Put roosts on same level or stagger

[Belinda7]

Ok - thanks!

 

[stevodod]

I keep roosts all at one level. Every time I've ever checked on my chickens at night, not only were they all on the same roost, they were all bunched up together... "12 inches of roost per bird", my foot. I feel that if I gave them multiple levels, they would just all cram on to the highest one anyway. We're building a new coop right now, and my plan is to have one long roost, just high enough that it's higher than the nest boxes.

Yup, staggered heights will get you crowded birds on top and wasted space. The one I staggered below is the 'poop rod'....no one dares lower themselves!

 

[questions543]

At nine weeks, they will still sleep in a pile. Another month or so they may start wanting to get up off the ground. Ain't nothing you can really do, when they are ready, up they'll go. You say your roost is at three inches? You are going to want to raise that up a bit, like about three foot at least.
Jack

three feet?? I wouldn't put it that high. You could easily injusre a hen coming down from that if she doesn't have a good 6 feet in front of her to slowly come down.

 

[stevodod]

three feet?? I wouldn't put it that high. You could easily injusre a hen coming down from that if she doesn't have a good 6 feet in front of her to slowly come down.

I guess my 6' roosts are too dangerous then! LOL!

 

[JackE]

three feet?? I wouldn't put it that high. You could easily injusre a hen coming down from that if she doesn't have a good 6 feet in front of her to slowly come down.

Three feet is nothing. I have some real tubs out there, and they have been hopping on and off those roosts for years. They hop, flap right up onto the boards. Then they'll just hop off, they sure don't use or need a six foot runway.
Jack

 

[Belinda7]

Having read the "roosting controversy" I think I will leave the lower ones just a bit off the ground, but then add another one about 36 inches up since it is a small coop, as I think the advice about needing a bit of a landing strip is probably pretty good advice. They do free range and there are lots of small trees with small branches around, but thus far (9wk old chicks) none of them jump up there! I sense that Mother Nature knows best...so if I catch them going higher in the trees, I will mimic that.

 

[Belinda7]

PS - I know for sure that they can fly up at least 1 1/2 feet up to the porch by my study door...as they often come to check on me while at work on my computer....they stand by the door with their soft little chirps trying to entice me to come out and play with them...so I thought I would give them something to keep them busy for awhile so I could get my work done. But I suspect that due to the fact that I would then sometimes fill a ball with dehydrated meal worms in it for them to play in the yard... something to keep them busy...has perhaps backfired.....and instead has maybe reinforced rather than deterred that behavior to come chirp at my study door.....

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Exactly, now they come and chirp for you to refill that treat ball with mealworms

I only keep a flock of Silkies at present, and their roost is 18" off the ground. They don't fly so the have a "cinderblock step" to get up there. They all cram onto one little piece of the roost (a long 2x4 fat side up).

When I kept layers, the roost in my layer coop was 8 feet high. There were 2 roost boards at the same height. You guessed it- they'd all cram onto one little piece of it. My very large Cochins had no problems getting on and off that roost. They didn't have a 6 ft landing strip to get down either. Most of the birds in that coop would fly right out the door when I would open it (one hen made it her lifes work to try and use my head as a midway point no matter where I stood). One or two would wait until everyone else had flown out and use the poop board to get down.

I attempted staggered/ladder style roosts in that coop, but ended up changing it bc it just took up too much space. As others have said, do what best/easiest for you. The chickens will adapt

 

[Belinda7]

the heqad roost is hilarious!

 

[Belinda7]

I meant head roost!