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scuttell

scuttell

Chirping
6 Years
Oct 19, 2015
3
0
65
Hey all,
I am new and have a silkie rooster that we rescued. Issue is all the girls tend to roost on the perches which leaves him on the ground. Anyone have suggestions to help keep him warm this winter. ? Have a water heater base in the coop to keep the water from freezing. The coop is pretty tight so I am not worried about drafts but I am worried about the cold. Can anyone help with suggestions?
 
Is he your only silkie? Silkies tend to sleep piled up in a corner on the floor of the coop. Because of their type of feather they don't fly, they can jump pretty high though. That is probably why he doesn't roost. Maybe you could set up a low roost for him that he could get up on. It would be good if some other bird would roost with him, so they can keep each other warm during the winter.
 
drumstick diva said:
Is he your only silkie? Silkies tend to sleep piled up in a corner on the floor of the coop. Because of their type of feather they don't fly, they can jump pretty high though. That is probably why he doesn't roost. Maybe you could set up a low roost for him that he could get up on. It would be good if some other bird would roost with him, so they can keep each other warm during the winter.
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Yup. He was a rescue and he was too cute. He has a little cross beak so he needs the extra special attention . I made a little hay ball nest for him last night. It is not cold here yet but it is coming. Would he be warmer on a roost alone or in a nest ball on the floor. Like I said earlier, I will have the heater base for the water going and am hoping that will generate a little warmth and if he nests next to it I was hoping he would be ok. I am stressing about the little guy. I believe he was never meant to be an outdoor rooster. He is so friendly and cute. Don't want to lose him to cold weather. So, any suggestions are really, really appreciated. Want to be pro-active before the really cold air gets here. I am in Massachusetts so after last winter, I am a little nervous. Thanks for your input .
 
My silkies hop up some "steps" I made for them to their roost that is about 5 feet high. You might find your guy will roost if you give him some help up. They can jump about 14in. fairly easily. I had to make a wider platform under the tall roost for them to go down, and in case they fall. I had one fall off the tall perch in the night. The platform makes a good spot to put my "poop trays" too. They learned to use the platform and step to safely jump down, compared to their previous, crazy, leaping bowling ball flight down that made me cringe in terror.
 
I am also worried about my lone silkie roo. I have a 2 compartment coop with each compartment being identical. Each compartment opens onto the same run. I have my special needs chickens in this area. Currently i have 2 silkie hens a sizzle and 2 millefleur d'unccle's a hen and a roo. My problem is that all of them roost in the upper compartment except the silkie roo...this is because the millifleur roo won't allow him in the door. He sleeps alone in the bottom compartment. Picture is the millifleur roo standing guard. I will either have to provide aux heat in the lower compartment or bring him into the garage coop over the coldest part of the winter. I can lift him and put him in past the other roo but I am never sure that he doesn't get chased out. The silkie roo is 2x the size of the d'unccle roo.

:he

700
 

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