Silkie thread!

[Teila]

Thank you everyone for your responses

Very helpful.

 

[Viollettt]

Howdy Viollettt

These are also my first experience with Silkies, actually my first experience with chicks! Mumma has done such a wonderful job to date, I figured I would leave her to it with regards sleeping arrangements also.
I have a nesting box and small roost (not silkie friendly) at one end of their run and a much larger nesting box and roosts (silkie friendly) at the other end of the run. Before bubbies mumma used to roost in the small end with Aunty Dusty but since bubbies, I have been segregating them at night time, Dusty one end and Cilla & Co the other. They spend the day all together. I'm thinking of leaving the partition open at night now and seeing what they do. My only concern is if Cilla decides to go back to the smaller (higher) roost with Dusty, bubbies will want to go with her and not the larger area (with lower roosts) where they have been sleeping. If they do, I am going to have all of them fighting over space. I don't really know what to do. Was also thinking maybe I should leave it how it is until the bubbies are roosting and then open it up? I have not seen them go to bed before Cilla and they still follow her lead so maybe I should wait until they put themselves to bed before Cilla?

Hi there Teila!
Maybe you could just see what happens if you leave it open? I've been known to get my "chicken seat" out and sit for a couple of hours watching what mine will do. Nothing to stop you from changing it back. Chickens do have that pecking order. I never know from one day to the next what might happen. They do follow a pattern most of the time. From my experience the youngest chickens go to bed last. They aren't usually allowed to go to bed earlier than the older ones. I've never talked to anyone else about this so it's what I've seen. Bubbies! Love that. It's actually what I call my dogs and cats (two of each) when I'm talking to them. As in, "How ya doing, Bubbie?" I really want my chickens all together on the roost because I've noticed the little ones having little chicken manure stuck to them after sleeping in the box all together and also one of the babies had a bunch right in the middle of her back this morning and it was a mess. I had to give her a bath today she was so nasty. So tonight I just went out a few hours after they all went to "bed" and put them all on the roost. I felt bad because they were peep peep peeping and trying to get under Momma. They are old enough but I am too soft-hearted. I am going to go and check them in a little while so see how they are doing. I'll probably have to do this for a few nights until they get used to it. At least I hope they will get used to it.

 

[Viollettt]

Howdy Urchin

Yeah, it is funny; she is such a good mum
She is a Bantam Black Cochin. She has the sweetest chickenality.
It is a becoming a drama that she has not taught them to roost. The coop she is in now is not the coop she roosted in before the bubbies. I was watching her tonight and she was trying to roost on the perch outside but the bubbies wanted to go to bed. It was right on dark when she gave up and took them into the coop to snuggle on the straw. There are two low perches in the coop suitable for silkies but I think she is not teaching them to roost on those perches because she has never used them?
It was very stressful for the bubbies because they obviously wanted to go to bed but she wanted to roost.

Does anyone else think that this could be the problem; her not having used those perches before? Any suggestions on helping her teach them or should I just leave her to it and hope she works it out?

I haven't had a chance to read all the way down yet and don't know if anyone else has answered. Please forgive me, it's been a busy day. You might be right and she's not used to the new roost yet either. I would say just leave her for a bit longer. Unless it's a problem for you, of course. Mine will be 9 weeks on Monday so I know they can handle being on the roost but they still tried to get under Momma tonight. I just don't want mine to be in the manure hammock instead of on the roost. They can still also get back into their box. It was a makeshift one I made just for them to get all the birds in the same run. I just got done replying to your other post about all that.

Maybe in a few weeks you could just put them on the roost late at night? I do all changes in the dark. They are sleeping and it seems easier. Let me know how it goes.

 

[Teila]

Hello again Viollettt

Thank you so very much for your responses. I spend many an hour just sitting watching my tribe; hubby reckons I am stalking them lol. They get called bubbies, sweet peas, buttons, munchkins and pom poms lol. Like you, I am too soft hearted. I had an idea last night to leave Cilla out free ranging with Dusty til as late as possible to see what the bubbies would do. I caved, I had to put her in with them, they were peeping so much for their mum! She was still looking for somewhere higher to roost.

I think she wants to be with them but also wants to roost.

I have been mulling over what to do for a while now and this morning I had an idea; don't now why I didn't think of it before! Doh!. If Cilla is looking for somewhere higher to roost and the bubbies still want her with them; why don't I give Cilla a higher roost in the coop with the bubbies?

In the picture you can see the two low roosts in front of them so I have secured a higher perch slightly further back so no chance of being pooped on; it is about the same height as the one she had in the other coop.

I am a little excited to see what happens. I don't think the bubbies will be able to get up to it but it is close to the roosts they could use and is she uses hers, they might just start using theirs.

I will let you know how I go. Thanks again!

