Silkies not imprinting on their coop or lack roosting behavior

[AllenK RGV]

I built an 8x10 coop for my silkies hatched out around 4/23 and moved them to the coop about 2-3 weeks ago. They have been sleeping all cuddled together in a corner of their coop for the last 3 weeks or so. Now we fenced in their run and they didn't return to the coop but just parked it in the run and so we manhandled them into the coop tonight.

Is this a silkie thing? My heritage breeds have all had strong roosting behavior. These silkies seem to lack that.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

To many young chicks the inside of the coop looks differently than the outside. Once they step through the door to the outside they often don't understand initially how to return. Most need to be herded in nightly until they understand that concept. I've seen it in many breeds. Silkies tend to be a bit slower than other breeds but they should pick it up after a bit.

Also many young chicks don't roost until closer to 12 weeks if they weren't provided a perch early on. Silkies need lower roosts with less space between them as well.

 

[BeckyEggy]

I have one silkie and she will stay out until it's very dark and then will make her way to bed. Even then she takes a break half way of the stairs for 5 minutes. My other chickens will go to bed an hour and a half before her.

 

[Folly's place]

My chicks are just starting to roost, and they are older than yours. Broody raised chicks learn from mama, brooder raised chicks take much longer. The older birds are intimidating too.
Silkies can barely fly, if at all, so very low perches are necessary for them. Fragile little guys!
Mary

 

[TabbieFayth]

Neither of my silkies care to roost either. They are currently 13 weeks old. They've had something to roost on since they were brought home, at just a couple days old. While my other bantams were roosting, the silkies were sandwiching themselves between the ducklings. They have had access to a coop and yard since they were 3 weeks old, and still do not roost. They have several levels to choose from, including just 6 inches off the ground and they prefer to sleep in a nest box together.

I don't care either way. I just make sure their area is clean so they are not sleeping in poop.

 

[AllenK RGV]

These guys are still requiring me to set my drink down nightly and wrangle them into the coop. I recently found some wooden fruit packing crates I'm going to screw together and go out after high dark thirty to set them on to those crates nightly after pushing them in to the coop at chicken o'clock. The old crate in their coop is frequently hopped on to and well splattered in waste so they can manage that 12 inch hop fine I would think.

That or build a simple 2 tier roost A-frame structure for them once my scrap lumber dries out and begin operation "get yer bum to bed". Only 2 tiers as that should provide 12 inches of separation to avoid the low hens from getting soiled.

 

[ellend]

I built an 8x10 coop for my silkies hatched out around 4/23 and moved them to the coop about 2-3 weeks ago. They have been sleeping all cuddled together in a corner of their coop for the last 3 weeks or so. Now we fenced in their run and they didn't return to the coop but just parked it in the run and so we manhandled them into the coop tonight.

Is this a silkie thing? My heritage breeds have all had strong roosting behavior. These silkies seem to lack that.

We trimmed the down around our silkies' eyes, and it was like a whole new world opened up for them--they could see! Imagine trying to jump to a roost with only partial vision. To get them into the henhouse at night, put a low wattage bulb by the roost on a timer. They will gravitate to the light when dusk starts. Chickens will avoid their house if they are being bitten by mites at night. Read the advice on finding Northern Fowl mites as well as red mites, and check them for feather mites (which don't bite the skin, but might annoy them.) Good luck. (P.S.; my 17 week old non-silkies prefer to sleep cuddled together, too. Might be that I leave the door of the coop open (inside their entirely enclosed run) and they feel exposed, so they pack into the nest box to sleep. That will be remedied with the onset of cold weather.

 

[AllenK RGV]

With 90's/75+'s For the next 2 months

We trimmed the down around our silkies' eyes, and it was like a whole new world opened up for them--they could see! Imagine trying to jump to a roost with only partial vision. To get them into the henhouse at night, put a low wattage bulb by the roost on a timer. They will gravitate to the light when dusk starts. Chickens will avoid their house if they are being bitten by mites at night. Read the advice on finding Northern Fowl mites as well as red mites, and check them for feather mites (which don't bite the skin, but might annoy them.) Good luck. (P.S.; my 17 week old non-silkies prefer to sleep cuddled together, too. Might be that I leave the door of the coop open (inside their entirely enclosed run) and they feel exposed, so they pack into the nest box to sleep. That will be remedied with the onset of cold weather.

We have shaved all the silkies heads so they can see. They are still the most unintelligent variety of chicken I have yet to raise.

 

[silkie1472]

My experience with silkies was much like each of yours. Mine never did like to roost; however, after 3 months, I was able to get my silkies to enter a “loft” about 8 inches off of the ground. The only explanation for this behavior would be lack of confidence — they second guess themselves for nearly every move.

 

[Aunt Angus]

This cracked me up! I can just imagine having to do that every night with them. I am so sorry, but I can't help laughing!

Mine were brooded indoors for ages due to weather, a family emergency, and other factors beyond my control. They were in my house for almost 2 months! I finally got them outside into their own coop separate from my big girls. They took to it after 1 night of being locked in and yelling at me to let them out. Now they hop up the little stepladder I gave them and settle in on their own... but they much prefer falling asleep in my lap first before being put to bed. Spoiled little biddies... Have you tried locking them in? I do agree they are not the brightest, but gosh they are cute and so friggin friendly.