Need anti-roost ideas!

[TJAnonymous]

Last week we adopted 5 game hens who have decided they want to sleep in the barn instead of our coop with the big layers. I'm generally fine with this idea EXCEPT they have chosen a corner of the barn that is directly over my tack room. This means they are pooping all over my tack, feed table, and lots of other stuff. They are primarily using the electrical conduit as a roost but also the rafters on occasion. I don't mind if they use the rafters over the stalls or other parts of the barn.... Just not the tack area.

Anyone have any good ideas of ways I can discourage them from choosing this area of the barn to roost? I was thinking of maybe some kind of baffle over the conduit or spike strip along the top of the rafters might discourage them from roosting there. Any other ideas?

 

[aart]

Wire 'ceiling' attached to bottom of rafters.
Might have to move your outlet....or put a hole there for your access.

Why are they not in a coop?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Wire 'ceiling' attached to bottom of rafters.
Might have to move your outlet....or put a hole there for your access.

Why are they not in a coop?

Hubby says trying to block off the area with a wire ceiling would be too much of a PITA. He will cull them before doing that... I need to find a way to make that section of conduit unattractive to them....

They are not in the coop because they don't want anything to do with my other chickens which are easily twice their size. If I could even catch them to put them in the coop, they would just fly out of the run in the morning since the run isn't covered. They are generally safe in the barn so I just let them stay there. We do get stray cats around the barn and rats but that would be the only major threats

 

[aart]

Hubby says trying to block off the area with a wire ceiling would be too much of a PITA. He will cull them before doing that... I need to find a way to make that section of conduit unattractive to them....

They are not in the coop because they don't want anything to do with my other chickens which are easily twice their size. If I could even catch them to put them in the coop, they would just fly out of the run in the morning since the run isn't covered. They are generally safe in the barn so I just let them stay there. We do get stray cats around the barn and rats but that would be the only major threats

It would be a PITA.
Even if you deter them from the conduit, they'll just roost on those rafters.
Sounds like you need to cover your run.

 

[TJAnonymous]

It would be a PITA.
Even if you deter them from the conduit, they'll just roost on those rafters.
Sounds like you need to cover your run.

I have a plan for the rafters... I'm going to put a strip of nails pointed side up along the top of the rafters.

 

[aart]

I have a plan for the rafters... I'm going to put a strip of nails pointed side up along the top of the rafters.

That's a LOT of nails....wire ceiling would be easier.
Chicken wire and stapler would do the trick.

 

[wf1992]

Plastic bird netting or deer fence would probably work as well as chicken wire. I found it cheap on amazon, lightweight, no pokey wires, easy to cut and easy to rip down later.

Last summer I even strung 2 pieces on laundry line like a curtain, and the chickens didn't care enough to figure out they could just push thru it.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Last week we adopted 5 game hens who have decided they want to sleep in the barn instead of our coop with the big layers. I'm generally fine with this idea EXCEPT they have chosen a corner of the barn that is directly over my tack room. This means they are pooping all over my tack, feed table, and lots of other stuff. They are primarily using the electrical conduit as a roost but also the rafters on occasion. I don't mind if they use the rafters over the stalls or other parts of the barn.... Just not the tack area.

Anyone have any good ideas of ways I can discourage them from choosing this area of the barn to roost? I was thinking of maybe some kind of baffle over the conduit or spike strip along the top of the rafters might discourage them from roosting there. Any other ideas?

View attachment 2501634

This may be a totally dumb idea..
But perhaps some kind of motion activated toy place strategically on top of one of those rafters Of course that might scare them out of the barn all together, or they may eventually just get used to it.
I don't think I would opt for any kind of Spike strip you don't want them puncturing a hole in the bottom of their foot and getting a bumble.

 

[kcan2]

How about a tarp (or contractor's plastic) and some quick clamps to clamp the tarp around the bottom of the rafters? This may deter them from roosting there altogether, or at least they would then be pooping on the tarp instead of your tack.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NY956NU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_s-KdGbHR509XV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
this might deter some would be thieves as well.
Nah, I would go with the poultry netting or a tarp like the others have suggested.