Perch Clearance

[Ole rooster]

The way mine roost I would say for 4, and only 4, 35 inches will work. They need a little room to move around to get themselves in place, but the entire area won't be use to roost. But 4's the limit.

 

[DazeGoneBy]

I just got back from a talk on coops and first aid by a local expert. She advises that the roosts be low, no higher than your waist. She said the area to fly down should be twice as long as it is tall. The birds have got to have clearance and area to get up and down...otherwise, they'll be trying to fly up/down and hit the wall (get injured) land hard (get bumblefoot).
From what I see, you have put an obstacle in their way to fly up/down by adding that second roost, and it doesn't sound like they have the room to fly down, even if you took the second roost down. Stair-stepping the roosts is your solution. That gives them a way up and down, and additional roost space (the alphas will take the top-most roost, the lower on the totem pole will roost below them). If they are staggered, they won't poop on each other, either!

 

[Ole rooster]

That's why I have a ladder for the hens to use. Most use it but a few prefer to fly up there.

 

[ChickEngineer]

I violated the 4 ft. rule also. Meant to be 3 ft. for my 4 hens. They seem to like the top roost, only occasionally do I see signs one has used the bottom roost.
I did adjust the top up, will have to check the new dimensions.

Checked the dimensions this morning, perches are 30" wide, top perch is 35" from floor & 10" from rear wall, bottom perch is 25" from floor & 20" from the wall.
I too covered the wall & floor with vinyl flooring and 2" of shavings. So far the girls have not "hit the wall" yet. I use the plastic tray and cover with newspaper. Goes in the compost bin, what a snap to cleanup!

 

[kichohana]

I have 2 roosts, ladder-like. The top one is about 8" from the wall. Sometimes they're beaks to the wall, sometimes they're butts to the wall - depends upon their little chicken-brain moods. Yes it gets pooped on, but it's also covered in vinyl (flooring), but it's also my clean-out door and gets scraped off like the poop board. The roosts are 2x4's turned wide side up. They are about 3' long. I currently only have 3 hens. Sometimes they're all up on the upper roost, sometimes only 2 of them, with girl #3 on the lower roost - pecking order ya know!

 

[kichohana]

Quote:
like what you've done with the place! My set-up is similar!

 

[bobchristenson]

Checked the dimensions this morning, perches are 30" wide, top perch is 35" from floor & 10" from rear wall, bottom perch is 25" from floor & 20" from the wall.

This gives me some hope. Your roosts are close to the wall (like mine would be), thanks for everyone's great info. I'm considering a "t-shaped" roost and pending that idea I'll see what to do next.​