Silkies sleeping on ground

[The Accidental Coop]

One week ago I agreed to raise 8 silkie chicks (they are now nine weeks old) until they are old enough to sex. I have never had silkies and this group insists on sleeping on the ground in a tight little ball of fluff (of course they are safe inside a run). Every night I put them up into a little hen house and there they stay until morning. There is no sign of them learning to do this on their own

... Any one else have silkies that did, or do, this? I am thinking about just letting them sleep on the ground. Any thoughts fellow peeps???

I have had other breeds of bantams for about 4 years. They all slept in the hen house from the first night out in the run. No lessons needed.

 

[magicpigeon]

In my experience, silkies don't roost

Mine never have and probably never will...

 

[The Accidental Coop]

Thank you!

Do your silkies go into a hen house at night?

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Mine sleeps on the roost bar with everyone else at night. She's almost 9 weeks old. Maybe because she's the only Silkie she just goes along with the others?

 

[ourlittleflock]

I have never had a silkie to sleep in their house - just on the ground in a tight ball

as long as they are safe - on the ground they will sleep.. I tried for over a month to teach them to use the ramp with no luck

but I do know some people do have silkies that will use the house and some choose to put them in their house every night

 

[the1honeycomb]

Mine started roosting as soon as I brought them home and they love it!!

 

[acarter26]

I have 4 silkies. The 3 hens sleep in a tight little ball and the rooster will roost a few inches off the ground on their feeder!

 

[N&MSchroeder]

My silkies don't roost either. They will go in their house, which only entails jumping up on a cinder block step. They sleep in a black and white ball in the corner. We purchased a 10 x 12 shed to use as a coop and it was delivered about a month later than originally scheduled

which meant I had brooder chicks growing out of their brooder. I ended up dividing them into three different pens so they would have enough room. The 3 silkies were in a pen with 3 other bantams. When I first moved them into their new coop, I had to integrate the three flocks. They each pretty much kept to their own areas. The silkies group would huddle in the corner, while the other 2 groups used the roosts. Recently, I noticed the silkie friends leaving the silkie corner to move up onto the roosts with the others. I was hoping the silkies would do the same, but apparently not.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

I have only 2 out of 8 that roost at night. The 2 that look for higher ground are over 2 years old. My other silkies range in age of 6 weeks to 2 years old and prefer to sleep in a huddle on the ground. The 2 older hens lay their eggs in the nest boxes and the rest on the ground. You would think they would get the hint from the seniors

We are in the process of building a new coop. We are just going to make the nest boxes on the ground.

 

[Fanamama]

Every night, since school let out, I put my five silkie babies "to bed". They are in a corner in a ball and I lift them gently into the coop where they form another ball. I tried to teach them the ramp but three can't get up it yet. I don't know what I'm going to do when school starts and it's dark before I get home? They are in a safe run but it will be much colder in the bottom corner. I tried a nightlight but it didn't work. I think I may rebuild my ramp this weekend. Any suggestions what silkies like to use to get up to a coop that's 2 1/2 feet off the ground?

I'm de-lurking tonite for the first time

but I've read everyone's post since January 2011 when I was bitten by the

chicken bug

. Thanks for all your suggestions - you're a great and knowledgeable group!!! Lisa