Perch Question

[roerinaci]

Hi everyone

..Hubby & I went looking at chicken coops today..we're trying to get some ideas from one's that are pre-made from the farm store..Hubby is going to make one for me but wanted to an idea of sizes etc..the perches that were in the coops seemed close together and one coop only had 1 perch in it and that was a coop they houses 18 chickens..How far apart should they be if you step them together and how far from the wall & floor should they be

If anyone has any pics to share that sure would be helpful

Roe

 

[iwiw60]

It really depends on how many chickens you plan on having but here's a few ideas:











IMPORTANT NOTE!! You will see 2 x 4's placed on "edge" in some of the above pics....DON'T DO THAT. Always place your 2 x 4's laying "flat" ... your birds will then be able to roost comfortably and they can sit on their feet to keep warm in the winter months.

Hope this helps!

 

[iwiw60]

Also, have a look at the many many threads on roosts here at BYC:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=roosts

 

[roerinaci]

Iwiw60..Thank You great pics

 

[roerinaci]

Ok will check them out..Thanks again

 

[Julia62]

We originally used a 2 x 2 in our coop and changed it out to a 2 x 4 larger flat side up and I do think it is much better. We also just lowered it (my husband is very patient with me). We have 4 hens (13-15 weeks old) and they all use the same roost (we have 2 ) and they want to cram together on one end! Our coop is 40" wide and 48" long, the roosts runs the width and when I look in, they are side by side using about 1/3 of the top roost!

We had a lot of fun building ours, I wish you lots of fun too!

 

[evemfoster]

Chickens do crowd to one end when they are cool it helps them keep warm. However when its hot they all want wing room. Room to flap their wings to move air or hold their wings halfway open to help them cool down. That is why a foot of roost space per bird is recommended.

 

[roerinaci]

Evemfoster..Thank You for the info..So now I know 12inches of roosting space and read that it should be 18 inches from the wall..What about the distance in between roosts from top roost to the next one..how much room do they need in-between

 

[6of6chicks]

I ripped my perches out three times before I finally found something that worked, lol! My biggest challenge was getting it high enough to make the girls happy, but still find a way to prevent them from jumping (heavy breed). This is what is looks like now:



The ladder is removable, which makes cleaning the coop much easier. The bottom step is high enough for them to easily walk under it, so they can hop up the ladder from either side. They also hop down the ladder, which makes me VERY happy!

I used 2 x 3's laid flat, which I think will work well for me - I don't have to worry about freezing temps in winter. The perch is 6 ft. across, so long enough for everyone, and they all roost up there together. They also hang out on the ladder during the day (I have no idea why!).

I painted everything with several coats of high-gloss paint, which I highly recommend. If you use 2 x 3s or 2 x 4s (laid flat) that means they turn and walk across the boards rather than shuffling sideways. Walking means pooping! The gloss paint makes it much easier to clean - I just wet the perch, wait a few minutes, then wipe clean. No scrubbing at all!

Good luck!

Edited for typos.

 

[roerinaci]

6 of 6 Great ideas !! Thank You