wasted coop space

[pysankigirl]

so I built them a wonderful coop if I do say so myself. it has plenty of area....18 linear feet of roost (9 foot on each side) the roosts are about chest height, so about 5 feet off the ground with poop trays below filled with PDZ.

it is perfect. but not. somehow it is not what they want., they chose instead to roost on these 18 inch braces we used at the very tip top of the ceiling to brace the two roof sides together, literally only 18"on a side) triangles and they are fitting into those 3 deep.

and the rest huddle all squashed together on one side, with all kinds of open perch space available and unused.

I have somehow failed to design to their perching requirements.

 

[chickenbythesea]

nope.... that's just chickens for you. Mine do the same and it's perfectly natural for the to want to get to the highest position and then pile all together.

 

[chickengoober]

When I first started out, my chickens did the same as yours. They huddled on the floor without a second glance to the roost just above. At first I thought for some reason they could reach it, and so I added a half-way perch. Nothing. Then I though maybe they just needed a little boost, so each night I snuck in and set them up one by one on the roost. They refused and always just jumped back down. In the end it tuned out it was just too hot, my ventilation was set up so that the rising hot air was not escaping properly. An added window colser to their roost did the trick. The next nit they wasted no time jumping up and settling down for sleep.

 

[pysankigirl]

yeah, just frustrated. and amused. they are still young. I am amazed they can get up there. it is over my head!