design ideas for birds roosting in the rafters-help!

[kellykate]

So we have an adorable 8x6 coop that has been absolutely perfect so far *except* for one thing. . . the ladies like to roost up in the rafters. This is about 7 feet off the ground -- it is no problem for some of the smaller flighty birds but the big breeds (Cochin, Australorp, Wyandotte) and the Sizzle struggle to get up there. They have a half-way bar that was intended to be their roost that helps but they try and try and try to get up and occasionally they do -- and then to get down in the morning -ugh! I have already had the Australorp hurt a leg flying down.

So do you all have any pictures or ideas on what to build to help the crew up and down to the rafters? Thanks so much!!

 

[wildorchid053]

we are cold here in ny like you are in maine. we insulated and covered the rafters with a ceiling.

 

[slightlyscrambled]

try extra jump poles (roosts at staggered heights) or a ladder

 

[Momo]

In the raised part of my coop I couldn't add a ceiling because I need to be able to stand up between the trusses (the walls are 3' high on the sides but the peaked roof is tall). So I cut chicken wire to fit and stapled it to each truss, from one side to the other and up into the peak. Works great. In the other part of the coop, which is not raised, I stapled chicken wire across the bottom of the trusses to make a chicken wire "ceiling" ... it also works great.

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, in Maine the most sensible thing is to just put in a ceiling. If you want it permanent make it permanent (you can have vent openings going up into it, if some of the coop vents are above that level; if so then I'd suggest a thick and unbroken vapor barrier atop the ceiling so that snow that drifts in thru the upper vents does not sit and rot the ceiling). If you want the rafters open in summer, just staple bubblewrap or even just sheet plastic up there, over chickenwire so that even in summertime chickens can't get up there.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat