Building perches for the run

[techiebabe]

Hello,

As Ive said elsewhere, I adopted 5 ex batts last weekend. I was told not to put any perches up because their legs would be weak, but they seemed keen to hop up on things (not high, just about their neck level) so I put out some offcuts of wood as a shallow ramp and another as a crossbar. They like hopping on and off. However these offcuts arent suitable for the run long term.

Therefore Im now going to start putting out the perches I had originally planned for the run. Im thinking three horizontal perches, one at the height they are used to, one a little higher, and one higher still. Im thinking to do this against the end, so the highest is nearest to the wall, and so they can hop up & down lots but are not very likely to fall from them. There also isnt really anywhere else to put them without obstructing the feeders, dust bath, etc.

Ive got some suitable branches which Im going to cut shorter to use. What I dont know is... How do I erect them?

I do have a GCSE from the '90s, in CDT which includes woodwork *lol* but physically cant do much anymore due to disability.

I thought I might suspend the lowest one on rope and hooks like a swing... But Im not really sure how to put up these other perches, especially as they are natural branches so not a perfect shape. I think the highest one at least ought to be solid and not move.

Any ideas for easy / rough & ready ways to do this?

Thanks!

 

[lilapot]

How many chickens do you have?

 

[techiebabe]

Hi Lilapot - good question!

I have 5

I call them the Spice Hens - you can guess the naming scheme...Girl Power! *giggle*

also if it helps,the short end of the run where Im planning to put the perches is 1.5m wide.

Thanks!

 

[aart]

Pic of your run would help me suggest ideas.

The swing thing....meh....some like them, some do not.
I think the shorter the rope they are hanging from, the better...so they don't 'swing' too big an arc.
Have read several stories that the perch swinging back and forth can scare them off....or clobber them in the head.

 

[techiebabe]

The run is about 6m long, 1.5 wide. And 2m high as it is a walk in.

Basically as you walk down its length then the coop is on left, then along the left hand side has grit feeder, treadle feeder, tyre full of sand for dust, then a good 1.5 metres clear at the end.

On the right theres a drinker right next to the coop. So basically the right han side is for walking down (and scattering scratch, mealworms, veg etc) and the area for the perches would be a 1.5 x 1.5m area.

Does that help, or shall I try to upload a pic?

I can suspend things from the roof with cup hooks.

Edit to add... Good point about clobbering hens in the head! Eek.

 

[aart]

The run is about 6m long, 1.5 wide. And 2m high as it is a walk in.

Basically as you walk down its length then the coop is on left, then along the left hand side has grit feeder, treadle feeder, tyre full of sand for dust, then a good 1.5 metres clear at the end.

On the right theres a drinker right next to the coop. So basically the right han side is for walking down (and scattering scratch, mealworms, veg etc) and the area for the perches would be a 1.5 x 1.5m area.

Does that help, or shall I try to upload a pic?

I can suspend things from the roof with cup hooks.

Edit to add... Good point about clobbering hens in the head! Eek.

I do better with pics, sorry.

 

[techiebabe]

Apologies. I understand, some people are more visual! But i havent managed to grab much of a pic with my phone yet

I think I have a solution now tho! Ill share it in case it helps anyone in future...

So, there I was asking hubby how to suspend the branches as perches, either hanging from the roof or building legs under them...

....and then hubby grabbed some cup hooks, cut the branches to the right width, screwed a cup hook into each end and affixed them to the mesh on the run!

That was easy! And it also means they can be moved and adjusted to different heights as necessary. Why didnt I think of this?

Anyway, problem solved!

Ill try to return with a pic, and take more in general so I can use them in future with questions.