 

[Urchin]

Howdy Urchin

Yeah, it is funny; she is such a good mum
She is a Bantam Black Cochin. She has the sweetest chickenality.
It is a becoming a drama that she has not taught them to roost. The coop she is in now is not the coop she roosted in before the bubbies. I was watching her tonight and she was trying to roost on the perch outside but the bubbies wanted to go to bed. It was right on dark when she gave up and took them into the coop to snuggle on the straw. There are two low perches in the coop suitable for silkies but I think she is not teaching them to roost on those perches because she has never used them?
It was very stressful for the bubbies because they obviously wanted to go to bed but she wanted to roost.

Does anyone else think that this could be the problem; her not having used those perches before? Any suggestions on helping her teach them or should I just leave her to it and hope she works it out?

I thought she might be. I have two black bantam cochin hens myself.

Most of my silkies don't roost. They just pile up in a corner to sleep. I have one who plays on the roost and another who started perching there last month when they all go in at night. I don't know if she actually sleeps on the roost, though. The coop is lighted and I have it on a timer. I shut the door when it gets dark and don't see them to morning. The only bantam I have who roosts is the cochin rooster. He sleeps at the top of the roost, but the two cochin hens sleep on the shelf above the nest boxes.

 

[Teila]

I thought she might be. I have two black bantam cochin hens myself.

Most of my silkies don't roost. They just pile up in a corner to sleep. I have one who plays on the roost and another who started perching there last month when they all go in at night. I don't know if she actually sleeps on the roost, though. The coop is lighted and I have it on a timer. I shut the door when it gets dark and don't see them to morning. The only bantam I have who roosts is the cochin rooster. He sleeps at the top of the roost, but the two cochin hens sleep on the shelf above the nest boxes.

Howdy Urchin

lolz these chickens are funny little creatures; such different chickenalities.
In my post above I mentioned that I might have a solution to the immediate problem; fingers crossed!

If it works, bubbies can either snuggle in a pile or use the silkie friendly roosts and Cilla has somewhere higher but still close ... once everyone is settled into a sleeping routine I can then hopefully throw it open and see what Dusty wants to do. She might just decide to move in!

 

[Viollettt]

Hello again Viollettt

Thank you so very much for your responses. I spend many an hour just sitting watching my tribe; hubby reckons I am stalking them lol. They get called bubbies, sweet peas, buttons, munchkins and pom poms lol. Like you, I am too soft hearted. I had an idea last night to leave Cilla out free ranging with Dusty til as late as possible to see what the bubbies would do. I caved, I had to put her in with them, they were peeping so much for their mum! She was still looking for somewhere higher to roost.

I think she wants to be with them but also wants to roost.

I have been mulling over what to do for a while now and this morning I had an idea; don't now why I didn't think of it before! Doh!. If Cilla is looking for somewhere higher to roost and the bubbies still want her with them; why don't I give Cilla a higher roost in the coop with the bubbies?

In the picture you can see the two low roosts in front of them so I have secured a higher perch slightly further back so no chance of being pooped on; it is about the same height as the one she had in the other coop.

I am a little excited to see what happens. I don't think the bubbies will be able to get up to it but it is close to the roosts they could use and is she uses hers, they might just start using theirs.

I will let you know how I go. Thanks again!

That sounds like an excellent plan. Haha. Yes the names.

Well I went out to check on them and it didn't work for me at all. One was under Momma on the roost and the other was on the lowest roost and the other was in the poop hammock. They were cold so I put them back in the makeshift box. I guess I will just let their Momma decide what to do. I hope she doesn't decide to just stay checked into that "box" all winter.

 

[Teila]

One was under Momma on the roost and the other was on the lowest roost and the other was in the poop hammock. They were cold so I put them back in the makeshift box. I guess I will just let their Momma decide what to do. I hope she doesn't decide to just stay checked into that "box" all winter.

Oh dear, that does not sound good, poor little munchkins.
We are in Spring at the moment with warmish evenings, I couldn't imagine having 'cold' thrown into the mix also. I wonder what Aussie chickens would think if there saw snow! lol

 

[Teila]

Cilla has cut the cord! Just like that ... It is kind of sad

At least she solved the previously posted roosting problem. I didn't see all of it but when I went outside she was still in the run and wanted to go and roost in her old digs with Dusty. The bubbies had gone to bed!
It was getting dark and they came out a couple of times to see what she was doing and then went straight back in without her.
I opened the dividing door and she went straight to her old roost. I guess I can leave it open now.
She seemed a little impatient with them tonight and pecked one of them a little harder than normal.
So I now have Dusty and Cilla sleeping in the Chateau and a pile of silkies sleeping in the Ranch without their mumma. I know they have each other to cuddle but it is still a bit sad!
So much for the new high perch I put in the Ranch for her! lol

 

[SilkieMom8875]

I just may not be cut out for this chicken thing ...... The latch on the run must not have been totally latched and we lost 2 chickens last night. I am so sad I don't know what to do. Buddy was a sweet roo and will be missed. Eve was a sweet amaracana and will be missed as well.