perches/ stoops

[planker]

i am new to this, just moved my (5) 6 week old chickens to the coop.

i have two roosts and they all use them, made of 1.5 dia. dowels. but they also like to sleep up high on ledges inside the coop.

is this bad? why? how should i block the ledges if it is bad...

thanks for any advice,

great site!

 

[ccrecelius]

I have no advice, as I am new to chicken-ownership! I just wanted to welcome you! This is a wonderful site with wonderful people.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

We used a 2x6 as a perch once the chicks started feathering out-- then once out of their big-box and into the temporary coop , we gave them a free-standing pool ladder...and they LOVE it!
We are building a regular roost out of 2x4's (it gets real cold here) now that we have the big coop functioning!!!

 

[pkeeler]

have two roosts and they all use them, made of 1.5 dia. dowels. but they also like to sleep up high on ledges inside the coop.

is this bad? why? how should i block the ledges if it is bad...

I don't know how bad it is. You certainly don't want them pooping on the chickens below them or up in the eaves. I would try running wire across. That should prevent them from landing.​

 

[scooter147]

Planker

With the chickens roosting on ledges.

What type of chickens are they?

You really don't want heavy breeds roosting this high. When they roost in these types of places they generally just fly right to the floor in the morning. Although I have a ladder style roosts some of my heavy breeds fly down from the top rung instead of hopping down the ladder rungs.

The reason is that it can cause bumble foot. This basically and infection in the pad of the foot. It is painful for the bird and can cause lamness and hard to cure.

If they are young and grow and gain more weight the problem may cure itself in that they will be to heavy to get up into the eaves. I would probably place wire in the eaves to prevent roosting in the meantime.

I have old kitchen cabinets on the one side of my coop that are about seven feet high at the top. My bantams roost on these every night. They have no problems flying that high and when they fly down they are much lighter and land with much less force than a heavy breed would. I have never had bumble foot problems with my bantams just the heavy breeds.

 

[JeninMN]

dumb question...how heavy is a "heavy breed"...I have buff orps...highest roost is about 6 ft tall...has a shelf under that and also has a 2x4 ladder that goes up to that highest roost...they have flown down from that 6 ft roost...sometimes gracefully and sometimes not so gracefully but they aren't even used to being up on the roosts yet either...still working with them on this....some of them use the ladder but some are jumping/flying down..is this bad???

we made all our roosts out of 2x4's...it gets COLD here

 

[scooter147]

JeninMN

The 2x4 flat side up is perfect especially for cold weather climate.

How old are your birds? If they are young as they age they generally become less aggressive with the flying off the top roost and use the ladder.

I would consider a Buff Orp. a heavy breed.

My highest roost is about 6 feet as well and the lowest is 30 inches from the ground with a total of 5 roost boards. I actually used a "form" I bought at Lowes for human stairs and this is what I use for roosts. I nailed one to each side of the coop wall and then nailed my 2x4's accross that.

I have Buff Orp, Silver and Golden laced wynodottes, Blk Aust. plus a number of other breeds I would consider "light" weight breeds.
All my heavies use the roost bar in front of me to get to the next lowest bar and then, of course, jump down from the lowest one.

My "light" weights all seem to just leap from where they slept.

With my system bumble foot is a rare occurance with my chickens. The occasion it does show I figure was going to happen anyway with or without high roosts.

Make sure to keep all sharp objects out of the coop and run. Bumble foot is actually a staph infection and enters the pad of the foot through small cuts and abrasions.

 

[JeninMN]

So you think ours is ok then from the sounds of it? We use pine bedding...I have it pretty thick under the roosts so that if they do fly down they have that to land on...we don't keep anything sharp at all in there...whatever we go in there with comes right back out with us so they dont' get into anything...I will take a pic of the set up and post it...

 

[scooter147]

Jeninmn

It sounds like they are still young and they should be fine.

I will bet that once they get a little older, wiser and heavier they will start using the ladder.

Like I said my heavy breeds take the path of least resistance and always hop to the next roost pole before jumping off the lowest one.

 

[JeninMN]

They are 17 weeks old...the steps are 15 inches apart..do you think that is ok?