Anybody tried wrapping their roost bars in rope?

[aart]

Any tips on how to get the chickens to roost where you want them to roost would be greatly appreciated

I don't want to watch a 13 minute video, just post a few pics of your coop and roost.

 

[neo71665]

I don't want to watch a 13 minute video, just post a few pics of your coop and roost.

They don't have a coop, they have an a frame tractor with half the roof gone. The run is the back yard with only a 4 foot chain link fence.

IMHO the reason they aint roosting there is because there is nothing to make them feel safe. Also it's too small for the amount of birds it looked like you had.

 

[Sushikune]

The coop closes. We lock it up at night. I’ll try to post some pictures later today.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree that wrapping the roosts will make them grubbier and great homes for mites.
Here we use saplings or branches, bark on, 2" to 3" diameter, and some birds roos 8' up on the 4" fence post rafters, or up on the 2"x 8" rafters in the new coop section.
It's more about being as high as possible, and preferred location, and we have many choices and lots of roost space.
Use boards as roosts if you need to, but there's nothing 'natural' about them, chickens are meant to roost in trees!
And Silkies really can't fly up to a roost, and some very large chickens need lower roosts too.
Mary

 

[Sushikune]

Sorry... I’m new and I can’t figure out how to rotate the pictures.

1. Closed coop.
2. Open coop.
3. Roosting bars they don’t use (one wrapped, one not).
4. Where they actually sleep (and lay eggs).

One night, I opened the coop and moved them to the bars to see if they would stay, but the next night, the sweet girls went back to sleeping next to and on the nesting boxes. Did I give up too quickly? Or should I just get used to daily poop removal from the nesting boxes? .

I will watch the wrapped bar for deterioration. I had not realized that could be a thing.

 

[Folly's place]

There's not adequate head space for them up there! It's a problem with triangular structures; floor space isn't the same as flying space, no wonder the birds are careful about moving around and trying to get up higher.
This would sort of work for a few chicks, but not well for your flock as a permanent home.
Mary

 

[Sushikune]

Got it. How much head space do they need?

 

[aart]

Got it. How much head space do they need?

At least 18" from roost to roof...more is better.

Here's some tips on heights:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/


Welcome to BYC! @Sushikune
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Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Sushikune]

Thanks! I feel a little better.... In the center, the roost is 21 inches from the ceiling/point. I guess it is hard to tell the distances from those pictures.

The girls are perfectly happy sleeping near their nesting boxes and knowing about the 18 inch rule, I expect they will never roost there and I should just unscrew them and take them out.

 

[Texas Transplant]

I think Carolina Coops makes beautiful, well designed coops. But it seems to me that wrapping roosts in hemp would only give poo something to get embedded in. I'd rather have a flat 2x4 that I could scrape clean.

Agree 100%