Roost layout question

[McKinneyMike]

OK I am debating whether to make a roost rack with two roost bars spaced 12" apart at the same height or would it better to stagger the height with the higher one in back (12" difference in height, 12" spacing between the bars front to back). Is 12" apart enough space between them to hopefully keep them from crapping on each other and to make them comfortable too? Sorry for all the rookie questions. Just trying to do this with some knowledge. My bars will be 6'-8' long with a poop board under the bars. Total number of birds will be 12 at the most at any one time.

 

[Weasleymum]

What I've read is that it's better to have the roosts all the same height, because the chickens will fight for dominance and all want to roost on the higher one. That said, I've seen dozens of pictures here that show staggered roosts, and they seem to function just fine. The coop that I'm building is 6 feet by 4 feet, and I'm just going to stretch a single roost across the length of it.

 

[McKinneyMike]

I might just run a single roost bar along two of the walls at the same height to make them all the same. Birds are so much like people the more that I learn about their habits and temperaments.

 

[bdjh]

My coop is 4x7-ish and I originally put in two roosting bars at the far end of the coop, beside a window, staggered about a foot apart, and the one closest to the wall about 6 inches higher than the other.

That seemed to work fine, and they do use them, though mostly after they've woken up, and are waiting to be let out into the run.

For sleeping, though, one of them must have looked up and saw all the roof rafter beams and thought they would make perfect sleeping spots......so that's where they all go now....they use the orignal roosting bars as a 'ladder', then jump up the remaining 3 feet or so to the rafters.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I might just run a single roost bar along two of the walls at the same height to make them all the same.  Birds are so much like people the more that I learn about their habits and temperaments.

That's the best way. If you put both perches on the same wall it will only cause problems between the birds on the different perches. The lowest pecking order birds will get the lower perch, but that's not good enough for the top chickens. They will jump down to the lower perch and kick those birds off. At least mine do.

 

[scooter147]

Same height roosts do help prevent roost "fighting". Once I leveled by roosts bedtime has been a lot more peaceful in the coop.

 

[jgarner1327]

Same height roosts do help prevent roost "fighting". Once I leveled by roosts bedtime has been a lot more peaceful in the coop.

How high are the roosts?