Silkie question....help!

[greenacresgrl]

Just wondering if anyone can tell me about roosting habits with the Silkie...I have built the coop with a ramp ladder to their inside coop-they aren't gonna use it, are they? They are 3 months now...just now moving them outside to stay at night but I want them to use that cute little pull door we've built...forget flying-they really don't seem interested in climbing either though! Any ideas?
THANKS!

 

[Windchyme]

Quote:
A couple times a day help them up the ramp, herd them and get them to walk it. The deal is that they don't know it and don't know how the ramp works. If you repeatedly show them then they'll get it and use it. Silkies are like that.

 

[Chickenmaven]

Alot of folks will say that Silkies do not roost. My 2 year old roosters sleep on the top of a five foot tall ladder-style roost with my standard hens. My Silkie hens roost on the "baby roost" two feet off the ground. My five week old Silkie chicks sleep in a heap in the corner of their brooder. It has been my experience that Silkies are slower than standards in hitting milestones like roosting, crowing, egg-laying, etc.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Sprinkle some treats on the ramp and show them to the birds. Let them follow the "bread crumb trail" and have a nice big serving of treats at the top. Do this a few times just before their bedtime and they will learn.

 

[racuda]

Quote:
I'll have to try that. My 6 week old Silkies sleep in a heap in a nest. In contrast my Seramas went to the tippy-top 6 foot roost at 10 days old.

 

[greenacresgrl]

Thanks girls! Whew- glad i'll be around the house for the next few weeks to work on chikn' trainin'! If i didn't luv 'em so......