Greetings!

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Chickle2014

Chickle2014

Songster
10 Years
Jun 29, 2014
51
31
126
Galesburg, IL
Hello Everyone! My name is Pam and I live in West-Central Illinois. My husband and I are getting our first chickens this weekend. We are very excited! We are getting two Buff Orpington chicks approximately 6-8 weeks old. We have our coop built, and are getting ready to finish the interior. Any suggestions for a newby as to how far from the ceiling the perch should be, and how far out from the wall? Thanks for your help!!

Pam
 
Hello and Welcome! Congrats on getting your new chicks, they are so enjoyable.
 
Welcome to BYC! Mountain Peeps has given you some excellent links. Buff Orpingtons are a nice breed; beautiful with calm, gentle temperaments; and for these reasons I keep a few of them in my flock. When it comes to roosts, I always operated by the 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 rule (at least two feet below the ceiling for the highest roost, at least two feet between the roosts and the wall, at least 2 feet between roosts, and at least 2 feet above the floor for the lowest roost. It's best to have extra space than to be too crowded. Good luck with your flock.
 
I agree. They do need room around the roost so they aren't bumping heads or having difficulty trying to turn around etc. Different levels are good because some breeds can't get up on high roosts due to size or clumsiness etc.
 
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Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Keep the roost bar as low as possible for several reasons.....heavy breeds shouldn't be jumping down too far as they can sprain tendons, and you want the moisture from the pooping and the breathing to be able to rise high above them and out your venting in the roof. If they are up at the ceiling, they can get frost bite if you live in cold climates. They can even get frost bite on the combs with temps just above freezing. You can keep the roost bar close to a wall with just enough to sit with heads forward. They will naturally sleep tail out if the bar is close to the wall. So at least one foot will do. Mountain Peeps has left you with some good links to follow.

Good luck on this new adventure and welcome to our flock!
 

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