The best roosts ever!

[lexa]

I want to make my girls some awesome high roost spots where they will feel safe and comfy. Would some of you who have high roosting areas please post pics of your roosts so I can get an idea of how to arrange mine? I'm going to have a very high roosting area that will be long and narrow. The coop is going to be a total of 24 feet (okay only 20, 4 feet is for storage) long and 8 wide but the roosts will only be in the back 4 feet (the coop will be 14 feet at the back). What I'm having trouble figuring out is how I can arrange the ladders and roosts so there is the maximum roosting space without the ladders getting in my way? I think I need a ladder on each side, but do I need one in the middle since the roosts will be so long?

 

[countrygirl4513]

just make sure you stagger them so they don't poop on the ones below on the next rung.

 

[lexa]

Thanks. I thought of that. I was thinking of having three long poles running the whole length of the coop, each a little lower and in front of the last. It should give them plenty of space (60 feet of roosting bars) and will keep any one from sleeping directly above anyone else! That way they will all be up near the highest point where nobody can reach them and they'll feel safe.

I just don't know how to make good compact ladders for them to get up that high!

 

[Poison Ivy]

My roosts are around 7/8 feet long. And are about 6 ft tall.

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

My limited experience so far is that they all want to be on the top roost. Since the ones lower on the pecking order always have to take lower rungs, when I design a coop or tractor from now on, they are all going to be on "equal footing"-one roost for everybody.

 

[lexa]

Thanks!

Poison Ivy - That looks great! How far out from the wall does your setup reach? I guess the real question is, how much horizontal room does there need to be between each successive roost?

homesteader - I've noticed that from how they roost in the trees

It seems everyone wants to be up as high as possible! I figured that if they're all up in the top of the coop under the pitched roof, they'd all be about the same distance from the ceiling, even if some were a little higher than others - they'll manage!

 

[2mnypets]

Our roosts are not the greatest, but they seem to enjoy them. When I go to open their windows and ramp/door every morning, I find them all on it. You'd think these roosts were prime pieces of real estate.

Outside roost in enclosed run

Inside roost in coop

 

[MissPrissy]

My roosts run along the back wall and are all in a single file line above the nesting boxes.

 

[Corey NC]

This is mine, I have about 20 chickens that sit on it and some how almost all of them sit on the top roost. I have wire on the bottom and then there is a draw that pulls out for cleaning and I only need to clean it once every4-5 months. I love it.

 

[chknman79]

MissPrissy, I really like that design of roost. I am finishing my coop up and am going to build my roosts tonight. I do have one question, how do they get up to the roosts. You got a "ladder" at one end or do they just fly to the nests then to the roost bars?