Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

You all know that I am hardly an expert chicken tender, though I do think I did a pretty good job designing the Chicken Palace (a few things I would change if I had to do it over, but not many). So, take this view for what it is worth - just food for thought.

I think some of your jostling is because everyone wants to be on the top roost. So as long as you provide different levels they will always be shifting each other around.
I think 4' is a great height when you have more space - I don't know your dimensions, but from your night pictures it does look like they have to be precision fliers to get down from that height.

So, what I would do, is provide a single shelf lower down. I would probably do around 3' but my guess is Bob would say even lower. Remember I am the one with chickens in the rafters who found a nearly 5' roost an unacceptable alternative!

I would then provide one step up like a crate, or a concrete block, or a tree stump so folk can do the jump up in two goes if they want to.

Yes - that is what I was going to do last year, put it at around 2.5' or maybe even 3' - but now I think 2.5' is a good height. If it wasn't for the Silkies I would just let them be. But those wee silkies give me fits! And that one night I watched Marty just launch herself down from her chosen spot (about 3' high), it just gave me the such a fright! And yet she plunked down to her chosen landing spot and proceeded to lay her egg (crazy hen!).

What I was thinking last night (while I was awake with my RLS) was to put in new nest boxes with the tops at 2.5' along the wall, and roosts/shelves the rest of the way so that there was no fighting. It would be all one height all the way around, and put in the steps at one end so that anyone can hop/flap up that way.

I would still have a 'ground floor' level nest boxes for the Silkies (they like to lay their eggs on the ground floor nest boxes) underneath the top nest boxes. Being awake at night give me too much time to think!

I would want the 'ground floor' boxes to be off the floor a bit (~6") - I would put some hardware cloth at the bottom so that they couldn't dig under or chicks get stuck under there.

Also the 2.5' height would be good for the heavy Brahmas, which I would worry about jumping down.... Even though I am told they can roost up high!

Thoughts?

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

That's great! What is the expected hatch date? Good Pastel!
Two lovely fluffy derrieres

Um, they were put in two weeks ago I think. so one or two more weeks!!

 

[RoyalChick]

Yes - that is what I was going to do last year, put it at around 2.5' or maybe even 3' - but now I think 2.5' is a good height. If it wasn't for the Silkies I would just let them be. But those wee silkies give me fits! And that one night I watched Marty just launch herself down from her chosen spot (about 3' high), it just gave me the such a fright! And yet she plunked down to her chosen landing spot and proceeded to lay her egg (crazy hen!).

What I was thinking last night (while I was awake with my RLS) was to put in new nest boxes with the tops at 2.5' along the wall, and roosts/shelves the rest of the way so that there was no fighting. It would be all one height all the way around, and put in the steps at one end so that anyone can hop/flap up that way.

I would still have a 'ground floor' level nest boxes for the Silkies (they like to lay their eggs on the ground floor nest boxes) underneath the top nest boxes. Being awake at night give me too much time to think!

I would want the 'ground floor' boxes to be off the floor a bit (~6") - I would put some hardware cloth at the bottom so that they couldn't dig under or chicks get stuck under there.

Also the 2.5' height would be good for the heavy Brahmas, which I would worry about jumping down.... Even though I am told they can roost up high!

Thoughts?

View attachment 3421333

Yes - that is closer to what I had in mind.
Either on that wall, or on the one at 90 degrees to it, you could have some nest boxes that are taller. With only 2.5' to play with in height, each nest box would only be 12" tall inside. That is what I have and it works fine. Even Maggie was fine with it. But Bernie is very tall and she is choosing an alternative set of boxes where the ceiling of the nest box is a good 18" high. I think that is more comfortable.
So you could have 1-2 taller nest boxes and 2-4 'double-deckers' as you have drawn.

 

[featherhead007]

You all know that I am hardly an expert chicken tender, though I do think I did a pretty good job designing the Chicken Palace (a few things I would change if I had to do it over, but not many). So, take this view for what it is worth - just food for thought.

I think some of your jostling is because everyone wants to be on the top roost. So as long as you provide different levels they will always be shifting each other around.
I think 4' is a great height when you have more space - I don't know your dimensions, but from your night pictures it does look like they have to be precision fliers to get down from that height.

So, what I would do, is provide a single shelf lower down. I would probably do around 3' but my guess is Bob would say even lower. Remember I am the one with chickens in the rafters who found a nearly 5' roost an unacceptable alternative!

