Roost design

[Liz Birdlover]

Dont ya love when you catch yourself making recommedations to the hens. And they never listen.

I think they hear us, & they like when we talk to them, but being independent little souls, they have their own way

 

[3KillerBs]

Do they take a bath before bed? How come no one climbs up on the roost with mucky feet?

Plenty of nice dry bedding in the coop for them to walk across on their way in -- automatically cleaning their feet.

 

[RooRoosMama]

I thought roosts shouldn't be more than 18 inches off the ground to prevent injuries from jumping from high heights. I'm just curious if that was right or not.

 

[3KillerBs]

I thought roosts shouldn't be more than 18 inches off the ground to prevent injuries from jumping from high heights. I'm just curious if that was right or not.

That's often recommended for people with especially large, heavy breeds -- Brahmas and Jersey Giants in particular.

IMO, it's more important to make sure that there is enough horizontal distance for them to fly up and down without crashing into anything. They fly at roughly a 45-degree angle.

When I had a Brahma, who was too heavy to fly, I gave her a ramp to get up and down to the nests and the perch.

I figure that if I give them flying space, a ramp, and plenty of bedding then I can safely accommodate my arthritis and cull any birds who aren't able to thrive in my management system.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Plenty of nice dry bedding in the coop for them to walk across on their way in -- automatically cleaning their feet.

What type of bedding? Do you have a pic of your interior? Something is very different if they never have mucky/pine shavings on their feet...

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I thought roosts shouldn't be more than 18 inches off the ground to prevent injuries from jumping from high heights. I'm just curious if that was right or not.

I lowered everything and stopped putting shavings on the landing spots to reduce bumblefoot as I suspect it was splinters causing them. Maybe a coincidence but since then only one bumble in 2+ yrs. All my girls had bumblefoot when they arrived from the breeder.

 

[RooRoosMama]

You sounds like a fantastic chicken mama! I have been dealing with bumblefoot on my big guy for months. Those poor babies to all come with it. So glad they went to you and got all fixed up I'm a newbie lol I got our chickens April 1st unexpectedly and I tell ya I have never researched poop so much in my life lmao! I was so worried I was going to do something wrong and they wouldn't survive.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

You sounds like a fantastic chicken mama! I have been dealing with bumblefoot on my big guy for months. Those poor babies to all come with it. So glad they went to you and got all fixed up I'm a newbie lol I got our chickens April 1st unexpectedly and I tell ya I have never researched poop so much in my life lmao! I was so worried I was going to do something wrong and they wouldn't survive.

poor dear, yes, somehow it is a lot like being made a foster mother of pre-verbal babies who have lived one of those Sunday-Night-Cry-Your-Eyes-Out-Movies kind of lives before coming to you.

On the bright side, and no one tells you this, many Bumbles self-heal, so your real goal is to help their immune system heal itself before the infection spreads. It is (in its simplest explanation) an infected splinter on a foot. You want to get rid of the bumble (splinter) and help heal the infection. I had one that the bumble got so out of hand it went THROUGH the foot and came out the other side. It was like an arrow that goes all the way through to the other side. I was SCARED, but when I got over my own fear my girl and I got it out of her foot and she healed. (lots of care on the wound mind you). Your first bumble is the worst. (and your patient is likely new to it too, and not thrilled to be your test-subject). Years later that little girl is great, spoiled ROTTEN (she had scrambled egg with warm mash this morning and is now preening her brand new feathers as she just had the WORST molt I have ever seen.) I posted pictures of her bumblefoot plug with the initial post.

 

[RooRoosMama]

Aawww I just pictured how upset they must have been before coming to you. My boy Roo still has a hard lump in his foot but no blackened scab, and I've been treating it with topical antibacterial ointment that my amazing pharmacist gave me, he delivers our meds so he's met my chickens and is so chill with them and helps any way he can. His leg seems to be doing better slowly but I'm worried he has injured the leg higher like his hip or something. He is spoiled and stubborn (like his mom lmao!) I just want to get him healthy and happy again because when he's in pain he bites us. I know it's the pain because he doesn't normally but my 2 teenage daughters are not a fan of the chickens, especially the fact that he lives inside with us. Man, I could ramble about my Roo for days lol

 

[dusta]

With my bantams I had poles for roosts. Up high there were 2x4s stored. They preferred the 2x4s.

Here in NM I have steel buildings.
The ducks have one and the chickens will have the other.
But then I am ordering a barnyard special so how do I know what I will get? It is off the ground ,heavy steel, and I will put peat moss on the floor . Build hardware cloth screen doors to go inside. It gets cold or cool here at night summer or winter. So I will need to shut the doors at night probably.
The ducks do not want their door shut.