newbie needs help

[billyg2131]

i will be getting 15 large egg laying hens will my roost be enough for them if i only make it 1 2x4 8 ft long or do i need 2 and stagger them i was thinking that if i stagger they might fight for the top so i was gonna make the same height if i did two of them.also how high should i make the roost?

 

[captdad]

That would give them aprox. 1/2 feet each of roosting space if my math is some what accurate. I think that would be enough but for ours I have different levels and plenty of options and the hens choose their favorite spot so I'd go with the staggering just for the fun of it.
As far as I understand, the "Boss" chicken gets first pick and so on down to the last on the pecking order so I don't think that they fight per se as to where they will roost. Ours is 6 feet high with a ladder going up to it. The higher the safer for predators but in reality I am going to lower it because they have difficulty getting down. They aren't bright enough to use the ladder to go down but do a dive-bomb at the floor which makes me nervous due to the limited space I worry they'll get hurt.
Here's a nifty hint I read some where: If you live in a cold climate have the 2x4 on it's side so that the widest part is where the hens would perch so that their feet are flatter rather than curled over the sides. This enables them to essentially sit on their feet and keep them warm with their feathers to help prevent frost bite.
There's no right answer, really, just trial and error and learning from others ideas/experiences.

 

[billyg2131]

thank you very much thats why im asking for the help on here so many helpful people yes i was going to lay them flat. i heard that somewhere. you said u were gonna lower yours to what height?

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Not every chicken can have the top spot, they will fuss no matter what, but judging roosting space I notice my chickens take up more than one foot of space per bird. Roughly estimate pecking reach and that's how far apart they need to be. Some will be close to each others and some will not allow it. You can try different levels till the sort it out. The lower chickens will roost according to the status in the flock. Sometimes to have to experiment. Depending on the athelic ability of your chickens is how high you want your roost. 2 feet may be maximum for a heavy no flight layer..and even then may need a step,.mine would roost in the trees if I let them. As long as they have a way up, they will climb.