How high can a large fowl chicken jump or fly in 3ft?

[FirstTimeFlock]

I am currently renovating an existing coop for my new little flock. They are 7 weeks old & include 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 2 Speckled Sussexes & 2 Easter Eggers (1 of which may need to be rehomed cause it's looking like it's a cockerel.)

I would like to build some roosts with poop trays underneath (preferably removable) in the reno'd coop. (The former coop had no roosts.) I would also like to utilize the space under the roosts, but am wondering how much that will actually be once I add my deep litter. I was thinking that the birds likely wouldn't be able to jump or fly very high (not now nor when they are full grown) in the approximately 30" clearance area that they have & had thought to put the first roost around 2ft off of the "ground" (top of litter), but that doesn't leave a lot of space to utilize underneath. Can I go higher? 4'?

Any thoughts or experiences you'd like to share would be appreciated.

 

[Pork Pie]

They could indeed get to the roosts at such a height, assuming they have some space to launch from.

Why deep litter AND a poop board?

 

[Hokum Coco]

in the approximately 30" clearance area put the first roost around 2ft off of the "ground" . Can I go higher? 4'? If it were me I would do 3 levels on your nest box side (height permitting) to take full advantage of your coop space. Lower your nest boxes 2ft from your floor. Then place a roost, rail, or platform in front of your nest boxes. Place your feeder and water under the nest boxes. I water my birds on the inside only in the winter months. Then cover the top of your nest boxes with vinyl flooring to form a poop board. I am a big fan of poop boards (covered with linoleum flooring in my case) my boards are only 3½ inches away from the removable roost It is a simple task to scrap off the poop (I use a hoe with a broken handle personally) into a container once the roosts are set aside. The close proximity of the poop boards saves eggs from breaking or cracking when they are laid through the night.
I had my run approximately 48" high and I was forced to clip the wings on my birds because after a time a few starting flying over the fence. Personally I would not go any higher than 30" if wing clipping is in your future.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've a wee coop in small growout pen. It's chest to neck high so over 4 ft and both, large fowl cock birds and hens, get on it with only 3 ft of room from coop to pen wall.

But then I don't clip wings and you say you do. They are using flapping to get that high, not jumping by itself.

 

[TalkALittle]

My girls get up and down from this with no problems. Plenty of headroom underneath. (Yardstick for reference.)

 

[Folly's place]

My roosts are three, four, and eight feet high, and there are birds roosting on all of them every night. I use deep litter, and don't bother with poop trays; just looks like extra work to me. Mary

 

[Hokum Coco]

My roosts are three, four, and eight feet high, and there are birds roosting on all of them every night. I use deep litter, and don't bother with poop trays; just looks like extra work to me. Mary I too was a tough convert Mary. The extra work did not please me either. I am now glad I went through with the change. It brought many benefits. My coop is only 4x8 coop with 24+- hens. The renovation gave my coop 3 levels which combats over crowding especially in the winter months when hens are confined to the coop. It also extends the life of your deep litter method to name just one benefit.

 

[FirstTimeFlock]

CTKen, I am new to this chicken thing & thought that would be the best way to help manage the poop & the smells without it being a big daily chore. From what I've been reading now, tho, it sounds like if I put in poop boards, I should only have a minimal amount of poop on the coop floor.
My other thought /concern is that my chickens are still young & probably won't use the roosts for a while because of their height, so either I need to deal with poop on the floor or I need to build temporary roosts with poop trays underneath.

 

[FirstTimeFlock]

Hokum Coco... Thanks. We currently have our chickens in a built in run so no plans to clip wings at present. (Although I love the idea of free ranging our birds, my husband & I both work & I worry about the dangers they'd be subjected to we're away working.)
Our nesting boxes & roosts will be on opposite walls. The nesting boxes will be built into the short wall near the door so that I can access the nest boxes without entering the coop. The roosts will be built on the longest wall. I had been considering having the 2 roosts at different heights. I don't think I will have enough space to put 3 levels of roosts in there tho. I do love the idea of having the poop trays close to the roosts in case of egg laying & will be looking at how best to incorporate that with 2 different levels of roosts.
Thanks for your input! I will check out the video in a bit!

 

[FirstTimeFlock]

Thanks, Egghead Jr. We aren't currently clipping or chickens wings & if we do decide to free range, it will be a modified chicken tractor version of free ranging so wrong clipping shouldn't be needed.