Ceiling height above the roost

[Huskeriowa]

Hi all,

I am trying to be innovative in adding additional roosts. The ceiling is low and I don't have too much room to maneuver. If I go too low to the floor I lose living space. So, how close can the roost be to the ceiling and still be ok for chicken comfort? I have read I think 18"? Would a shorter distance between the roost and the ceiling work like 15" or less? Any help would be appreciated as my brain is now mush from building this thing. Thanks much!

 

[Huskeriowa]

Sorry I probably shouldn't bump my own post but I will be putting the roost in tomorrow morning. Anyone know how close to the ceiling I can put it or how much room a chicken needs between the roost and the ceiling? Thanks again.

 

[Doopy]

Try it. You can always change it if it doesn't work out.

 

[Arielle]

Good question--bet they need flight room. Don't want them to hit their wings on the rafters. Can't wait to see the answer. Maybe a ramp would put the height up more.

 

[ButtersMama]

If you go to the top right corner and type in "roost height" in the search box, you will find many threads regarding this. I am also going to need this information so I read them all. We will be making 18" of head room and 12" from back wall.

 

[Huskeriowa]

There will be a bit of a ramp up to it in a way. It will be one of those angled roosts with multiple perches that I see here except instead of the bottom going all the way to the ground to support it, I am planning on chaining the bottom to the rafters above to support it and hopefully then not using up any floor space. The bottom roost will likely be about 2 feet off of the floor. Its the top roost I am having problems with. They could mostly walk/hop to the top roost if I don't build the top roost too close to the ceiling.

I have googled and searched here for that specific question but didn't find a definitive answer. I knew that 18" was listed in one thread but that is the only number I found. I will search again. I am hoping that the 18" of clearance over a roost is much like the 'ideal' length of roost space would be ten inches or so but it can function at eight inches.

I was thinking possibly someone here had experience with less clearance than 18" in their coop and wondered if that does in fact work for them. Thanks again.

 

[elmo]

Are your chickens full grown yet? What I do is eye ball the chickens in question and then allow for at least 6 inches or so above their natural standing height. I have about 2 feet of space above the roost for our tiny bantams, and they're all less than 12 inches tall. A standard size chicken seems giant to me in comparison with our little bitty girls.

Do you need to put a roost up at the highest level you're considering? In other words, would you have enough roost space without that top level? If so, I'd forego the one at 18 inches under the ceiling for more roost space at the lower rung. If you really need the roost space at that level, be sure to run your hands over the ceiling and rafters to make sure there are no rough spots that could injure a comb if the chickens bump against the ceiling. If you find any rough spots, just sand them down well, and all should be well.

Oh, I forgot to mention: with a ladder style roost, all the chickens will be trying to get onto that top rung, so there will be a fair amount of jostling and squabbling going on up there for the coveted highest spot, and why it's good to have plenty of head room if you can manage it. That's why I use a single level roost.

 

[Huskeriowa]

Thanks for the responses! Its funny how each situation is different and everyone has to figure something out to fit their unique needs. I guess thats why the same questions are always asked here in different ways like I am doing.

The hens are not full grown yet. Right now I am guessing they are two to three inches tall and scrunched up in an egg shell prison till Monday so measuring them right now isn't an option. The largest is a Brahma hen. I have googled every variation of 'height of Brahma hen' etc and can only find the weight. I guess I will assume they can be 15" or so and go from there.

Again thank you for your help to a question that I am sure is repetitive

 

[Ridgerunner]

First off, I don't have a good answer for you. As you said, each of us have different circumstances. I have about 6 feet over mine so I cannot talk from experience.

The main point I want to make is to watch your ventilation. Do you have vents up high where they could be in a draft in colder weather? I'd try to keep the top roost low enough so they are not in a draft when roosting.

I guess another question. Are you concerned about bumping your head when gathering eggs or only worried about the space when you are cleaning it out? If it is an eveyday thing, well, yes, it can be a problem. But if it is only when you are doing something special in there, can you make it removable or where it folds up out of the way? I drilled holes through the roosts and supports and put large nails through those holes to pin the roosts in place. When I need to work in there, I pop out the nails and remove the roosts. There are all kinds of different designs on this forum for removable or folding roosts. I agree that the search feature is not always easy to use for this. I'm not even sure what I would search under for his topic.