Perch 6 feet off the ground?

[texas hiker]

My wife and I are getting ready to build a new chicken coop. While watching some youtube videos for ideas I saw this lady who had her perch around 5 - 6 feet off the ground. She had a ladder going up to the perch the chickens could jump up on.

Do you think 6 feet off the ground is a good idea?

Would this put the hens out of reach of minks/weasels and foxes?

If a chicken fell off the perch, would a 6 foot fall hurt the chicken?

My wife and I live in a rural area with lots of forest, coyotes, foxes,,,. Three sides of the property is bordered by a hunting lease.

Due to the predators in the area coop security is one of my main concerns. My cousin had her entire flock killed a few years ago by a fox. And her house is just 1/4 mile from where my house is.

The design I am working on is a pole barn with a peak height of 10 feet in the middle, and 8 feet on the sides.

 

[debid]

It puts them out of reach for non-climbing predators like foxes but there are plenty that climb well (skunks, for example). We have a thriving and varied predator population here and the best protection is a well-built coop with secure fencing. The problem with a high roost is that they tend to fly down. If you don't have enough open space for them to fly down, they can be injured hitting objects or the wall.

 

[Tanith BHH]

As debid already stated, it's unlikely to stop all predators.
I've heard that heavier breeds can also get damage to their legs from flying down from high perches, So if you're planning to get or already have heavy breeds, I would make the perches lower in any case.

 

[texas hiker]

As debid already stated, it's unlikely to stop all predators.
I've heard that heavier breeds can also get damage to their legs from flying down from high perches, So if you're planning to get or already have heavy breeds, I would make the perches lower in any case.

I have a couple of jersey giants currently in my flock, and I was considering getting a few more.

Maybe I need to stay with something more along a 4 foot tall perch?

 

[Time-Out]

If there's a ladder, it won't stop any predators. Your thought of going with a 4' perch because of the heavier breeds is a good idea. My perches are all 5' off the ground and my two heaviest birds (roos - father and son) aren't too keen on jumping down. The largest hens I have are Vorwerks and they love it. In fact, one prefers to lay her eggs up there... on the poop tray... in the poop...

 

[4 the Birds]

Your roosting bars will need to be in secured fenced areas away from predators. Not sure of your reasoning to have such a high perch. I would make your roosting bars around the 3 to 4 foot height with a ramp/ladder for them to walk up/down. The area below your bars will be bombarded with poop!

 

[cafarmgirl]

Yes, they can be injured from a fall from such a high roost. And they do occasionally fall off, especially when arguing over who gets to sleep where. As far as getting off the roost, some will use the ramp, some won't and will try to fly down. That can be very hard on the legs of some of the heavier laying breeds, especially as they get older. And no, a 6 foot high roost won't protect from any kind of predator. I would focus on making the coop itself predator proof. If you have a lot of potential predators you can run hot wire around your coop, it is a very good deterrent.