Intermediate height roosts?

[Volvo Farmer]

Chicks will be 4 weeks old on Monday. They are outgrowing the brooding pen. I have stopped turning on the Eco-glow at night and the birds are all trying to roost on the highest broom stick in the roost. Will any of them roost on the stick that is 1" lower? No. They will cram on to the highest one, even though some won't fit.

Anyway, days are warm (70's). nights are cool (50's) , and they are spending all day long out in the run. We want to put them in the coop early next week but I have no roosts built yet. Permanent roosts will be 2x4s turned flat-side-up at about 3 feet, but I don't think these little guys will like that. Any tips as to dimensions and heights of roosts for the next month or two?

 

[debid]

My babies are sleeping at 3'. They used a cinder block and board I'd put in as extra protection on the pop door to get a boost up and then they flapped like crazy until they got up on that roost bar. I guess sleeping on the floor was no longer exciting enough. I have an age range of 5-8 weeks now. Once the pop door was secured, I added a second cinder block and ran a branch from the top hole in one to the top hole of the other. They do not sleep on it but that is providing a boost to a larger section of roost so they aren't all crammed onto one end near the block. OH, and a couple of them have taken to sleeping on the (even higher!) rafter supports. I don't think they'll even fit in there as adults but for now, they do. That's about 5' up. Young EEs can really fly!

ETA: I made the roost from a 3" diameter tree trunk. They like the bark -- good traction, I think. The low roost is de-barked and they slip and slide on it a bit but it's only temporary so I left it alone.

 

[off-grid hen]

I have nothing useful to add about your roosts, but I just wanted to say- nice solar panels in your avatar!

I WISH mine would use the roosts in the coop. I have tree branches in there, and the 6-week olds play and hang out on them all day, but sleep huddled in the corner at night.

 

[shareverwonder]

The other nigth I found one of my 3 month old hens roosting on the edge of the food dish. Strange girl.