Two Questions RE: coop design. Coop and Covered Run

[LightedPrism]

Chicks don't roost on their own. They need to be taught by their mother to roost. Without a mother, they will eventually figure it out or you have to teach them.

i figure they will learn from Phoenix (the buff) who is roosting but so far they have barely shown interest. *shrug* figure prepare for the worse (them rarely roosting) to the best of them actually roosting.

and no, there Faverolles

 

[3KillerBs]

If you had hot wires around the setup, there would have been no damage. One pop to the nose and whatever did it would have turned tail and headed for high ground.

Yes. But this was in town with young children -- my own and the neighbors -- in the yard regularly. There will be hot wires on the new coop for sure. In fact, having learned how easy it is to install hot wire, DH is thinking of putting it on the outside of the board fence that surrounds the lot in hope of keeping the deer out of the orchard and garden.

So you think maybe using the cattle panels as a support? I was planing for support bars (wood) to be every 4 ft or so.

I don't have experience with cattle panels as support -- though it might work if the structure is strong enough to space the posts that far apart. I was just thinking of them as backer. Because that one day that the charger isn't working is the day that the predators will try the fence.

see the little jerkfaces have perches currently in their brooder, but with all but 1 not using it, i figured id prepare for it. =/ brats

Babies sleep in a pile instead of perching.

I've only brooded one batch myself, but in providing training perches suited to their size as they grew I found that a couple perched as soon as they had the opportunity but others stayed on the ground until they were about 4 months old. At this point, 22 weeks, they all perch.

 

[LightedPrism]

Because that one day that the charger isn't working is the day that the predators will try the fence.

Oh i know it. And that always seems to happen for my animals / family. Hence the other per cautions im doing =/ its something to think about with the panels and i wouldnt have thought of it before so thank you!

Babies sleep in a pile instead of perching.

I've only brooded one batch myself, but in providing training perches suited to their size as they grew I found that a couple perched as soon as they had the opportunity but others stayed on the ground until they were about 4 months old. At this point, 22 weeks, they all perch.

that definitely gives me hope. The plan with a few elevated beds sounds the best option, that way if they dont need them it would be easiest to take out of the plan / coop.

 

[DobieLover]

i figure they will learn from Phoenix (the buff) who is roosting but so far they have barely shown interest. *shrug* figure prepare for the worse (them rarely roosting) to the best of them actually roosting.

and no, there Faverolles

You want to discourage sleeping on the ground. That can cause their vent feathers to become encrusted in poop if they don't hold it for the night and to a "broody" poop when the become active in the morning. Roosting prevents this.
They roost. He and all of his daughters roost. He usually isn't roosted with one of his daughters stuffed under him, but still.

He does like to take the ramp up to the boards before jumping up on the roost. His daughters (all half SF) fly up.

 

[LightedPrism]

I though he was a sf! Hes in the coop picture you added.
so how does one go about discouraging sleeping on the floor?