giving them the boot!

[ebonykawai]

My almost three-weekers need to move. I love these guys, but they want to fly WAYYY too much, lol. Luckily, I just about finished the coop last night. I just need to cut the door out today and secure their roosts.

How high should I put the roosts? Should I start lower and move them up gradually, or just put them up at normal height to start off with? They have roosts in their brooder and like them a lot, so I want to have the roosts in the coop right away. I was going to put in a lower one and a higher one.

Also, they will have a new feeder and waterer out there. Will they get the hang of them? Should I put their regular feeder and waterer out there for a while, and if so, how long?

 

[NS2A]

I think around 18" is the right height for full sized birds.

Start them lower though!! Just 6" maybe and move up.

 

[MissPrissy]

Chickens will roost as high as possible. My roosts are about 5 foot high. 18 inches is not high enough for roosts in my own opinion unless you stagger them like a leaning ladder. Once done you won't have to go back and redo or raise them. I would do them like a ladder rung and they will be able to hop from one to the next higher and even learn to fly up to the top one. Keeps them busy. LOL

You can put your nests boxes at about that height though to keep them from wanting to roost in them.

Put the feed out in the new feeders/waterers they will find it.

 

[horsejody]

It may depend on the breed. I have some that like to roost at about 5 feet high. I have others that seem to like about 3 feet high. I am now raising Jersey Giants and have read that because of their size and weight, they should roost only about two feet high. Jumping down from a higher roost would be bad for them. What breed do you have?

 

[ebonykawai]

RIRs. They sure love to fly and jump, which is why they are going out. It seems unfair to keep them inside at this point. My coop is very secure and draft free. I think they will be fine with a heater, much more room.