Need help on designing perches/roosting area for large standard hens

Hey, BYCers!

I'm in need of advice on how large to make perches/roosting areas/pieces of wood for large hens. Let me know what you use -- how large or big around are your pieces of wood? How far off the bottom of the coop is the lowest perch? WHat spacing do you use between perches?

I have 20 standard hens and some (orps) are really big. The system we use is 1.5 inch diameter wood curtain rods that are screwed to 2x4s. The hens have to hop up about 12 inches to get to the lower level and another 12 inches again to the upper level. Are these too high? Spaced too far? Are the perches to small in diameter?

Just seems like the big hens wobble and are not totally comfortable with the jostling that takes place as everyone finds their spot - and are hesitant to get down in the am.

We've added a side ladder to ease getting onto the lowest level and back down, and have replaced 1/2 of the perches with flat pieces of wood that are 2.5 inches front to back - and I want to see if there is anything else I can do to make it feel more stable to the big gals.

Than ks in advance for any help/pics you might provide!

 

Thanks so much, everyone! Has anyone had a problem with splintering of pine boards (e.g., 2x4)?

We will replace out board so that they are 2 x 4s.

But will that be enough?

I think one of our problems is that we have a long but narrow coop - it is 8' wide and only 30" front to back --and we placed our perches/roosts the long way -they run the length of the pen (with a supporting board in the middle) and the top and lower ones are placed front to back - and I think the problem is that the hens don't have enough room to "fly" off - they have to hop off carefully to avoid hitting the back wall of the coop.

So my DH and I are thinking that we need to redo the perches are oriented to run from front to back - (30"long) and have them step up from the center of the coop -- that way they would have more room to jump down...

(the hens have a 10x10 covered run and a 20x50 fenced in run - and the coop is in the middle of the 2 - and we live in a warm climate - so the hens will only be using the coop for roosting and laying eggs... )

Hey - thanks again for all the help, everyone!!!! You're the best!!!!

 

ps - Seminolewind - thanks so much!!! and tackyrama - FABULOUS coop! And the pic of your roosts helped so much!