post your chicken coop pictures here!

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
awesome job awesome hubby hes a keeper... LOL.,


deb

 

[heatherlaw]

awesome job awesome hubby  hes a keeper... LOL.,


deb

Yes he is I think he did a pretty awesom job considering he knows little about chickens and all he had to work with were pictures

 

[bruceha2000]

Yeah I plan to. i asked my husband to build a roost so that's what he made. He didn't know they can't grip it. It's ok right now cuz they are small pullets and a couple silkies who won't roost no matter how wide and low I make it

stubborn little gals.

It turns out that they can grip pretty well if they REALLY want to. I stand by the "3 inch round fence rail or 2x4 on the flat" but:

One of my 7 young birds (nearly full size at 15 weeks) was found sleeping in the run (barn alley) on a "ladder" with 1x3 rungs, 1" (true) side up after the auto door closed. I took her (Eos) into the coop and put her on the roost. I checked the next night and there she was again. Picked her up and put her on the roost. Then I picked up the 2 White Rocks (one at a time) that were roosting side by side, one against the wall, on one of the nest box dividers. That thing is a piece of 1/2" plywood! I had suspected something like that was happening because I had found poop in the nests and my layers have NEVER pooped in the nests. I figured someone was perching there occasionally (not a lot of poop) but when I found the two of them, it was WAY dark and they weren't likely to move to a roost then. I think the 3 of them were trying to avoid the drama of the nine 3 Y/O hens pushing their weight around. Interestingly, I had two parallel 12' roosts at 4' high and an 8' one at 2'. The birds chose to be higher (4') on the skinny piece of wood rather than go down to the 2' high rail.

My dad and I had made a 4' long, 16" deep support for the broody buster so I could take it off it's precarious position on the end of the roosts, thus making more room for the chickens. I took the buster off and put 2x2s on the sides of the 16" 2x4s so the girls now have yet more space. And I screwed a conveniently sized and already in the barn piece of particle board (no *I* didn't buy it, stuff is left from prior owners) at a steep angle over the nest boxes so they can't roost there any more. That night Eos REALLY wanted to go back up on the ladder. I had to get her off 3 times before she went in the coop. Haven't found her out on the ladder again, though I don't look every night. But I have seen her up on the roosts before the door closes so I ASSUME she is back to sleeping on the roosts every night.

 

[reptileink]

 

[heatherlaw]

It turns out that they can grip pretty well if they REALLY want to. I stand by the "3 inch round fence rail or 2x4 on the flat" but:

One of my 7 young birds (nearly full size at 15 weeks) was found sleeping in the run (barn alley) on a "ladder" with 1x3 rungs, 1" (true) side up after the auto door closed. I took her (Eos) into the coop and put her on the roost. I checked the next night and there she was again. Picked her up and put her on the roost. Then I picked up the 2 White Rocks (one at a time) that were roosting side by side, one against the wall, on one of the nest box dividers.  That thing is a piece of 1/2" plywood! I had suspected something like that was happening because I had found poop in the nests and my layers have NEVER pooped in the nests. I figured someone was perching there occasionally (not a lot of poop) but when I found the two of them, it was WAY dark and they weren't likely to move to a roost then. I think the 3 of them were trying to avoid the drama of the nine 3 Y/O hens pushing their weight around. Interestingly, I had two parallel 12' roosts at 4' high and an 8' one at 2'. The birds chose to be higher (4') on the skinny piece of wood rather than go down to the 2' high rail. 

My dad and I had made a 4' long, 16" deep support for the broody buster so I could take it off it's precarious position on the end of the roosts, thus making more room for the chickens. I took the buster off and put 2x2s on the sides of the 16" 2x4s so the girls now have yet more space. And I screwed a conveniently sized and already in the barn piece of particle board (no *I* didn't buy it, stuff is left from prior owners) at a steep angle over the nest boxes so they can't roost there any more. That night Eos REALLY wanted to go back up on the ladder. I had to get her off 3 times before she went in the coop. Haven't found her out on the ladder again, though I don't look every night. But I have seen her up on the roosts before the door closes so I ASSUME she is back to sleeping on the roosts every night.

I believe it. From my limited experience chickens do what they want. They aren't worried about what they aren't supposed to be able to do or should normally do. I got a silkie and everyone told me not to expect many eggs, but my little Jane lays nearly every day and is the coop boss too among a bunch of heavy breeds.

