Chicken Run with bridge to Shed/Coop

[Blarneyeggs]

Oh no! But hey, that's funny. I find that my heavier breeds -Orpingtons, Marans can not fly their big butts over my 4 foot fencing. The Easter Eggers and Sex links however.... Maybe you need to fatten yours up? Or switch to heavier breeds

 

[paintedChix]

Snow won't be an issue, we are on the coast of NC.

Although they can still jump the fence even after I've clipped both their wings.

Welcome fellow North Carolinian!

You only want to clip wings on one side. I would choose either the left or the right and do them all the same (I usually do the right side - easier for me to hold them, spread the wing and snip,snip w/ scissors in my right hand). Ah - maybe you need to clip further down (closer to the body)? Even my EEs, when I have them done (they do grow back!), don't fly when clipped...

And I love that bridge into your run from the coop. What a great idea!

 

[Back to Eden Chickens]

My leghorns are the only ones that are still able to get over the fence, the are a little smaller than the comets who haven't been getting out. Maybe I do need to clip the wings closer to the body. We just got chickens about 3 weeks ago so I'm pretty new and didn't want to cut them by mistake.

 

[Stajemahal]

Love this idea.
I want a chicken bridge.

 

[Flock In Texas]

I like the "sky bridge". If I didn't have a tractor, I'd consider putting a fully enclosed "plank" on one side of the coop so they could get outdoors on their roost. They would poop outside and you could mulch it in with the mower. You could even roof the outside roost with plastic or a strip of tarp for shade. You could have a sky tunnel that wraps around the coop and has 2 entrances. I guess it's starting to sound like a hamster habitat now. Oh well.

 

[aart]

Bridge is clever....do they use it, is there room for 'two way traffic'??

 

[Back to Eden Chickens]

Bridge is clever....do they use it, is there room for 'two way traffic'??

Sorry for the last response.

So the chickens do use the "bridge" as it is the only way for them to get into their coop. They are able to pass by each other when one is in the way in one is going by.

I have ran into one problem that I haven't figured out a solution to.
They all have no problem going in and out of the coop during the day and using the nests to lay eggs. However, in the evening when it's time to go into the coop, they all make their way up the ladder and on to the bridge, but then they all mostly just want to roost there on the bridge right at the entrance of the coop.

I'm not sure if it's one chicken stopping at the entrance so all the other chickens just decide to stop right there too, but they have yet to all go in at night without my coaxing (spraying them with the water hose). I getting tired of this ritual at night so I'm not sure how to get them to go ahead and go all the way in at night. I have put a solar light that I can turn on for them and it is plenty bright but that has not made a difference. When I do manually pick them up and put them on the roost inside the coop they seem fine and stay there the rest of the night then come out over the bridge and into the run first thing in the morning.

Maybe they are just comfortable on the bridge and feel like it's just a good a place as any to roost for the night, but I'd like for them to use this coop I put so much effort into making so nice for them.

 

[aart]

Could be because the bridge is higher than the roost, they like the highest place to roost...or they may have trouble seeing when it is dusk.

I'd raise the roost in the coop, it should be higher than the nests anyway.

 

[Fairview01]

Have the same problem. They all line up on the ramp. Only problem is the ramp is only 'X' long and I seem to have 'X+1' chickens. There always seem to be at least one that can't fit on the ramp. It's a nightly show of the last one getting on the ramp and one or two being jostled off. I figure this winter the coop will get use. Right now at night it's usually 80+ degrees.

 

[Back to Eden Chickens]

Could be because the bridge is higher than the roost, they like the highest place to roost...or they may have trouble seeing when it is dusk.

I'd raise the roost in the coop, it should be higher than the nests anyway.

Could be. The roost inside the coop is higher then the nests. well there are 2 levels and one is even with and the other higher. But the bridge which goes into the window is higher than all that, and as they come into the coop from the window they come down, which usually the entrance to a coop is at the floor level of the coop. Not sure if that matters or not. I did add some roosting space right there at the window so now when I "coax" them off the bridge they make their way onto that roost so at least then they are in the coop, but so far I still have to coax them to go inside.