1 month old silkie won't go in coop

[Cherry Bird]

I have 7 chicks that are 1 month old. One of them is a silkie. At dark, all the birds go into the coop except the silkie who sits under the coop (I have a tractor with run under the coop) and trills or chirps quietly. I try to sweep her out with a broom but she won't budge. She just lets me poke her. I have to crawl in there and grab her. She doesn't resist. When I put her in the coop with the rest of the birds she seems normal enough.

Is she being shunned by the others? Is she not smart enough to come in? What is going on?

Thanks!

 

[paddock36]

My Silkies never went inside the coop either. They always seemed to stay outside and of course on the ground. Do your other chickens have to go up a ramp to get into the coop. That might be the Silkies problem. Although there are folks on here who have Silkies that roost, they usually don't, at least not in my experience with them.

 

[mysweetgypsy]

It took my silkie roo almost a month to make it up the coop ramp

I had 3 other silkies that had no problem getting in and out, but he would be on the ground waiting for me at bed time. Every night at bedtime I'd scoop him up and add him to the pile of chickens in the coop. One night I found he'd made it half way up, and then felt stuck?! Then he just got it!

I have no idea what changed for him but he figured it out.

None of mine roost either?

 

[kfisher123]

we had the same problem with our 5 silkies. We didn't move them into the coop until they were 6 weeks old. Everynight, there they were on the ground in their run, with no intention of 'going up to bed' so we would get them (not fun to try and crawl in a 6 foot by 3 1/2 foot coop!! Yuck!) and put them in their house. On the fifth night, we went to do the same thing and low and behold they were already up on their own!! Huge happy dance!! Now, everynight like clockwork they are up at 7:30 snoring away!! Good luck, it just takes time I think.

 

[teach1rusl]

Many silkies don't handle ramps very well. You're going to need to work with her for a few weeks on teaching her to use it. She's not moving when you poke at her because chickens are helpless at night time in the dark. A WIDE, very gradual ramp works best with silkies.

 

[brendapa]

Try nailing carpet tiles to the ramps for the silkies.
They are ramp shy anyway but I've found if I cut a few I/O carpet tiles to fit the ramp and nail them onto it on the 4 corners, they take to a ramp much easier.
Once they start going down themselves, to train them at dusk, I put them on the ramp halfway. It takes a few nights. Some get it right away and the others start to follow.
I do have one that does not get it .

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

This is very typical silkie behavior from my experience. You MIGHT be able to coax her in by putting a battery-powered or other light that turns on when it is time for them to go in for the night. She might try to go towards the light.

It is common for silkies to not like ramps. They can be trained, though.

 

[Cherry Bird]

MANY THNKS for the hints and comments.

 

[tiffanyhurd]

I live in the Lakewood area. I have one silkie roo (just found out) and would like to get a hen about the same age as him. I got him at a feed store and he was the only silkie left. Do you know of a place that sells them in our area, it would be nothing to drive to Olympia! Thank you!

 

[Cherry Bird]

How old is your roo?