Silkies Perching

[DragonEggs]

All my chickens will get up on the sticks I've set for them to perch on except my silkies. Is this because they have 5 toes and it's awkward or uncomfortable or something? Does anyone have silkies that will perch on sticks? I've tried setting them in the sticks to show them but they rock back and forth like they have bad balance and fall off pretty quickly. Sometimes it worries me because all the other birds will roost for the night on the perches while the silkies sleep in the dirt or leaning up against the pen wall, even though I have a box for them to sleep in they don't use it. Im afraid a raccoon or something will reach through the wire and hurt them or some ants or a snake will get them while they sleep. I try very hard to keep things predator proof and to keep bugs out of the cage. I've put them in the box several times at night and thought they would get the hang of it but I still wake up in the morning to find them sleeping outside of it.

Mainly this perching thing has me thrown for a loop. I dont get why the silkies are the only ones who don't. Any input please?

 

[Southernbelle]

That's really common Silkie behavior. Mine sleep in a pile with other Silkies in the corner of the coop. I've gotten them to roost with a pole about 12" off the ground - but that's about as high as they go.

Silkies don't fly well at all, their feathers don't make for good flight, so I think they avoid heights by nature.

 

[DragonEggs]

I have my sticks set up at different heights (my rooster likes to get up on the highest one and look down at his flock and crow). You can tell the pecking order too by who roosts where. His favorite female always roosts next to him, the girls he like next on the next stick down, young cockerels on the lowest stick, etc. I put a stick pretty low down just for the silkies (only about 6 inches off the ground) but they still wont use it. The youngest birds just learning to perch really like it though so I keep it there.