Planning ahead... coop/roost for silkies

[KDbeads]

The silkie babies have stolen hubby's soul... he's asked me to design a coop/run just for them and any I let him get in the future (which will be several).

Pointers? Already have a nesting box that's banty sized too so that's one thing I can add to their run. I have read here and there that they don't always roost like regular chickens.....

I'm in the process of making new runs/coops for the rest of the chickens now that I have decent building materials to work with and am planning them to have the coop built in over the run floor to help save space and provide shade for our loooooong hot summers. Will this idea work for the silkies?

 

[briteday]

We have had up to 8 silkies at once, in a 4' x 8' A-frame coop with the run below. We have now re-homed all but 2 for now. Our roosts in the coop and in the run are about 3-4 inches off the floor. And many time when we go out in the morning and check for eggs you can see that they have dug a little nest in the straw from the night before. Sometimes they roost and sometimes they don't.

I'm not a fan of the A-frame style as it is too difficult to reach the back for cleaning. And when they are first placed in the coop and won't go up the ramp by themselves someone has to crawl into the run to retrieve the birds so they can be put into the coop for the night.

 

[gsim]

I have large standard brown-egg layers so no experience with smaller birds. However if you have to do an A frame coop run, do yourself a favor and put hinges on the top spine so that both sides of the A can be lifted, similar to a butterfly effect, for access. You will surely thank yourself later.

 

[KDbeads]

No A-frames here! I need to be able to walk in these. What I'm doing now for the others is an 8'x6'x6' coop with the back a solid panel, most of my construction scraps are conveniently sized this way. I'm thinking along the back where the panel is will be a 2' shelf from one side to the other about 4' off the ground that will have the roost over it and then partially enclosed with panels that are hinged to the top so that I can open and clean them. Food and nest boxes will be housed below this out of the rain and direct sun. Ramp for entry to the coop portion. I'll have pics when I finish the first one sometime this week

Will silkies use a ramp?

 

[KellyandKatie]

I was going to ask the same question, how high a roost do silkies like, and do they prefer to have a nesting box on the ground or up higher?

 

[ilovesilkies]

HELLO I HAVE A FEW SILKIES AND FROM MY EXPERINCE THEY LIKE TO ROOST ON THE GROUND OR AT LEAST VERY CLOSE TO THE GROUND. ALSO THEY LIKE TO LAY IN SOMETHING ON THE GROUND. LIKE A KITTY LITTER PAN OR EVEN ONE WITH A TOP FOR THE ONES THAT LIKE MORE PRIVACY LOL!

YOU COULD USE HAY BUT PINE SHAVINGS WORKS GREAT TOO AND A LITLE EASIER TO CHANGE OUT. MINE LIKE TO GO INSIDE A LITLE HOUSE (HUTCH OF A THING) LIKE RABBITS USE TO GET OUT OF THE WIND ETC. THEY ALL HUDLE TOGETHER WHEN ITS REAL COLD I PUT A HEAT LAMP ON THEM.

 

[KellyandKatie]

Thank you, I just checked on them, they were cuddled up with my scovies