Roosting area too high

[chickengumbo]

Good morning. I have an 8x10 coup with an 8' high ceiling. I put up nesting boxes and a roosting area BUT the chickens prefer to roost in the rafters. Fine with me, but when they try to get down, they land hard and often one will limp from the impact. I put up a ladder that they can hop to and climb down but they don't use it! I have another limper today and I'm worried about them! Any suggestions for what I can do?
Thanks

 

[sourland]

Any way you can block off the rafters? If not, I'd try deep, soft litter on the coop floor to cushion their landing.

 

[chickengumbo]

They like to sit right across the middle of the coop so it's too tight for them to drop into The coop itself. They fly straight out the door. But sometimes they Land on the door frame. Maybe I could shorten the door a little and put something squishy on the frame base... Do you think that would still be secure?

 

[3KillerBs]

Maybe you could staple chicken wire to the bottom of the rafters to block off their access without blocking off airflow to your upper ventilation?

 

[DobieLover]

Maybe you could staple chicken wire to the bottom of the rafters to block off their access without blocking off airflow to your upper ventilation?

Ding, ding, ding, ding! This is a winning solution and is what I was going to suggest.
Unless you have tiny bantams that can fly well or a gigantic coop where larger body birds have a huge area to swoop down on (think coming down from a tree), they should be prevented from roosting so high for the very reason you've mentioned.
Chickens do not hop down ladder rungs to get to the ground. They will go down ramps with cleats though. But only if it's easy to get to the head of it. Otherwise, they'll fly down.

 

[aart]

Ding, ding, ding, ding! This is a winning solution and is what I was going to suggest.

Ditto Dat!

 

[3KillerBs]

Ding, ding, ding, ding! This is a winning solution and is what I was going to suggest.

I remembered that advice being given before by other knowledgeable people so I repeated it.

 

[chickengumbo]

Awesome! Thank you