About Chickens Perching

[nicolette]

I have had 2 chickens hurt legs because getting off or on perch. Is there a better way to have your perch so they don't get injured? I have a ladder for them to get up. But not sure if they use it. My perch is 3 ft off the ground.

 

[Spartan22]

Enough room for them to glide down without hitting the walls and other barriers will help. If you can also add multiple heights perches for them to hop down will prevent injuries to your chickens.

 

[Mrs. Light Sussex]

Ladder, ramp or a lower perch which they use to get up and down to the roost bar, all should work.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Can you add more litter to the floor so they have a soft landing?

My Sagitta's make quite a thump when they jump off the roost, they are some pretty hefty birds - I call them my bowling balls. My roost is only 32" high because I figured they would be pretty heavy, but I make sure they have at least 4" of litter to land in. The browns fly about 3' from the perches to the window platform where the pop-door is. The poor Sagitta's have to drop to the floor and then walk over to the ramp to get up to the window platform.

 

[lazy gardener]

More info please re: your set up, perch height, coop size, where is perch in relation to floor, ceiling, wall behind and in front of it.

 

[sourland]

As stated: more/multi level perches and deeper bedding should help.

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

As stated: more/multi level perches and deeper bedding should help.

I would suggest more bedding, but I wouldn't suggest roosts on multiple levels. Different levels of roosts can actually cause problems because the chickens want the highest roost, but there is only so much room.

 

[Sassysouth]

Mine jump on the edge of the poop board, then up or down the roost, which is not really high. For a while I had a hen that would roost on the edge of the poop board and always got pooped on by the hen above her.

 

[centrarchid]

I have had 2 chickens hurt legs because getting off or on perch. Is there a better way to have your perch so they don't get injured? I have a ladder for them to get up. But not sure if they use it. My perch is 3 ft off the ground.

I do not think any of my chickens have been hurt by coming down of the roost even when they fly 30 feet down from tree in a single flight to land on gravel drive way. Something else is at play that may have nothing to do with coming down from roost.

In addition to what is asked above, what is nature of damage? Breed, age and weight of damaged birds?