Staggering Roost Bars

[syds94]

new chicken owner here……how do you prevent chickens pooping on other chickens who are below them on a staggering roosting bar layout? I feel like the bars would have to be at least 2 feet apart to prevent that from happening, and that would take up so much space.

Also, some of my larger hens don’t let anyone else on their roosting bars, including the rooster, and the bar is 4 ft long.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Laddered bars should be 14-16" apart minimum (that's horizontally, not measured up the angle) to prevent birds from bombing each other.

How many bars do you have, and what is the total length of roosts? Standard sized birds need roughly 10-12" of linear space each.

 

[syds94]

Right now I have two bars, one 4’ long and one 3’ long. I am going to add more to give everyone some space but I’m still trying to figure out the layout. My 2 leghorns and 2 East eggers insist on roosting on top of the door though.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any pictures of the roost area and the door they're using? How high is the top of the door in comparison to the roosts?

 

[syds94]

The top of the door is higher than the roosts

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Can you go the other way with 2 bars placed over that pop door? With 2 bars spaced about 10inches apart, same height not staggered, they wouldn't poo each other. Poop tray could be just under the pop door. Just an idea.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

It might look a little like this.... These bars are about 10" apart, just right for not pooing wall or each other. You could even measure your chickens to get it perfect.

 

[3KillerBs]

Right now I have two bars, one 4’ long and one 3’ long. I am going to add more to give everyone some space but I’m still trying to figure out the layout. My 2 leghorns and 2 East eggers insist on roosting on top of the door though.

Welcome to BYC.

What are the dimensions of your coop and how many chickens do you have?

 

[syds94]

The door under the pop door is the only way for me to get into my run unfortunately, so I need to keep that space open. My husband built these roosting shelves over the weekend and so far everyone seems to be liking it!

I'm not sure of the exact measurements, but I'd guess the coop is about 5' by 5' excluding the nesting boxes. Those are out of frame here in the picture. I have 8 chickens.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My husband built these roosting shelves over the weekend and so far everyone seems to be liking it!

Interesting idea - but I see chickens on both tiers, so I guess it works for them!