Will my Silkie ever roost with the other chickens?

[wannabe_goatmom]

I have 12 LF birds and 1 Silkie. She is 21 weeks old. During the day she stays in the coop, mostly in the nestbox. If I put her out with the other chickens she goes directly back to the coop. They are never mean to her and don't peck at her. If I let her outside the run she will happily stay out and play in the mulch all day long, with whatever chicken I put her out with. When she was smaller she could squeeze through the fence and get out whenever she wanted.

At night she sleeps in a nestbox instead of on the roost with the others. I have ramps built up to both roosting areas but she still always sleeps in the same nestbox.

So what I am wondering is, do you guys think she got spoiled when she was little and could free range whenever she wanted?
Should I get another Silkie for her to be with so she isn't the only one? Her hatch mate died at only a day old so she was an "only" chick.
Will she always sleep in the nestbox? Is that just Silkie behavior because they have little feet?

Sorry to ramble...Thanks for any insight

 

[Tvanbui]

Hi,
My brother has three silkies and a ton of other types of chickens. I notice on his farm, the three silkies tend to stay together, but they do flock with other bantams their size while remaining close to each other. I notice also that they don't roost, but prefer to sleep in the corner of the coop in the bedding. I think this is because of their silky wing feathers, they can't fly very well. Secondly, I think they don't roost like the other because of their five toes making it difficult for them to roost. I could be wrong.
As for getting your silky a companion, I think it's a good idea. So, I brought home for my backyard coop two BR, one BO, and one of the three silkies. I just had to have a silky because I think they're the best looking chickens. Turned out the silky doesn't like to be with the other hens. She slept in the nest box while the others roost. Seeing her so lonely, I had to take her back to the farm. When I let her loose, she ran to the first silky she saw. All three silkies are happy scratching together. I'm sad because I couldn't have a silky with my laying hens and I can't have more than four chickens in my backyard.
So if you can, you should get at least two more silkies to keep yours company. If silkies were large egg layers, I would have all silkies.

 

[roosters4sale]

Hi Billie Jo. I think it just because, she is a different size and looks different. If you get another silkie for a mate/friend, it will probably get picked on next. Because its new. (Even if the new silkie is the same size) I think , eventually, she will make her own place in the group. She feels safe in her nestbox and may stay there. She sounds sweet.

 

[ibpboo]

I have one silkie that stays in nestbox and the other sleeps on the roost with the big girls.
When the first one is not being bnroody, she will get on roost, too.
But my roost is a shelf.
I have other roosts too, but they prefer the shelf, maybe because it is the highest

 

[wannabe_goatmom]

Thanks everyone for responding. I think I may try to find a couple more to put with her. She's so sweet, I hate for her to be lonely.

I would also have all Silkies if they laid large eggs

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My silkie coop has no roosts, because their old coop had roosts and they wouldn't use them. They usually don't roost. However, some people on this forum DO have silkies that roost!

It sounds like maybe your Silkie is trying to be a little broody? Sitting in the nest box all day long....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=92702

If you think she is lonely, you could get her a mate. No guarantee that they would be friends, though. You could get her some EGGS to sit on soon, it sounds like, though!! (And then they would keep her company- the babies!)

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Most silkies prefer "silkie piles" on the floor of the coop rather than roosting. There are exceptions. I do think she would be happier with a silkie friend. Although we breed and raise exhibition silkies, I do have 3 that coop and free range with our large fowl girls and are not used in our silkie breeding program. All three of them (2 hens and 1 rooster) each sleep in a nesting box at night while the "big girls" roost way up over the nesting boxes. There is a poop board below the roost so the silkies don't get hammered all night with poop.

 

[Chicklette 1]

A week ago, I got a Silkie pair and they are inseparable. They prefer the piling up in the corner method of sleeping. I also have a Polish that likes to do that. Whatever ,as long as they are happy!! I also put a couple of baskets in the coop corners. They still go behind them.