Silkie doesn't roost

[bugglesmommy]

I have a 9 year old silkie roo. Him and his now deceased 2 mates are the only silkies I've had until this point and even with roosts available they never roosted. They never went up and slept on the ground. The roo still doesn't. He'll sleep under other roosting chickens. I have 3 silkie chicks and I was wondering if this was normal for silkies? Will my chicks also never roost?

 

[my sunwolf]

Hi bugglesmommy

My Silkie babies have loved to roost from day 1 on a little branch, but they seem to be losing interest as they get older. I've always heard that it can be very common for Silkies to bunch up and sleep on the ground like babies. I think they also find it difficult to fly, so some people build ramps up to the roosts for them.

 

[bugglesmommy]

Hi bugglesmommy

My Silkie babies have loved to roost from day 1 on a little branch, but they seem to be losing interest as they get older. I've always heard that it can be very common for Silkies to bunch up and sleep on the ground like babies. I think they also find it difficult to fly, so some people build ramps up to the roosts for them.

Good idea. I'll build a ramp and see if that helps.

 

[my sunwolf]

Good idea. I'll build a ramp and see if that helps.

If they're like my Faverolles, they might need some "encouragement" when it comes to roosting... I had to pick her up from the corner and place her on a roost every night for weeks before she got the hang of it

 

[ChickensRDinos]

That is pretty normal. A lot of silkies never roost, especially the heavily crested or bearded ones like in my avatar. They can not jump, fly or see very well at all. Mine can use a ramp but never wanted to roost on anything higher than a few inches.

 

[RainyPeeps]

Mine had to be showed a few times to go up the ramp into the coop when they were first moved outside. They however, have never gotten the hang of roosting. They huddle together on the floor and sleep. But I haven't really tried to coax them onto roosts. I just have to hope they don't sleep under falling poo!

 

[kandrews]

Mine have always just cuddled in the nesting box sometimes they roost but I don't think the like it

 

[bugglesmommy]

He doesn't even like going into the nesting boxes. They are about 2 feet off of the ground. Anybody have ground level suggestions to help my silkies be more comfortable?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Thats too high for a silkie. They can not fly at all. You need to either add a ramp (and if you do you will need to teach it to use it) or lower the boxes. In general, I would not put anything you want a silkie to use higher than mid chest without giving them an easy way up. A standard cement cider block is about the tallest thing my silkie could manage.

Anything simple on the ground of slightly off the ground would work, even a crate or sideways bucket.

 

[bugglesmommy]

I'll definitely add in ramps then. The silky hens I use to have would hop on a cinderblock and then into the boxes though the roo didn't. They were my first chickens and someone else built it for me. My current hens are Polish and have no trouble themselves, but with my roo and silky chicks that will join the flock I want to make things as cozy as possible.