Set ups for Silkies

[Yard full o' rocks]

Morning all. We have 3, 7 month old Silkies that are just beginning to lay. We have kept them in the grow up pen with smaller birds up to this point due to their size.

Since silkies don't really fly, how do you set up your coops for a place for them to roost? Also, what about nesting boxes?

Any help would be appreciated so I can get them a coop designed for them

Thanks

Scott

 

[SilkieTime]

Morning

I use different kinds of boxs, like milk crates, plastic beans, metal cabinet or wood boxs on the floor. I don't have a roost of any kind but I have been thinking of one just off the ground. Young ones do like to get up on things. My first silkie liked to get up high, 3 feet maybe on a flat surface. Most of them just like the floor.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

I have six different Silkie houses because I have them separated by color...not to mention the two grow-out pens. NONE of the houses have perches, because the Silkies just won't use them. As for laying boxes--I use to think I needed one box for each girl---nope, they all want to use the same box. So now, I just have 2 boxes in each house; they're actually just a 2x4 nailed to the floor to make a square shape.

 

[cjexotic]

no roost in my coop either. I use rubber made tubs.. in the summer I take the tops off due to heat. Winter I put the tops on and the roos and some hens will sit on top of it.
I cut a hole in the side. The large tubs I put legs on and a milk crate in from of the doorway. I took them off the ground as the mice wanted to live under the tubs. When I put them on 4-6'" legs they moved on. I use the 40+ gallon size. I use to use the smaller ones but as was said in one of the above posts they will all try to get into one box. I had a hen sufficate in the smaller one. It was one of the smaller ones wal-mart sells for $4 something. And I pulled out 5 hens and a rooster out of that tub.