Is it ok for chickens to jump down from roosting bars or do they need some type of climbing 'ladder'?

[grannyhensdream]

Hmm. Ok thank you. I am very interested in this deep bedding dry version method. I will research it. I clean out every day so I am going through quite a bit of straw and pine shavings. My coop is a bit smaller than what we expected it to be for the chickens we have but they do have plenty of space to roost and a large run to move around. What kind of bedding do you use? (This is my first year raising chickens and I love it.) I have learned a lot in this first year and when Spring comes along I hope to make some changes. learn as ya go!

 

[TXchickmum]

It has been my experience that bantams do fine flying up and down, but large fowl do not because they can get bumblefoot. We had a large coop with roosts about 3.5 feet off of the ground, and plenty of pine shavings on the floor. After treating bumblefoot repeatedly, we lowered the roosts to about 20 inches off the ground. That took care of the issue. (We had a ladder, but they never used it much.)

 

[aart]

Ah! Ok thank you!

My coop is a bit smaller than what we expected it to be for the chickens we have but they do have plenty of space to roost

So do they have enough space to fly down?
Pics of coop interior would surely help here.

 

[jreardon1918]

Our coop is only 4'x8'. A few years ago we placed a 16" log in the coop. Some of the larger and older hens use the log as a midway point for getting up and down. It also provides clutter for hiding and a place to sit if one of the girls doe not want to go up to the roost. This picture is from a cleaning. Normally there would be 3-4" of pine shavings to soften the impact. And the poop boards were out for cleaning. The log is generally near the pop door which again gives enough clutter for the occasions when the girls are not getting along.

 

[saysfaa]

...What kind of bedding do you use?...

Right now it is mostly grass clippings from bagging the lawn when we mowed it, some maple leaves, some other things. Until I cleaned out the coop a month or so ago, it was mostly maple leaves raked off the lawn in the fall with lots of other things. Before that, it was somewhat more than half pine shavings.

There have been (or are) wood pellets marketed for wood stoves, sawdust, twigs, some bits of paper, debris from the lawn or garden or kitchen (stems, roots, branches, peels, cores, and such), pine needles, corn cobs from the corn on the cob we ate for dinner, coffee grounds. None of these things make up very much of the total. I would use more of any of them if I could get them for the right price.

When I started, I tried to approximate a forest floor. I still like a variety of textures to help it stay loose and maybe more interesting for the chickens. Really, I don't think they care much unless there might be edibles coming in with it,

 

[grannyhensdream]

THAT is very creative! Thank you so much. You've been really helpful!

 

[grannyhensdream]

It has been my experience that bantams do fine flying up and down, but large fowl do not because they can get bumblefoot. We had a large coop with roosts about 3.5 feet off of the ground, and plenty of pine shavings on the floor. After treating bumblefoot repeatedly, we lowered the roosts to about 20 inches off the ground. That took care of the issue. (We had a ladder, but they never used it much.)

Thanks so much! Great advice here on this site!!

 

[grannyhensdream]

So do they have enough space to fly down?
Pics of coop interior would surely help here.

I will take a picture and post it!

 

[AGeese]

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This is what mine have grown up with. It will be changing soon though as it's all temporary. They're heavy breeds and while they can catch some air I think this is just about the right for them as they will tend to bullie each other around when settling down for the night and sometimes knock eachother off the roost.

Aside note my youngest who the others don't allow on the roosts flies up on to a shelf in my garage. She's pretty secure up there.