chicken roosting improperly - constantly covered in poop

[playa0069u]

So I have a small flock of chickens, this is my first. Mixed ages. The 2 adults are buff orpingtons, and i have had them for a few months (they are 3 they are rescues). The bigger one (big bird) upon being moved into her permanent coop, has decided that she would rather roost on the poop board with her bum either up on the roost itself, or on the poop board. This has caused her to poop all over herself constantly. she is my favorite bird and no one wants to touch her now because she is nasty. She doesnt have diarrhea, no signs of worms, no signs of anything wrong i believe she just is pooping without squatting (which i have read about on here). Her roost is only about 7 or 8 inches high, and i am as we speak raising it to about a foot high. this has been going on for over about a month and im tired of washing her butt in my bathroom sink it was only mildly cute the first time. again poops seem normal and shes the only bird who this happens to, and she ALWAYS roosts not on the roost unless i move her. i was thinking if raising the roost doesnt work then i would take the lip OFF of the poop board or possibly make a new wider one. has anyone else had this problem? any tips? (ps this picture was the australorps FIRST time getting into the coop on there own and they ALMOST made it to the roost. they all roost properly now except the large buff)

 

[playa0069u]

a few more pictures. i try and move her up to the roost every night when i get home

 

[playa0069u]

so i raised the roost, but now im very concerned with the large breed orpingtons jumping down that far. they had no ramp because they dont use it. i made them a new one but they continue to fly all the way over it to get down. the bigger bird fell on her face upon hitting the ground, but the other orpington seemed alright

 

[ShannonR]

Birds should br able to get on and off a roost from several feet high. If yours are having issues with that, there is an underlying problem such as obesity or leg weakness.

 

[playa0069u]

she definitely was able to get up to the roost before i raised it she just seemed to choose not to. she roosts on the lip instead. you dont think that 5 foot high roost is dangerously tall for a large breed chicken? as i said these are my first birds and i would be devastated if one of them got hurt

 

[coach723]

How far from the wall is your roost? It looks very close in the picture, maybe it's just perspective. It it's too close she may not have room to be comfortable and is choosing to roost elsewhere. Some birds prefer to stair step up rather than use a ramp. Try stacking hay bales up to make 'stairs' and see if they will use that rather than the ramp. You can use some other material, but hay bales are soft and cushion jumping and they don't feel slick. You could also try making the ramp longer, so the angle is less steep. May or may not be factor, but they don't really like to 'slide'. You could also try adding more crosswise strips on it to make the spaces in between smaller. Sometimes birds don't cooperate with what 'usually' works, so you have to experiment to find what they like, they are all very individual. Removing the lip might help, my poop boards don't have a lip since I scrape them into a bucket every morning (and I don't use any material on them that needs to be kept in). I generally try not to have them jumping down more than 18" max.

 

[aart]

I have a few birds that roost on the poop board, never noticed any problem with it,
but I am not a chicken cuddler so no need to bath them.
Raising the roost will not likely solve this issue..and has caused other problems.
I suggest you put the roost back down where it was and just leave her be.

 

[playa0069u]

new wider front to back poop board . worked first time super happy thank you

 

[coach723]

Very glad you made it work!