Chicken Roosting Habit ** Updated PICS !!! ***

[Dumpling]

My tractor is 4x10 with an open area at ground level and a sheltered area (4x4) above the ground. The sheltered area is where the roosts and nest boxes are. The chicks have been in this tractor for about a month (they are 8 weeks old now). I have a tarp partially enclosing the bottom as a wind break and semishelter. I have had roosts at the ground level for them all this time as well. Two nights ago I saw them parade up the ladder and all roost in the top enclosed area. They repeated again last night. (They are such big girls now.) All this said, I believe they instinctly seek a sheltered, high area for the night where they feel most secure. I am new at this though.

 

[Cassandra]

They love it!!!

This shot shows all of the "rungs" on their jungle gym. The greenery around is just the cut off limbs from a shrub I threw up on top of the run because it was so HOT that day. Just an idea I had to give them some shade. It will be dead in a few days, but it is still holding strong right now and they love it. They feel like they are up in the trees!

This is a closer up shot of some of them playing on the top rung. It's funny to me because one of them dropped something, and two of them are looking down at the ground to see where it landed.

And like good little chickens, they go into their coop to sleep at night.

Cassandra

 

[Cassandra]

D'oh! I spoke too soon. I went out last night and 4 of the hens were roosting outside. The two RIRs were inside the coop.

They crack me up! They lord it over the other birds all the time and now they are making the peasants sleep OUTSIDE! LOL

Cassandra

 

[NoelTate]

Cassandra, you have a beautiful coop! I'm a bit jealous! Cedar is perfectly safe to use in a coop. It weathers very well and will last forever. I used narrow trunks from a cut-down cedar as my roosts in my coop. I like that the different sizes give their feet a break from always being in the same position when they roost.
So who wants to come help me build a new coop so I can post pics of it and be all proud of it?? lol

 

[Cassandra]

Quote:
Thank you Noel! My husband did most of the work. He did all the wood things and I attached the wire. (Which was much more tedious and back-breaking in my opinion.

)

He is such an attention hound. He is always asking me what the "chicken chat" people think of the coop that he made. And I hate to break it to him, but our chicken facilities are pretty primative compared to many of the ones I've seen here.

But REALLY! He shouldn't be worried what anyone thinks about it except ME!

Cassandra

 

[NoelTate]

Looking through old posts, the title of this one made me remember a chicken we had years ago. She had a peculiar roosting habit. A coworker of my dad's gave me probably about 30 mixed, black bantams when I was in 9th grade. They could fly like birds, so they spent as much time outside my cheap little coop as inside. Over the years, they died off, and I finally got rid of chickens when I was in college. We could never catch that one hen to give her away. She lived here wild as a bluejay for years and years. We had a horse about the size of a shetland pony, and she would roost on his back every night. A few years later, I got a pair of cochin bantams. I made the mistake of letting them out to forage one day. Naturally, the wild hen showed up a few weeks later with 12 chicks! She finally disappeared after living with us for 14 years. Who knows how old the girl actually was? She was a hoot to have around, though!

 

[just one of the peeps]

Love the flight-run that you have made for them! Just wondering... about how much did you spend on your wire project? I am building a coop for my two new girls and, like so many others, I am trying to keep the cost to a minimum.

 

[Uppity Peon]

I think your perches are wonderful and obviously well appreciated.

The only criticism I can find is the size of the mesh. There are critters that can get through that stuff and if a raccoon got a chance he would reach through and catch a chicken by the leg and literally eat it through the wire.

I would be more comfortable with wire like this:
http://www.critter-cages.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=26

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:
My chicks have roosts in both places, and always head to their coop around dusk and jump straight up on their inside roost

 

[Holly O]

From what I saw of the run it is a sweet habitat for your chickens.

Cedar shavings are bad because of the fumes and oils.
A branch is fine, as it's oils if any left after a year of drying, are contained in it.

Is that a vine you have growing on your run? and if so what kind?