Coop on a hillside - roost heights

[RoyalChick]

I am new to BYC but have been lurking around learning a lot. I currently have 4 chickens and am building them a new coop (I have gone a bit overboard and it is really turning into a chicken palace!).
I use deep litter method and the floor of the coop is the dirt. The coop is built on a hill and I am trying to figure out the roost heights. If I go 2' off the ground at the top of the hill and keep the roost level, it will be 4' off the ground at the other end. Will they think that is the same height if it is level? Does that matter?
I could keep it roughly 2' off the ground at both ends by stepping it down in the middle but I worry that the downhill roost will be less popular because it is lower (even though it will be the same distance from the ground). I am probably worrying too much but it is their palace so I want them to love it!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Depending on your breeds, they may prefer to roost at 2' or 15'+ above ground.
I wouldn't worry too much and just observe how they adapt.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you ChickenCanoe for your very speedy and reassuring response. I figured I was worrying too much! I have RIRs and they are big beautiful birds. I think I was worried they might hurt themselves jumping down 4'. But it is true that when I let them free range when I was digging the vegetable beds they were up at my shoulder without a second thought. I will stop worrying and just see what they like. I can always add more roosts at different heights later if they don't like what I build first.

 

[nubcake]

I am new to this as well so welcome!! I have rearranged the inside of my coop roosting bars several times. I started out with boards, which only half of my seven chickens used, to a ladder with the same results. After observing their behavior I made some final adjustments that they all seem to love. I converted a playhouse into a coop(70.9 x 48.9 x 62.2 inches) and secured branches of different heights. As you can see my wyandotte and andalusians love the higher roosts but my brahma prefers the lowest. My EE Rooster and barnevelder end up wherever the others allow them. Pecking order I guess. Good Luck.

 

[Lizzy733]

Place them where it will be easier for you to access their droppings - if you need to add material, turn over or harvest the litter. Higher feels safer for chickens, but there is no 'golden rule' on height other than ensuring they can reach the highest perch. If the coop is relatively secure and predators won't be an issue, then height is less of a concern.
In the end, they will mostly form a tiny huddle on one corner of a favorite bar and only occasionally use the rest. - Do still offer at least two perching options though.

 

[aart]

The coop is built on a hill and I am trying to figure out the roost heights. If I go 2' off the ground at the top of the hill and keep the roost level, it will be 4' off the ground at the other end. Will they think that is the same height if it is level? Does that matter?

Wow, that's quite a drop...or maybe just an example and not real measurements? Pics of your coop would help.

How high of a roost they can jump/fly down from is proportional to how big the coop is.....don't want them crashing into a wall.
Key point is having roosts higher than the nests, so they don't sleep in the nests.

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @RoyalChick
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[RoyalChick]

Thank you for the guidance - I am in Northern NJ (so winter is an issue) - I think I have added it to my profile. I will try and take a picture tomorrow of the coop-under-construction and upload it - but yes the slope is a 2' drop every 10' and the coop is 10' wide so the ground drops roughly 2' across the width.
If they jump off the perch at the 4' end they have roughly 5' before they face plant against the wall of my storage area. They have more space at the top of the hill but my observation of them is they don't really glide down off things anyway but drop like canon balls straight down. Thump. Maybe I will not extend the roost all the way across the full width and limit the height above the ground to about 3' and see how it goes. I can always add more roosts later.

 

[aart]

That slope inside the coop is going to offer several challenges....
...might be worth putting a floor inside.
Do your deep litter out in the run.

 

[RoyalChick]

You are certainly right that the slope offers challenges - not least the math required to get the roof level! But I think it will work out well inside. I will have a clean-out door at the bottom of the hill so I can stir up the litter and rake it out now and then to the compost. I also have a door at the top of the hill so I can add bedding. I think between me raking it over and the chickens scratching around they will basically work the bedding down the hill ready for me to empty it out.
I think I know how to upload a picture - so here goes. This shows the floor for my storage area - the roosts will be the far side of that - but it does show how steep the slope is.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

If you add poop boards under the roost, they can use it as a step down. I’m not sure how heavy RIR chickens are, but my Buff Orpingtons would have some hard landings if they dropped 4 or 5 feet. (But they would want to be on the “highest” roost nonetheless.) I don’t know if they would realize the whole roost was the same parallel.

My other chickens are not as heavy.