How high is too high?

[trufadog]

Hello! Well, we had a tall wooden arch thing that usually goes over your entry gate. We cut it down to about 2.5 or 3 feet tall so the chickens could use it in the run to sit on. Well, they love it and walk up there using the ladder I leaned against it. When the want to get down, they all look worried like they don't know what to do. It seems that the ladder is not for going down, just up. When I open the run door, five of them fly from their perch on the arch thingy out the door. The smallest one, I have seen looking super worried and she crashed into the door jamb trying to fly out.

They love to sit up there because it is in a bit of sun and on a rainy day, it is still dry and not breezy.
My question is: How high is too high to jump or fly down? Should we cut it to half the height? What do you think? Thank you!

 

[17 chickens]

What breed of chickens are they?

 

[Percheron chick]

3' is nothing unless they are breeds like Cochins or brahmas. They do need more room to fly down than the perch is high. So if your top rail is 3', they need 4-5' of clear space out, 3' wide to fly down. I have roosts that are 6' high for guineas that some (most) of my hens insist upon using and they need close to 8' to get down. A few do use the ramp or hop down to a lower roost but most hem and haw for a bit before they go for it.

 

[aart]

Might take some time for them t gt used to it...
...or your one crasher can't see well maybe?

 

[AllenK RGV]

Hello! Well, we had a tall wooden arch thing that usually goes over your entry gate. We cut it down to about 2.5 or 3 feet tall so the chickens could use it in the run to sit on. Well, they love it and walk up there using the ladder I leaned against it. When the want to get down, they all look worried like they don't know what to do. It seems that the ladder is not for going down, just up. When I open the run door, five of them fly from their perch on the arch thingy out the door. The smallest one, I have seen looking super worried and she crashed into the door jamb trying to fly out.

They love to sit up there because it is in a bit of sun and on a rainy day, it is still dry and not breezy.
My question is: How high is too high to jump or fly down? Should we cut it to half the height? What do you think? Thank you!

I believe the answer to your question is how many pounds are your birds. Please look up a condition known as bumblefoot especially if your birds are larger than 4-5 pounds as they will have specialized roosting needs. Fortunately, mine are flighted so I do not need to stress regarding my roosting heigth(I hope time proves me right).

Best regards!

------editing------- Spelling

 

[aart]

Please look up a condition known as bumblefoot especially if your birds are larger than 4-5 pounds as they will have specialized roosting needs.

Naaaahhhh!

Remember that 'bumblefoot' has way more everything to do with an infected cut on foot ...not the height of roosts.

Tho if bird already has bumble foot, jumping down from high roost may cause discomfort.

Or if the bedding, or ground, bird is jumping down onto is especially sharp it may cause a cut that may get infected resulting in 'bumblefoot'.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Naaaahhhh!

Remember that 'bumblefoot' has way more everything to do with an infected cut on foot ...not the height of roosts.

Tho if bird already has bumble foot, jumping down from high roost may cause discomfort.

Or if the bedding, or ground, bird is jumping down onto is especially sharp it may cause a cut that may get infected resulting in 'bumblefoot'.

I have seen plenty of info on lowering roosts for the larger breeds to prevent trauma to the foot for the large breeds. Still my 2 cents cash it or save it.

 

[aart]

I have seen plenty of info on lowering roosts for the larger breeds to prevent trauma to the foot for the large breeds. Still my 2 cents cash it or save it.

True that larger birds can have a harder time navigating roosts,
wider and/or lower roosts and/or ramps definitely help....
....but to tie it directly to causing bumblefoot is misleading.