Do Silkies roost? How do they sleep? How can I set it up?

[SavvySilkieMom]

I have two silkie chicks that will be kept indoors as ESAs. I have a 62" rabbit hutch in their own room where they free range. I am wondering where they would sleep when they move in? I have them in a broder now but I know once they move in they will have anesting box and a roost. Where do they usually sleep? Nesting boxes or on the roost? I want to know for poop cleaning purposes. I know the mornig poo is big, so I dont want a huge mess and i'd like to know more or less where it will be for clean up.

Thanks !

 

[Peepsi]

The hutch i purchased has removable trays for clean up. If they roost to sleep why do they need a nesting box? dont they sleep in those or thats only for hens to lay?

They would love sleeping in their nesting box, but you do not want them to do that! Chickens poop through the night when they sleep, so if your silkies are hens, they will be pooping in the same nests that the lay eggs in, which means a dirty poopy egg for you.

You want clean eggs, so you don't have to wash them. Washing eggs washes off the bloom, which is there to protect them from bacteria. The eggs will go bad faster if you wash the bloom off.

So do not let them sleep in the nest box. Getting them used to sleeping on a roost between 4 and 6 inches high would be best for both you and them.

EDIT: of course, if your silkies are both boys, the egg problem does not apply. But you still want them to roost, so they aren't sitting in their own poop.

 

[EggWalrus]

When silkies are small the usually sleep in a pile. Once they get older they will roost to sleep if you provide them with a low roost. Silkie feathers are different from regular feathers of other chickens. They aren't flight feathers so if the roost is higher than the silkie can jump, the silkie probably won't be able to get up on it. If you make one about 6 inches tall, they may use it. I'd put some poop boards under it to make clean up easier.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Mine roosted on the ground in a huddle while they were little, but once they got bigger they upgraded to the roosts. The boys sleep on the high roost and the girls on the low. My silkies are hatchery quality so they have some "bad" silkie feathers, which lets them fly a little but not well.

 

[Peepsi]

So they will be covered in poo every morning? Oh no!
I will have to close the upper compartment of the hutch every night so they dont sleep in the nesting boxes. how thick should the roost be? I heard a 2 by 4 is good because it shouldnt be too thin or round so its easy to be on.Is that true? Also do roosters need a nesting box too?

Close the nesting boxes until the hens get old enough to lay. You want to encourage them to use the nesting box for just laying eggs.

Boys (cockerals if the are under a year old, or rooster if they are over a year old) do mot need nesting boxes at all. The nesting box is only for pulleys and hens to lay their eggs, and nothing else.

Yes a 2 x 4 with the 4" side up is am excellent roost. It keeps their feet comfortably flat on the roost. In freezing weather, it is essential that their feet are flat on the roost, so their chest feathers cover their feet and keep them warm. If they are always in the house, this isn't a concern, but it's still better to have the 4"side of the roost up for them to perch on.

 

[SavvySilkieMom]

Close the nesting boxes until the hens get old enough to lay. You want to encourage them to use the nesting box for just laying eggs.

Boys (cockerals if the are under a year old, or rooster if they are over a year old) do mot need nesting boxes at all. The nesting box is only for pulleys and hens to lay their eggs, and nothing else.

Yes a 2 x 4 with the 4" side up is am excellent roost. It keeps their feet comfortably flat on the roost. In freezing weather, it is essential that their feet are flat on the roost, so their chest feathers cover their feet and keep them warm. If they are always in the house, this isn't a concern, but it's still better to have the 4"side of the roost up for them to perch on.

Good to know. having a dna test done in jan. 6th.
I will hold of on the nesting boxes until then.
I was hoping for at least 1 hen but based on what people tell me about how broody silkies get and the big poop I think ill be happy with 2 roosters LOL

 

[EggWalrus]

Good to know. having a dna test done in jan. 6th.
I will hold of on the nesting boxes until then.
I was hoping for at least 1 hen but based on what people tell me about how broody silkies get and the big poop I think ill be happy with 2 roosters LOL

If they or one of them are girls and you put a nest box in, 2 birds only need 1 nest, make sure to put the nest box low and the roost higher. With just 2 silkies you can let them roost on top of the nest boxes if you put poop boards on top of the nests. Most all chickens want to roost as high as they can reach. If your nests are above the roosts, they will sleep in the nests and poop in them all night long. It's a lot easier to clean a removable poop catch board, than to have to pick poo nuggets out of the nest straw everyday with your fingers. Plus if you have to replace dirty straw everyday it can get expensive. You can make them a little ramp to get up to the roosts that are higher than the nests.
Good luck!

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

Evening! Some of my silkies do roost and others dont.

 

[Wezdin]

I know the mornig poo is big

Hi! No experience with silkies but chickens have no control on when they poo, they go a lot in their sleep also

 

[HeyHeyWW]

I don't have any experience with Silkies either, but I think they would sleep on the roost.

How old are the chicks?

When I had chicks without a mother, I would put them in a box and cover them with a blanket. Don't worry about them suffocating, though, because it's never happened. I would only do this with a chick that was less than three months old. Once they were older than that, I got them used to sleeping in a roost. I just wanted them to feel like they were under their mother hen when they sleep. But, you don't have to do that. You could always let them sleep in the nesting box or on the roost. I think that they'd get used to sleeping on the roost.