Roost Questions

[captionerlady]

I have two Orpingtons and two Australorps. I've heard people say the roosts should be lower for them but haven't really seen numbers how low/high is good for those heavier breeds if anyone could help out. Thanks.

 

[DIMBY]

I just lowered my roosts, as my girls have got older they're having a hard time getting up - and down was quite brutal. They are now about 20 inches above the floor and they seem to be quite happy. (was almost 40 inches) I think the bigger breeds like your Astros - better to be low than high.

 

[Chickengene]

I have two roosts made of 2x4s, one is higher than the other, so they don't need any fly space, they just hop to the lower one, and then hop to the ground. Most of my birds sleep on the high roost but a few sleep on the bottom--those lower in pecking order. There is one girl that is pretty high, but she always has slept in the same spot on the bottom since she was a baby so I guess it stuck as her position. I am building a new coop that will fit every bird on the top roost, since I know there are a few who'd like a spot but can't have one. Chickens prefer the highest spot they can (I caught one roosting on the heatlamp cord strung about five or six feet up) have so I recommend two high bars and one low one that they can use to jump down onto, and from there to the ground.

How far apart and how much higher is each roost?
I put in three roosts with the firstrst being 16 to 18" AFF and the next two are spaced 10" higher and 10 to 12" apart. All my birds sleep on the top roost and dive off landing, seemingly hard, on the floor.

 

[cavemanrich]

dive off landing, seemingly hard, on the floor.

Not a good thing with hard landings. 2 things you can do,,,,
Remove top roost, so jump is lower.
Have sufficient cushion on floor like plenty of hay, or whatever you use.

 

[Chickengene]

Not a good thing with hard landings. 2 things you can do,,,,
Remove top roost, so jump is lower.
Have sufficient cushion on floor like plenty of hay, or whatever you use.

Yeah, thanks. Getting ready to add my new birds to the coop, so I am planning to drop each by six inches.
The coop itself sits 24 inches high.
Although i do maintain 6 to 8 inches of chips, it seems for two of the smaller of the five, the landing strip is too short. At least one, I have noticed, just bareilly catches the end of the coop floor before going all cockeyed and smacking into the feeder hanging in the run, anitano 42 inches.
I know I need to fix it. Lol. But I am already going to miss the antics.

 

[cavemanrich]

I know I need to fix it. Lol. But I am already going to miss the antics.

Hard landings can cause some troublesome issues.
Not dealing with injuries outweigh the amusement factor.

 

[Chickengene]

So far no inju

Hard landings can cause some troublesome issues.
Not dealing with injuries outweigh the amusement factor.

So far no injuries, just comedy.
I think if I just leave the door to the coop open they land better. Apparently the longer the landing strip the better they land. Lol
The other night I had a late evening appointment and tried to put them away early. Two of them were nowhere to be found and ignored my calls.
Found them around midnight, on top of the coop. In the morning I went out and they glided down to me like professionals.

 

[cavemanrich]

In the morning I went out and they glided down to me like professionals.

That is the key,,,,,,,,,,,, They glided down with plenty of horizontal travel.. By keeping the coop Entrance Door open, they glide with longer horizontal travel.
When in limited floor square footage, and high altitude, chickens are not able to helicopter down very well.