Ribh's D'Coopage

[MaryJanet]

That's impressive MJ. What's even more impressive is that she was a "stranger hen" that understood you. You must be getting fluent in universal chicken language!

I know those hens quite well really because I look after them sometimes and I once gently washed the tooshi of the one who showed me where the lost hen was. Also, by then they had spent 20 minutes watching us look in all the other likely hiding spots so she may have already realised we were looking for her friend.

 

[Ribh]

Even with the Bantams the rule here is, no perches higher than jump height; that's around 250 to 350 millimeters. It's not the getting up that's a problem, it's the getting down. Even if one fits ladders and platforms I've found the chickens will just jump from perch to ground.
Jumping out of a tree is rather different. There is room to open their wings and glide/fly to the ground. If a chicken jumps out of the Magnolia tree here they tend to glide/fly a minimum of 4 meters along the horizontal axis, often more before landing. There are not many coops that give that much room.
These days Fat Bird favours the lower roost in the tribes coop. It's an easy jump to the floor.

That would have been handy information when we were building! Only my Campines will jump straight up rather than using the stairs & when I open the coop right up for summer they fly out. Everyone else uses the stairs.

 

[MaryJanet]

That would have been handy information when we were building! Only my Campines will jump straight up rather than using the stairs & when I open the coop right up for summer they fly out. Everyone else uses the stairs.

Yes! Shad's comment has me re-thinking my plans so that the coop door faces the longest stretch of open space in case someone decides to fly instead of walk.

 

[MaryJanet]

That would have been handy information when we were building! Only my Campines will jump straight up rather than using the stairs & when I open the coop right up for summer they fly out. Everyone else uses the stairs.

Strangely, although Mary's really big she also goes straight up and prefers to fly down.

 

[Ribh]

Strangely, although Mary's really big she also goes straight up and prefers to fly down.

Most of my big girls are now too heavy to do this. Suyin was the exception but extreme weight loss is not recommended.

 

[Ribh]

Yes! Shad's comment has me re-thinking my plans so that the coop door faces the longest stretch of open space in case someone decides to fly instead of walk.

My highest roost is about 3 feet off the floor. My air flow vent is directly above & behind it. All my girls want to roost there. Not only is it high, they can see out & I always have a row of curious heads if I'm stuffing round out there on dusk. I have video I haven't managed to post yet of what happens when a Campine stuffs round up there. It explains why Suyin always tried to nab a corner & the bantams hide under a much bigger body.

 

[Grammy60]

Good morning everyone hope your day is great!!

 

[RoyalChick]

Even with the Bantams the rule here is, no perches higher than jump height; that's around 250 to 350 millimeters. It's not the getting up that's a problem, it's the getting down. Even if one fits ladders and platforms I've found the chickens will just jump from perch to ground.
Jumping out of a tree is rather different. There is room to open their wings and glide/fly to the ground. If a chicken jumps out of the Magnolia tree here they tend to glide/fly a minimum of 4 meters along the horizontal axis, often more before landing. There are not many coops that give that much room.
These days Fat Bird favours the lower roost in the tribes coop. It's an easy jump to the floor.

Yikes. I thought I researched everything about coop design before building the Chicken Palace but now you have me worried.
The big roost is about 2' off the ground at the up-hill end and the floor drops away so it is about 4' off the ground at the down-hill end. They use the ladders to come down (and mostly to go up as well) except for the Little Princesses who tend to fly everywhere (I think just because they can).
They have about 5' horizontal space if they go straight off the high end or 14' if they go off the low end - but none of the grown ladies has ever shown the slightest inclination to jump down. It is almost like it is too high even to try it.
I wonder if I should try to lower it. Kind of a big job. Ugh.

 

[RoyalChick]

Just to share ~ because I can... My 2nd grand~daughter arrived about 6.30 this morning by emergency cesarean. Her name is Arielle, which means warrior of God. We will meet her tomorrow while we are on the mainland.

Congratulations!!!!

 

[RoyalChick]

Good Evening folks I'm 200 posts behind, can anyone catch me up with cliff notes? What's this about fire Jeannie? Looks like I missed B-days and Anniversaries. Belated wishes for those special days.

I didn't think I was behind but also seem to have been missing birthdays and anniversaries. I may be missing posts. Congratulations to anyone I missed!!