Silkies...to roost or not to roost??

[franklinstreetwest]

I have 8 young showgirls and 2 silkies. They don't roost. They don't fly up to things. The farthest off the ground I've seen one get so far is the top of a basket that is in their pen. They like to play "queen/king" of the mountain. And that is only about 12 inches high. I'm happy with ground birds. That just means that I don't need to add a top to their playpen or my neighbor's fence-line. Has anyone else noticed a proclivity for staying on the ground in silkies or showgirls? Curiosity is killin' me!

 

[NoseyChickens]

It's true silkies usually don't roost. i just made a new coop hoewever with a ladder style roost with three levels. The lowest one is very low to the ground and my silkies have taken a liking to it. In the old coop they slept on the floor.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My Silkies sleep in a pile on shavings. They like to perch on a pallet that I have resting on top of some concrete blocks outside. They don't climb the woodpile like the other chickens, or try to fly. They are contained by a 2 foot high chicken wire to free range a little.

And they sure poo less than my other bantams! I really love my Silkies.

 

[CalebtheChicken]

The main reason Silkies don't roost (as far as I know) is because they can't fly, the only way I know to get a flightless chicken on the roost is to make very low roosts, low anuff for them to jump onto. Then you can add more in short increments, so they can get higher and higher (chickens usually like to go high). I know this from my hen who lost all her wing feathers at once during molt and couldn't fly. Good luck!

 

[LALASD4]

I got 2 that like to sleep 3 feet off the ground on a box.

 

[gritsar]

My one silkie will roost with the other layer chicks, about 3 1/2 feet off the ground. The other silkie doesn't roost at all, but instead prefers to sleep in a pile with my CXs.

 

[biddyboo]

Of our five silkies, Blue likes to leave the other four at night, climb the ladder to the outdoor coop which is about 3.5 feet off the ground, and sleep in one of the egg nests inside the coop with the standard hens. One of the other silkies, Mama likes to jump or "fly" onto one of the saw horse roosts in the indoor pen, and from there, jump into one of the plastic egg crate nest boxes that I've hung on the barn wall about 4.5 feet off the ground. So, I see a mix of behaviors with my five silkies. Who knows why they do the things they do?? ~G

 

[aubreynoramarie]

silkies lack the feathers that allow them to fly. my silkie loved to roost wwith my other girls, he just needed a little ladder to get up their with em. no big deal

 

[NCchicken]

Mine don't roost either. I asked this question too a few weeks ago. They just randomly sleep on the poop board, which can cause issues with the other sleeping on the roost becuase I have found that one of my silkies got pooped on. At the suggestion of another BYC, I made a very small platform, maybe about 2.3" off the ground, they sometimes use it, sometimes don't. So I just let them sleep where ever. If they are happy, I'm happy.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Though I have seen mine up on a roost a couple times seems just way too much effort for them to get up even 18 inches off the ground. So, Iv'e made a couple mini perches, just a 2x3 nailed across 2 short pieces of 2x6 on edge. They like the little perch now and then but mostly sleep in a pile on the floor... Silly silkies!