Don't get me wrong, I Love my silkies BUT

[Bengalcats1]

My silkies are by far my favorite chickens, but I'm not gonna lie, I think they are Slow.....every night I have to put them in their coop cause they apparently have no idea how to go in themselves.....will they ever learn?! The ramp is very short, 2 feet at the most and not much of an incline, I really thought they could handle that

 

[SilkieMomma]

Maybe they are just trying to enjoy the outdoors while it is still warm? Wait until the days start growing shorter, they will get it!

 

[dianaross77]

Mine sleep in an upside down tote with a "mouse hole" cut in it. It lays on the ground in the run next to the big girls coop. It was meant to be a place for them to hide when the girls where chasing them. They are pretty daft birds.

eta: mine do stay up later than the layers. I think it's a habit left over from the days when the big girls wouldn't share the food! The silkies would wait until everyone else was up for the night and gobble down some crumbles.

 

[Bengalcats1]

I wait till after dark and they are all huddled in a corner of the run, they just don't seem to know how to go up that little ramp? I can't imagine that but when I put them in their little coop they seem to be happy and feel safe. I have 10 of them and it's getting old having to put them to bed every night

 

[ginormous chicken]

I have a mix flock, my black silkie seems to hold her own. She goes in on her own and roosts. She is about a year old now. Maybe it just takes time. If they are juveniles, it might just take longer. I think you are right though... silkies are errrr..... just a mellower bird.

 

[leadwolf1]

I guess it just depends, my silkies were the first as youngsters to learn to go into the coop...they just walk right up the ramp and are the first in bed every night...they are 16 weeks old. Now if only I could get them out of their silkie piles and onto a roost!!! Any suggestions?

 

[Bengalcats1]

Quote:
None of mine have ever roosted, I don't think silkies like to, mine still sleep in a pile and we just had a Bad heat wave so I had them in my air cond shop for a few days, I was worried cause they def seem to suffer more in the heat and the way they pile up, ugh....They also don't go into the coop at all during the day, I really think they have No idea how to use a ramp and I made it as short as I could and hardly any incline, I would have loved to have the coop taller but knew they'd have a prob with that

 

[leadwolf1]

Mine have no problem with the ramp..they go right up and down it...but I can't get them to roost even if I put a roost only 4 inches off the ground. What's interesting is that the silkies I got from a hatchery and raised with a mixture of chickens will fly up and roost! None of my breeder purchased silkies would dream of sleeping with the commoners

 

[Bengalcats1]

Well I went out today and bought 2 little white fences, the kind you put along a garden, I'm going to attach them on either side of the ramp and see if they will go up it, maybe they think they will fall off the egde? Not that it would matter, it is so close to the ground. One of these nights they are going to surprise me and put themselves to bed (yea right) I would love to be able to just go out and lock the door instead of having to pick up 10 chickens and putting them in

 

[littlestars17]

Lol we used an old pile of bricks and fashioned stairs for our silkies : ) They are still the last in but they go in on their own