My silkies don't want to leave the coop??.. WHY

[todtrac]

I have four silkie chicks that are roughly 8 weeks old, I moved them out the the coop 2 weeks ago. I built them a ramp into the enclosed run but they do not want to leave the actual coop, any suggestions??... When I reach in and actually put them out, they love it... confusing..

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Mine are 4-6 months and they STILL refuse to leave. They're perfectly happy in the coop, until I take them out, as well. I have the same sort of setup; a ramp is used to get from point A to B. I think they don't unerstand how to use it. A few months ago, I was working on 'walking them' down and up the ramp one by one, when it was time to take them out and put them back again. Sadly, the ramp is broken and we haven't fixed it yet. So now I'm just picking them up and putting them back by hand. When the ramp was in use, they didn't really even begin to 'get it'. I have been told that Silkies aren't the 'brightest crayons in the box' but for mine, I think it's the big crests they have in their faces: restricts vision.

Anywho, when I put them on the ground, they begin to do some exploring. Same story with mine.

 

[boxermom]

I've got 8 aracaunas that are about 12 wks old. They were hatched and raised by a broody. For some reason, she never took them outside. She has since let them be on their own and they still haven't gone outside. They too are perfectly content in the barn. I keep hoping they will get curious, but it sure hasn't happened yet.

ETA: My silkies that I bought from the feed store sure like it outside. It didn't take them long to figure it out. 2 were raised by a broody and the other 2 figured it out on their own.

 

[todtrac]

Makes me feel better knowing that my silkies are of the norm... I guess the saying being scared as a chicken has merit.. thanks

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have read on here and found it to be true with my own silkies that they don't like ramps. Mine come down the ramp to get out, and go to bed (back up the ramp), but avoid ramps throughout the day.

All my other chickens are up and down ramps all day....ramps all over. I have a lot of coops with ramps, and they visit each other's houses. But not the silkies.

 

[4PrettyLadies]

Newbie chicken lover here - be gentle with me! We just got 4 red sex-link pullets - ~ 20 wees. They have a 6x6 house w/nesting boxes, roost, food, water and large fenced run. First 2 days scared to death of the hen house - had to put them in and out. Today they came out for several hours this am and scratched around, ate and went back in to house where they are all 4 resting in a group on the floor - been there for several hours. My question is this - do pullets rest during the day? Is this ok or should I be worried? They have only been here a couple of days so perhaps they are just getting acclimated??? Thanks!

 

[kelar]

Re the Silkies and the ramp - how high is your ramp? Silkies can't fly so they are terrified of heights - it could be that your coop is too high off the ground. I have low ramps for mine going into their indoor pens with small pieces of wood across to help them with traction. The door is no more than a foot off the ground and the ramps have a very gradual incline, but it still takes them a while to learn to use them. Everything for silkies needs to be low to the ground

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

If the ramp is too steep they may be unable to navigate it. i have my ramps on a very gradual downward slop, then put a small wooden box at the far end so they can walk down the ramp, end up on the box, then hop off the box onto the ground. The box is about 10" tall. Hope that makes sense.

In one of my pens, there is only a 6" difference between the ground and coop entrance, and they were perplexed on how to get up and down. i had to put paver steps outside to make the transition easier.

It's not that they are less bright than other chickens. It's just that their crests obstruct sight, they have all those feathers on their feet so must account for that when taking a step, and then they can't fly.

 

[boxermom]

4prettyladies, yes it is normal for chickens to have an afternoon nap. Mine go in to get out of the heat and to dust bathe where it's cooler. I use the deep litter method w/ shredded paper and wood shavings and it isn't unusual to see everyone buried up to the chests in the litter. It's cool and keeps the bugs off too.

 

[todtrac]

I appreciate the information regarding silkies and ramps, I did a lot of research on chickens prior to buying eggs or chicks, never realized that silkies don't do ramps..yikes... my coop is off the ground 3' and the ramp is six foot long so you can imagine the angle of descent. I will try the crate at the bottom to lessen the incline... boy I hope it helps... I cannot keep putting them in every night due to my work schedule.