Will a chicken perch on the blocking between studs

[josiecoop]

I am building a new chicken house and want to leave the studs inside exposed. Since I installed blocking (the horizontal 2x4's in between the studs) I was wondering if the chickens will try and perch on these? Last thing I want is poop running down the sides of the walls because of them perching there. They will have adequate perches available. I just don't want them using my blocking instead! Any experiences or ideas?

 

[thebanthams]

My coop is like that. they will be all over the wall no matter where the go! . If you dont like it where they perch try putting something over it like feed bags for decorations or card boards etc.

 

[chfite]

If they perch on the blocking, it won't be for long. Once they are too large to sit comfortably on the 2x4 set against the wall, they will move on to something else.

Chris

 

[birdsss]

mine sit there sometimes. but only the birds that are 3 months old or younger. the bigger birds cant hardly fit there

 

[josiecoop]

That's what I was thinking. They may while they are young but not full grown. I'm planning on getting partridge cochins, so hopefully they'll end up too big to want to sit on my 2x4 blocking! Hear is a pic of my coop in progress. It will have pine rough cut board and batten and the run will be out to the right side of it. I will have to get more and better pics of it during it's progress.

 

[bgelber]

very nice!

 

[josiecoop]

Here's a pic of the pine siding going up.

 

[Azriel]

If they can get on them to roost they will, here is a photo of my roosts, there is plenty of room, but some are always on the beam that you can see above the roosts

 

[fisherlady]

If they perch on the blocking, it won't be for long. Once they are too large to sit comfortably on the 2x4 set against the wall, they will move on to something else.

Chris

mine sit there sometimes. but only the birds that are 3 months old or younger. the bigger birds cant hardly fit there

I would agree that they will quickly run out of room if they bother with them much at all... to reduce the attractiveness of them you can slope them slightly forward so they don't have a flat spot to even try to sit on.
Also, to deter them from trying them when they are little you can tape a piece of cardboard or material of some type between the studs about 10" or so above the blocking and drape the lower end out over the block. It won't look too attractive (depending on what material you use) for a couple of months, but you can then remove it after they are too big to roost there at all.

 

[josiecoop]

Good advice fisherlady!