Is roosting necessary?

[Rachela]

I have 6 silkies. At bedtime 3 pile on each other in one corner and another 3 pile on each other in a different spot. I’ve let them be and not forced or tried to get them to roost. Is this okay or should I step in and encourage roosting?

 

[sourland]

Silkies can be strange about roosting. It sometimes helps if the roosts are low enough for easy access. Roosting helps keep birds cleaner as they defecate during the night.

 

[Rachela]

Silkies can be strange about roosting. It sometimes helps if the roosts are low enough for easy access. Roosting helps keep birds cleaner as they defecate during the night.

Roost is low but good point on them pooping. I will see if I can encourage it

 

[Whigru]

I had the same issue with my (non-silkie) birds just piling on the nest boxes when they were younger. As others in here helped me determine, my roosting bar wasn’t big or high enough. I put a better one in that is about a foot off the ground and has space for them. They didn’t instinctively go to it right away, I assume because they were used to piling on, so I would go out at night after they’d gone in to bed and gently pick them up and place them on the bar. After I did that for a few nights to a couple birds, they all followed suit.

 

[Rachela]

I had the same issue with my (non-silkie) birds just piling on the nest boxes when they were younger. As others in here helped me determine, my roosting bar wasn’t big or high enough. I put a better one in that is about a foot off the ground and has space for them. They didn’t instinctively go to it right away, I assume because they were used to piling on, so I would go out at night after they’d gone in to bed and gently pick them up and place them on the bar. After I did that for a few nights to a couple birds, they all followed suit.

Thank you. I will take a look at size again today as well. They may need a wider one too.

 

[sourland]

Depending upon height of the roosts, silkies sometimes need a ladder or ramp to access them. Pictures of your set up would help.

 

[Whigru]

Thank you. I will take a look at size again today as well. They may need a wider one too.

Yes, my first one was similar to what you have and several people here pointed out it was way too low. I was modeling it after a pre-fab coop we’d had so just assumed it would be fine for the coop we built, but it wasn’t “attracting” them at all. They were just tripping on it and sitting in their own poo.
Now we have a 3-4in wide composite timber that is kind of in an L shape, so they have either side of the L to roost on. Like I mentioned before, it’s about a foot off the ground. They all use it now, as is evidence by the poo piles beneath it every day!

 

[Rachela]

Depending upon height of the roosts, silkies sometimes need a ladder or ramp to access them. Pictures of your set up would help.

Pretty low

 

[sourland]

I'd raise it up to at least a foot. They may not even recognize that as a 'roost'.

 

[Aapomp831]

How old are they? I have 20 BSLs that are 8 weeks and some of them roost and some of them don’t. When they are small, they feel mor comfortable huddled together, which is easier to do in the ground than on a roost. They will probably roost regularly and on their own as they mature and feel more comfortable “out in the open.”