# Silkie hens won't or can't roost?



## jodief100

I also put this on BYC but that board scrolls so fast it is sometimes difficult to get an answer.

I have lots of experience with chickens but only production breeds.  I have never had decorative breeds  before so I know nothing about these SIlkies I bought.  They have me confused.  I put them in a dog crate to keep them isolated for awhile.  At the back of the crate I put a roost about 22 off the floor and a dropping board under it at about 16 off the floor.  I put a plastic pan under the board to use as a nest.  

They wont use the roost.  Are they not able to get that high or do they not want to use it?  I even put them up there and they stayed for awhile and then hopped down after about 15 minutes.  

Should I make a ladder?

Here is a picture, you can see the board and a little bit of the roost above them.    







Oh, and how do I tell the roos from the hens?  Without combs and wattles I am lost here.


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## daisychick

They don't fly very good at all, I have 1 that can make it up to the regular roosts.  I did make them a smaller roost but they seem to also just like to sleep on the floor too.  A ladder might help too.  Silkies are very similar to regular chickens, but do have little quirks.  I have 1 white hen that "can't" jump up to the regular roost, but has no problem making it up to a high nest box.


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## daisychick

Oh forgot to add.  The way to tell the silkie roosters is they will get a bigger glob of a comb as they age.  Or wait for them to crow.


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## currycomb

silkies are ground huggers.  they might go up on a platform, but do not "roost" like a regular chickens. good luck at sexing the birds. if it crows, it is a rooster. there is a way a lady at a swap told me, but sorry, i forgot, i don't have them anymore, so guess it wasn't important enough for my brain to retain.


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## Roll farms

The partridge guy in the back is def. a roo...see the blue 'ear'?  They really stand out on boys.  The others, unless way younger, look to be hens.
The blue in the front could be a young roo or just a dominant hen, s/he has a different look.
I put the roost for my silkies in their tractor (dog crate like that w/ wheels) about 4" up - on top of the 1st set of horizontal bars, and a couple use it.


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## jodief100

Roll farms said:
			
		

> The partridge guy in the back is def. a roo...see the blue 'ear'?  They really stand out on boys.  The others, unless way younger, look to be hens.
> The blue in the front could be a young roo or just a dominant hen, s/he has a different look.
> I put the roost for my silkies in their tractor (dog crate like that w/ wheels) about 4" up - on top of the 1st set of horizontal bars, and a couple use it.


Darn!  The brown one on the left is the one she told me was a roo.  I am pretty sure he has bright blue ears too.  She said 6-9 months on all of them.  

I am going to have to redesign my laying house for these Silkies.  The roosts are just too high. Back to the AutoCAD.  

I have had these guys for 4 days now and I really like them.  

Roll, I may to come and get some Silkies!    I got 2 more eggs yesterday, so 3 in 4 days.


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## secuono

Silkies cannot and will not fly, thus they cannot and will not roost. They are still chickens however and you should give them a wide plank very low to the ground to hop up and sleep on. Looks like you have 5 of them? You will need a board 6-8in or even wider for them to lay on and feel safe. Up to one foot they should be able to hop up, but any higher and they will need wide steps to use. Too high and they may never even bother. It's extremely common for them to just find a quiet corner on the floor and they will all pile and nap together. 

It will take a long time to tell who is a roo and who is a hen, best to wait and see who crows, then go from there. Once they are older, 6mo or so, you can feel their heads for wattles and combs.


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## PattySh

I've owned alot of silkies, none right now tho. I found them to be definate "ground huggers". For that reason they seem to be more prone to scaly feet. Make sure to dip your silkies feet in oil (I use olive) to kill any mites and check them often on their bodies. They seems to be bug attractants. They are real cute tho and will set on eggs like no other chickens, really dependable setters.


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