silkies sleeping in nest boxes?

[frizzleman74]

I got silkies about a week ago and there is poop all over my nest boxes which are at ground level and filled with hay. the rest of the coop is shavings. I know most silkies dont roost, but how can i train them to roost (and how high should the roost be) or if that fails what should i don to deter them from the nest boxes? Thanks!

 

[frizzleman74]

anyone?

 

[boogiedog]

I have 14 breeds of chickens (27 total ladies) and that includes 5 silkies. I've had them 1.5 yrs, and sometimes one or two will roost; mostly they love to get in the nest box to sleep. Like 3-4 together

I don't think you can really dissuade them; if you are concerned about broodiness, be sure to remove the eggs from the boxes promptly every day. I will also gently lift and move them forward out of the nest box. It is like they are in a trance - it may take them a few minutes to "wake up' and head out to forage.

I haven't worried about them sleeping in next boxes in general. I am sure to clean them out fairly regularly.

BTW my other bantams will sometimes sleep in the boxes too - the exception is my polish bantam who is always one of the first birds in on the top perch every night.

 

[boogiedog]

Oh, BTW, you may want to use pine shaving in your nest boxes as well. With birds who nest in them I have found that shavings keeps them cleaner longer, and is easier to clean out as well. I had started with hay but it seemed to retain moisture more and the hay got gross fast.

 

[stilldeb]

I have several breeds that prefer the security of sleeping in the nesting boxes to the roosts, sometimes they double up in the boxes together. I have pine shavings in the boxes and in the morning I have a short handled claw garden tool that I rake through those boxes with. My chickens are all bantams, though, so the mess is minimal.

deb g
KY

 

[frizzleman74]

nice to here im not the only one, i just dont want to get dirty eggs and having to always wash them off, but i guess ill just have to deal with it! Thank you for your responses

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i have a number of silkies in different coops. About 50% of them like to sleep in nest boxes. As the others have mentioned, using pine shavings absorbs moisture and keeps them cleaner longer. Some of mine will roost, as they only need to hop a short distance to the roost, about 6". They hop on top of the nest boxes in that coop, then up onto the roost. In another coop i have a ramp and a plank. Especially during warm weather, most of the silkies sleep on that at night. In one coop i have a couple of silkies with huge crests. i'm lucky they can traverse the couple inch step up into their coop. They could never manage a ramp or multiple steps or making it onto a roost. So i guess what i'm saying is that you have to see what your silkies can handle and adjust your coop to fit their needs.