Roost Issues

[21hens-incharge]

I have windows at roost level. They get opened in the spring and stay open all summer. I close them when the snow starts.
Mine all want the roost closest to the windows.

When mine are open there is very little actual solid wall. There are 11 windows and the smaller ones are 2' wide by 20 inches tall. The big windows are 2' wide by 3' tall.

They welcome the cooler air in summer.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I keep seeing they like to roost near a window. We were thinking to keep our roost away from the window so when they sleep during the summer and it open they will not be in a drafty place and we can keep the windows open at night to keep it cool. Does a draft in the summer not matter its more winter time?

My roost are away from the window to avoid drafts and any rain coming in if they are open. A breeze in the summer is nice, but a draft in the winter is not. If possible locate roosts away from Windows, some cannot.

 

[Kitana724]

Ok I reworked the roosts this morning. Hopefully this will work better, plus it seems much more convenient for me to clean. Now if I can just get them to figure out the ramp...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Took mine a while to figure how to use a ramp too, but now it's like a highway. Though my ramp leads up on top of a pen roof where there's roosts up there that now are used by some of my more adventurous birds that want to roost high.

 

[MigraineMan]

We used a hunk of 2x10 as the ramp base, with 1x2 cleats every 6". The chickens don't seem to look where they step. They might be having issues with the open-ness of the ramp. (Give it some time ... chickens are remarkably opposed to anything "new" in their environment.)