Confused about roosts!

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LaurelRidgeDreams

LaurelRidgeDreams

Songster
Jan 23, 2010
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Mountains of NC
In planning roosts, which is better:

1. Staggered, ladder style or all at the same height roosts?
2. Two feet or lower or three to four feet high for heavy breeds?
3. Droppings boards, container to catch poop, or deep litter under roosts?
4. Nest boxes or feed/water under drippings board if used?
5. Twelve inches or eighteen for distance from horizantal wall?

So many decisions.
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I did staggered ladder style to allow for the natural hierarchy of the chickens (I also leaned it on the wall just like a ladder cause then then ones on top are not pooping on the ones on the lower rungs I then used the screw gun and fastened it to the wall so it does not slip) you can kinda see it there i have adjusted it since this pic was taken so that its not so upright
13904_dsc04054.jpg


I have heavy birds and I have silkies and some in between... my lowest roost is about 6" off the ground and the tallest being about 5' off the ground (I have been told not to have the roosts taller then you so they know you are still the lead bird)

I have deep litter under roosts.. I dont like scraping poop

I have my nesting boxes on the opposite wall of my roosts and my food and water hang (except int he winter because i use a heated water dish

last one i have no clue what you are talking about...lol
 
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it does not matter how close or far you put it.. if they want to roost there they will even if they have to squish in tuck their bum or have their noses at the wall. lol if they want that spot they will have it
 
Oh and another thing... sorry to take over your thread... but.. in my first coop i did have just one roost all the way across the middle of the coop and i had a wicked pecking problem.. since i have moved to the ladder style when we rebuilt the coop my pecking problem has stopped
 
Roosts always seem to be a challenge, choosing materials is one thing, and their shape and position matters.
The larger your birds the closer they should be to the floor. I have a friend in Australia who roosts her hens only a foot off the ground, and it works for her, but it would have been a problem in my coop. Then there is the decision whether to use platforms. My birds made the decision for me- they're sexlink layers. Now these gals have been together sine hatching, so they are a well-integrated flock, very friendly to me and decent to each other.

We decided on three 2/4's flat side up because of the cold weather and the size of the hens. The roosts are 2'6" off the floor. The hens love them and use them twice a day to groom and gossip. Then they fly over to a slightly lower platform which happens to be on the warmest side of the coop. They sleep there, then after laying in the morning they return to the roosts to groom and gossip again. What I'm trying to say is that if you give them options they will teach you what they like. Hens in our climate need to cover their feet with their feathercoat and to rest away from drafts and things that can get into a coop and jump up at them. We don;t have any rats or such, but birds instinctively protect their bellies, rears and feet. They don;t see well in the dark and are easily victimized and they know it, so they prefer places where they can huggle down and settle for the night.

We like platforms to keep the coop interesting and to avoid those face-to-face encounters that can get ugly and because they are easy to clean, and the birds have cleaner feet.

1. Staggered, ladder style or all at the same height roosts? I like roosts at the same level to avoid dominance displays. The alpha will then be at the far left in front.
2. Two feet or lower or three to four feet high for heavy breeds? For my birds about 2'6"
3. Droppings boards, container to catch poop, or deep litter under roosts? We used litter and on the sleeping platform we spread a thin layer of food-grade diatomaceous earthe and scrape it into a catch bucket in the morning.
4. Nest boxes or feed/water under drippings board if used? We have nests under the sleeping platform. You have to design to prevent droppings from falling in.
5. Twelve inches or eighteen for distance from horizontal wall? Twelve is enough unless you have big hens.










 
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What's considered a "heavy" bird? I have 7 barred rocks. They're only a month old but I want to start thinking about this stuff for when I get my coop building moved in.
 

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