Ack...Silkies are really dumb

[Crash812]

Our two Silkies are three months old and been with the old flock for the last month and a half, and are understandably, the bottom of the pecking order, but otherwise accepted and tolerated by our other five chickens.
They have yet to figure out, they need to follow the rest of the flock into the coop at night. Every evening, we have to put them in. They follow the others out in the morning without issue.
Today, it rained and they stayed under cover, but as soon as the others went to bed, they went outside to their usual corner of the run, in the pouring rain, and laid in the mud.
What to do?

 

[BYCforlife]

Two of my hens always camped outside at night. I put a shelter for them to go under until they got more used to the other chickens. (They camped for about 2 weeks.) Then they moved into the coop mesting boxes for night. Better than outside!

 

[chickens really]

They are possibly being bullied off the Roosts or out of the Coop...Put up more roosting areas....

 

[MageofMist]

My silkies practically knew right away to head inside once it starts getting dark, so it is more likely that yours are being bullied off the roosts/out of the coop. I'd do as BYCforlife recommended and set up a shelter for them to stay in while they camp out until things settle down enough for them to use the coop, extra roosts would help in that too or if they aren't roosting silkies, a shelterd area they can snuggle in without risking being pooped on by the other birds.

 

[lastco]

Agree, agree! Some of my silkies roost on low roosts, but most don't roost at all. They also won't go up ramps. They just can't see or fly well, so they like to stay closer to the ground. I have some pretty assertive silkies, but most will get bullied, simply because they can't see well enough to know they're about to get whooped. I have a low, doghouse style coop for mine. You could easily make something like that out of a rubbermaid tote for two silkies. People use them for next boxes in a similar way for larger birds, so there's a ton of pics out there to go by.