Silkie beds

[Murdy]

Ok... I bought a bunch of chicks this spring. I ended up with 4 bantam cochin/silkie cross hens. (didn't want bantam. Didn't want silkie, was told they were or cochin... but, c'est la vie)
They've now decided that the nesting boxes are their beds. They won't roost. Any tips on how I can convince them to nest elsewhere? Like... Build them a little box to sleep in that doesn't have them pooping on my eggs. Apparently silkies are known to not roost?

Thanks

 

[Lizzy733]

They can learn to roost, but it takes some coaching. We have a raised coop and there's a long ramp up to the coop and a small ramp up to the roosts. It did take her several weeks of me helping her up into the coop and then onto the perches night after night, but she did eventually get it and can now navigate competently.

Be careful the ramps aren't too steep and they'll figure it out eventually.

 

[nuthatched]

Silkies can't fly at all, so unless there's a way to walk up to the roosts, the nest boxes they go.

 

[Murdy]

They can learn to roost, but it takes some coaching. We have a raised coop and there's a long ramp up to the coop and a small ramp up to the roosts. It did take her several weeks of me helping her up into the coop and then onto the perches night after night, but she did eventually get it and can now navigate competently.

Be careful the ramps aren't too steep and they'll figure it out eventually.they get up into (and out of) the coop with no issues

They can learn to roost, but it takes some coaching. We have a raised coop and there's a long ramp up to the coop and a small ramp up to the roosts. It did take her several weeks of me helping her up into the coop and then onto the perches night after night, but she did eventually get it and can now navigate competently.

Be careful the ramps aren't too steep and they'll figure it out eventually.

They get up into (and out of) the elevated coop with no issues... They just won't stay on the roost. I tried (admittedly inconsistently due to my schedule) to place them on the perch at night for several weeks, and then was told that silkies just don't roost, do I've given up.

If they want to snuggle in a box on the floor of the coop... No problem. I just need them to stop s***ing on my eggs! Lol

 

[Murdy]

Silkies can't fly at all, so unless there's a way to walk up to the roosts, the nest boxes they go.

Oh dear God.... These girls can fly! Better than anyone in the rest of the click by far. Keep in mind they are silkie /cochin crosses. In theory.