Do your silkies roost?

[Backyardexplorer]

Hi all!

We have our first batch of baby silkies and I’m wondering as they mature what type of coop accommodations they will need.

Will they walk up a ramp and roost along with my regular flock of chickens? Do they need a separate area to make a “cuddle puddle”? Do they need nesting boxes on the ground?

I am reading conflicting information regarding if they will walk up a ramp. Our current chicken coop has a ramp leading to the roosting bars and nesting boxes. My husband is an excellent carpenter and can build out any accommodations we need, I’m just not sure what that is. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it!

I am also open to building a small(ish) coop just for silkies! If you’ve got a silkie coop I would love to see photos!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am reading conflicting information regarding if they will walk up a ramp.

That's easy to explain. The reason you get conflicting information on this topic and most others is that we get different results. Each chicken has its own personality, each flock has its own dynamics. We all have different coops and set-ups, different management techniques, different climates, and different goals. Of course we will get different results.

Some Silkies will walk up a ramp to get to nests or roosts. Some will hop up to higher levels if they have things they can hop on. Some will stay at ground level. You have ramps. You can wait and see what happens, then adjust if necessary. That's what I'd do. Or you can add more ramps, more nests, or separate accommodations if you want.

 

[Genene]

I have Silkies & none of them will use an elevated perch. In their run is a long slatted bench, a slatted table & a big, 3 rung wooden ladder leaning against the run wall & secured with a bungee cord. They use all of the above. Their ramp to coop is wooden with wooden rungs about 3 “ apart.

 

[perkolator]

I have one silkie, a buff bantam silkie rooster named Pipsqueak. He roosts with 12 full-size hens that all tower over him, 6ft in the air on a tree branch roost bar out in the run. There are branch "stairs" for them to get up/down to the top level, spaced ~12" vertically apart.

If yours aren't roosting, maybe it's just an immaturity issue at this point. Most of my chickens have been like that before maturity, but once they aged they all figure it out.

 

[Colleen DeJancquil]

Hi all!

We have our first batch of baby silkies and I’m wondering as they mature what type of coop accommodations they will need.

Will they walk up a ramp and roost along with my regular flock of chickens? Do they need a separate area to make a “cuddle puddle”? Do they need nesting boxes on the ground?

I am reading conflicting information regarding if they will walk up a ramp. Our current chicken coop has a ramp leading to the roosting bars and nesting boxes. My husband is an excellent carpenter and can build out any accommodations we need, I’m just not sure what that is. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it!

I am also open to building a small(ish) coop just for silkies! If you’ve got a silkie coop I would love to see photos!

Mine all roost but roosting bars are only about 10" apart as they ascend up. They nest low when broody or very young.