Roosts - what NOT to do

Hi all,
I'm asking for help and offering up my mistake so others may avoid this. I placed the roosts in such a way that its a gauntlet for the girls to go through - up and down. The roosts have been this way since they started roosting over a year ago and just the other day I was up early enough to see the dismount. Ho, was I surprised! After much angst and trepidation 4 out of 10 are flying down from the 6' high roost. One hit the opposite wall! Everyone grazed something on the way down. The rest of the hens are crowded in one corner hoping they aren't hit by a chicken falling out of the sky! (kind of a twist on "the sky is falling" business) One day I wondered why they weren't crowed around the pop hole waiting for it to open - well it's at the end of the oh-so-short runway!

Some of the girls figured out that the best way down is reverse of the way up, but it's not intuitive for their little brains since they have to turn away from the way they want to go.

Here's my set up - I would very much appreciate advice as I'd like to build the best roost design we can figure out. I've read all the posts on roosts that I could find and have checked several times over the months - not realizing that meanwhile the girls are praying that I don't clip their wings.

This is looking thru a chicken wire wall - coop is in a corner of the barn. Initially that ridiculous 3' wide ladder was going to be roosts (after reading about predictors here at BYC I decide I wanted something higher).


The high roosts are set diagonally in the corner at 6' & 4' high with varying distance between them. So the poor chicken has to balance on this 2 1/2" branch and make it's way all the way to the right so it can jump down to the interim roost and the scootch all the way to left to jump down on the very edge of the ladder which is covered with poop since it's under the tall roost. Seems like I should have the most intelligent birds, doesn't it? Like owner like bird - nuff said!

Coop is 7' x 10' floor with 2 wire walls but we'll build structure if needed. The floor is fake concrete so easy to clean but I need an easy way to get under the new roosts. My thinking now is to have two roosts (2x3) at the same height so all the girls fit with ladders on each end (but the nest boxes are in the way, ugh). Possibly roosts that fold down (or up) for cleaning underneath.

Since we get some cold winters (lows in the teens, some single digits) seems like having the roosts up higher is good . . . ?
Should I spring for 2x4s instead of the 2x3s on hand? Currently I have RIR & Araucanas.
I'm considering dropping boards but can't figure out an easy way to get a poopy board in and out of the coop.
If I missed a post that addresses this would someone be so kind as to point me in the right direction?
Would love to see more pictures! I get ideas from all of them.

Sorry this is so long. Sincerely hope this helps some chickens ask Santa for something besides flight school!

 

Hi ddawn - yea, I don't want to regret using 2x3s. I'll see what others say.
The nest boxes have a sloped front to avoid roosting on them. So are you thinking move the nest boxes into the roost side so it runs under a roost? It'd be right in the poop side. I have a 2x8 on edge dividing the poopy half from the cleaner side. They don't wander into the poop a lot but I have thought of preventing that. Another question. * laugh *

Thanks!
Prairie Mary (aka Little Chicks on the Prairie)
(I'm trying to get my BYC name (Little Chicks on the Prairie) changed. It was cute when the little cheepers came in but now and it sounds sexist . . . in a not so good way)

 

wildorchid, Thanks for the picture . . interesting.

I wonder if we rearranged and ran it the long way if it would be enough room. 10' for 10 birds. Huh, and I thought our coop was plenty large when we framed it.

Communal nest box . . . now that's a thought. When the girls are on the same schedule 4 boxes for 10 birds aren't enough. Yesterday all four boxes were taken and there was two hens in one box - one on TOP of another. That's a first for me. Later an egg was on the floor outside the milk crate nest box that I put on the floor - evidently they like the penthouse nest boxes. * laugh *

If you don't mind me asking. So your communal nest box must be lower than the roost, right? Is it a tray of sorts like whats shown in the picture?

Prairie Mary