 

[Teila]

It turns out that they can grip pretty well if they REALLY want to. I stand by the "3 inch round fence rail or 2x4 on the flat" but:

One of my 7 young birds (nearly full size at 15 weeks) was found sleeping in the run (barn alley) on a "ladder" with 1x3 rungs, 1" (true) side up after the auto door closed. I took her (Eos) into the coop and put her on the roost. I checked the next night and there she was again. Picked her up and put her on the roost. Then I picked up the 2 White Rocks (one at a time) that were roosting side by side, one against the wall, on one of the nest box dividers. That thing is a piece of 1/2" plywood! I had suspected something like that was happening because I had found poop in the nests and my layers have NEVER pooped in the nests. I figured someone was perching there occasionally (not a lot of poop) but when I found the two of them, it was WAY dark and they weren't likely to move to a roost then. I think the 3 of them were trying to avoid the drama of the nine 3 Y/O hens pushing their weight around. Interestingly, I had two parallel 12' roosts at 4' high and an 8' one at 2'. The birds chose to be higher (4') on the skinny piece of wood rather than go down to the 2' high rail.

My dad and I had made a 4' long, 16" deep support for the broody buster so I could take it off it's precarious position on the end of the roosts, thus making more room for the chickens. I took the buster off and put 2x2s on the sides of the 16" 2x4s so the girls now have yet more space. And I screwed a conveniently sized and already in the barn piece of particle board (no *I* didn't buy it, stuff is left from prior owners) at a steep angle over the nest boxes so they can't roost there any more. That night Eos REALLY wanted to go back up on the ladder. I had to get her off 3 times before she went in the coop. Haven't found her out on the ladder again, though I don't look every night. But I have seen her up on the roosts before the door closes so I ASSUME she is back to sleeping on the roosts every night.

I believe it. From my limited experience chickens do what they want. They aren't worried about what they aren't supposed to be able to do or should normally do. I got a silkie and everyone told me not to expect many eggs, but my little Jane lays nearly every day and is the coop boss too among a bunch of heavy breeds.

Thank you for posting this!

I have read over and over again that chickens do not/cannot perch and have kept

While my 6 bantams did have 2 x 4 roosts on which they could roost flat footed, they chose to balance on a divider in the coop or on anything higher.

My coop is such that I cannot put wider roosts up high and so, for well over 2 years now, they have slept high, gripping thin roosts with no apparent side effects, no bumblefoot, no leg damage etc. They used the 2 x 4's as a launching or landing pad on their way up or down from their 'inappropriate' preferred sleeping spot

So, while I am maybe doing the wrong thing by not forcing them to sleep on 'appropriate' roosts and not blocking off access to high dividers etc, they seem quite happy perching on high 'inappropriate' roosts

 

[napdognewfie]

They usually go to the highest perch. It is safer if you are farther off the ground.

 

[junebuggena]

Thank you for posting this!

I have read over and over again that chickens do not/cannot perch and have kept

While my 6 bantams did have 2 x 4 roosts on which they could roost flat footed, they chose to balance on a divider in the coop or on anything higher.

My coop is such that I cannot put wider roosts up high and so, for well over 2 years now, they have slept high, gripping thin roosts with no apparent side effects, no bumblefoot, no leg damage etc. They used the 2 x 4's as a launching or landing pad on their way up or down from their 'inappropriate' preferred sleeping spot

So, while I am maybe doing the wrong thing by not forcing them to sleep on 'appropriate' roosts and not blocking off access to high dividers etc, they seem quite happy perching on high 'inappropriate' roosts

Yes, but bantams don't need as wide a roost as a heavy, large fowl breed would need. And you don't exactly have to worry about frostbitten toes in Australia. The size of the birds, and climate should be factors that are considered when building/installing roosting bars.

 

[Teila]

Hey junebuggena

Yep, I totally agree and that is why I have kept

until now.

It may be worth finding out what and where the chickens are before saying that they cannot grip/perch and recommending 2 x 4 for everyone.

Not that I am saying anyone in particular has done this, just that I have read if often and it is not entirely true.

And yep, no risk of frostbitten toes in this neck of the woods

 

[MeepBeep]

Anyone that says chickens can't perch is just being ignorant... They can perch but not as well as many other perching birds and not was well as their wild counterparts due to their increased body weight and captive behaviors (aka more time spent at roost) and thus the proper sized and shaped perch makes all the difference...

Not saying they can't use a round perch, they can but studies show it's not ideal...

This article gives some good scientific study references and explanations...

http://www.yourchickens.co.uk/care-and-advice/the_perfect_perch_1_2842822

In climates that experience freezing temps the compromise of a flat perch seems to be the best compromise option as it allows them to easy cover their toes in cold weather and avoid frostbite... In warmer climates the properly size flat with rounded edges sized to your chickens feet seems to be ideal based on studies for most modern breeds that differ from their wild counterparts...