Do Silkies roost?

[rosawoodsii]

I just acquired four Silkie hens. They are so talkative and cute, and my flip-footed Silkie rooster is no longer the only "weird looking chicken". Now, the rooster is always on the ground, but that goes with his flipped foot. All my other Bantams roost. The Silkie hens, though, don't seem to perch at night. I'm not sure if that's because they've never had a roost before, so they don't know enough to get off the ground at night, or whether that's normal for Silkies. Anyone have roosting Silkies?

 

[Aria]

Quote:
We have 14 Hens and one Rooster Silkie. And they do NOT Roost.

 

[bantyshanty]

Generally, no they don't. I have one roosting silkie out of a dozen (the pullet of my avatar). She was raised as the only silkie with roosting breeds, and I got her at 4 months. At 8 months, she still roosts with my roosting birds, not piling in the silkie pile.
If you want the silkies to roost, try a low, wide roost like the broad side of a 2 x 4 only 4 to 6 inches off the ground. They tend to have trouble jumping up high and perching when they're grown due to their shape, their toes, and their sight.

 

[gritsar]

My two silkies do, but not on the roost that we installed specifically for them. The two of them roost together on top of a nestbox. They hate and normally avoid each other, but with it getting colder they decided to put their differences aside.

 

[NellaBean]

Mine do.

 

[rosawoodsii]

Thanks so much for your quick replies. I find Silkies cute and fascinating and these little hens chatter away, as if they're having little conversations among themselves. They don't sound like my other hens at all, and are so much friendlier and calmer than my other chickens, especially my other Bantams. I rather wondered whether the non-roosting behavior was breed linked. Bantyshanty, you mentioned eyesight--is that because of the feathers? I usually trim the Silkie rooster's feathers around his eyes. And do you think the feathers on the feet interfere with roosting?

 

[KayP]

Mine roosts.

 

[berkeleysprings]

i have 6 or 8 and they all do

 

[happyhound]

I have 4 Silkies and they all roost with my other larger breeds. I did have to build a roost only about 18-20 inches off the ground at first but now they are getting onto the higher roost too.

 

[Miz Mary]

mine roost on a 3" flat roosting "board" .......