I would then provide one step up like a crate, or a concrete block, or a tree stump so folk can do the jump up in two goes if they want to.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Pony pic are on Sunday - Pony Sunday - Saturday is 'Caturday'

This is Miss Georgette Bootsie
BFTP
View attachment 3421277

Yeah, I know! I will probably post them on Sunday if I get any!!

 

[bgmathteach]

@Ponypoor I just thought of a caveat, that I'm sure @BY Bob would appreciate, given his laments with roosting:

While I would suggest 2 long roosts (much easier for you installing) you might want to 'break up' the roost by putting up a plywood divider or two in the middle of each roost, so a hen on one side of hte divider can't reach a hen on the other side. (kind of like nest box dividers...but for the roost!)
.

 

[bgmathteach]

So, 4-5" of a wet, heavy snow. (sorry @rural mouse , I'd send it your way if I could, I know you need the moisture), and the chickens are having NONE of it!

Um, that's okay mum...we'll just stay here under the roof for now.

Well, you girls do what you want - I'm getting out of the damp, cold, yucky weather - I don't want my feathers to frizz!

Meanwhile, the 'water chickens' have this attitude:

Hey, what's all the fuss.....

aren't you going to open the gate so we can play in this white wet stuff???

 

[rural mouse]

Yes - that is what I was going to do last year, put it at around 2.5' or maybe even 3' - but now I think 2.5' is a good height. If it wasn't for the Silkies I would just let them be. But those wee silkies give me fits! And that one night I watched Marty just launch herself down from her chosen spot (about 3' high), it just gave me the such a fright! And yet she plunked down to her chosen landing spot and proceeded to lay her egg (crazy hen!).

What I was thinking last night (while I was awake with my RLS) was to put in new nest boxes with the tops at 2.5' along the wall, and roosts/shelves the rest of the way so that there was no fighting. It would be all one height all the way around, and put in the steps at one end so that anyone can hop/flap up that way.

I would still have a 'ground floor' level nest boxes for the Silkies (they like to lay their eggs on the ground floor nest boxes) underneath the top nest boxes. Being awake at night give me too much time to think!

I would want the 'ground floor' boxes to be off the floor a bit (~6") - I would put some hardware cloth at the bottom so that they couldn't dig under or chicks get stuck under there.

Also the 2.5' height would be good for the heavy Brahmas, which I would worry about jumping down.... Even though I am told they can roost up high!

Thoughts?

View attachment 3421333

Go a head and run nest boxes the whole way along. Have the lower row stick out a bit farther for a step/ledge in front of the upper, then the shelf/roost and you're good.

And do the end 1 row of taller boxes.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

While pondering my Twig situation all night I might have a option where I at least could see him if I wanted. I have a family member who likes all the twig photos I post and is interested in a couple hens if I have them. I may reach out to them today and see if they would be interested in Twig if I part with 2 of the October pullets. If I do this I also have to choose which of the October girls to keep. Perdita definitely stays. I could let meko go. That leaves Ducky and Grackle to choose between, again, tough choice. If it means a good home for Twiggy though and 2 of the girls I will do it.

 

[Ponypoor]

Only 4 and no roosters.

That is still a good amount of hens to keep - and plenty of eggs!

I agree. The up and down that @Ponypoor is suggesting will probably cause just as much 'shuffling/fighting as she has now as they jostle for the top spot. I would also suggest something similar to what you have stated, RC.

Maybe across the back (i.e. far wall in pictures) a roost at 2.5 - 3 feet high the whole length of that wall, and then on the side wall (left in pictures) a roost the full length 3 - 3.5 ft high (whatever height you do the lower one, do the other one about 6" - 8" higher).
You could make deep nest boxes 1 story high on one wall, and 2 nest boxes high on the other. (doesn't have to go full length of the walls, maybe a few in that back left corner along each wall) If the 2 story high nest boxes are super deep, they can use that as a 'step/hop' for getting up. And, a log or crate, etc as RC suggested as a hop up, too.

Thank you @RoyalChick for starting this conversation - I was afraid that my thought that the alternating shelf heights was a bad idea was just me.....

I am getting a consensus of roost height of around 2.5 to 3' - which is what I was thinking of doing last year.

I could even do the nest boxes as steps - make the bottom ones around 2' deep and the top ones around 14" deep and about 1.5' off the ground - that would still be an easy hop/flap for the silkies. OR along the short wall at the door put in a couple bottom nest boxes with the top at around 1.5', then a few second story boxes run them along the long wall with the tops around 2.5' ('L' shape to the nest boxes) - and then run roosts at 2.5' along the long wall and far short wall.