What kind of coop for silkies

[feliciadawn]

What would be a good design for 5-6 silkies/frizzles? I already have a huge run that they can share with other chickens, but I need a nice secure place for them to sleep. My silkies seem unable or unwilling to use a ramp -- I am trying to think of a good design that does not require a ramp. Thoughts?

 

[nuthatched]

Large dog house? With a few nest boxes and low perches?

 

[bhawk-23]

Did you come up with an idea? I am wanting a place for the silkies to sleep inside the chicken run also.

 

[feliciadawn]

For the summer I put together a geodesic dome climber, wrapped netting around it, put a window on top and some shingles around, and covered half of it like a tent. Then I put my electric fence all the way around it. Works great now but won't be good for snow, so need to move them in November.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

My 3 silkies have learned to hop up onto the little ramp and into coop! It's not so big, also known as the "rinky dink" coop on BYC...but it's working for my situation.

 

[DoeAndGander]

I’m in the same situation. I’ll be building something like this but at a smaller scale outside my coop - within the run. I won’t be including stairs, I was thinking a wide ramp instead. Ideally I’d like coop to be 1-1.5 ft off ground so I don’t lose run space but I may have to lower it due to them being so finicky

 

[Swbertrand1]

We have 8 Silkies, the two youngest are 15 weeks old, the older ones are all about 2-3 years old, and we have no problem with any of them using a full-size coop.
The adult Silkies go up alongside the RIRs, EEs, and Comets, while the juveniles use a slightly smaller version of our segregated coop to get used to full-time living when they're mature.
Maybe some training is in order for your Silkies. We have, from time to time (or with new arrivals or young birds) needed to show them the entrance and ramp, how to use the ramp to go inside, and point out the roost bars for both sides of the coop. On the juveniles' side, the lower roost bar (really just a step-up bar) is about 8" off the floor, while the primary roost bars are 19" off the floor. The two young birds usually just jump from the floor to the higher bars to roost for the night without bothering with the lower bar.

 

[feliciadawn]

So by way of update -- I realized one of my two silkies has a foot deformity, and he walks on the side of his foot. This may explain his trouble getting up on anything, as well as roosting.

 

[Swbertrand1]

So by way of update -- I realized one of my two silkies has a foot deformity, and he walks on the side of his foot. This may explain his trouble getting up on anything, as well as roosting.

How old is he? Do you have photos you can share?

 

[feliciadawn]

How old is he? Do you have photos you can share?

He is 4 months old now. Not sure what to do with with him. He doesn't crow, just sort of honks. Do you want him?