Window roost bar?

[Ragfrey]

Louisiana- hot
future 12 hens
8x8 coop- sand floor
16x24 run- sand floor
Windows on east/west wall- 21x34
- north side wall- window on floor 21x37
- south wall- nest box with screen vents on top.

It’s really hot here.
Initially, I had learned to not put roost over 2’ tall to decrease % of leg/foot injuries such as bumble foot and slipped tendons, but then I read that a lot of folks are putting roost in front of windows so hens can see out and catch the wind draft. If I do that, then my roost bar will be 51” tall.

I really want to put roost bars in front of windows but don’t want my ladies to hurt themselves.

Your thoughts?

Also…how far to put roost bar from window/wall? 12”?

North side



North side



West side- east side is identical.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What breeds are they? The larger they are the more you need to worry about that. How do you plan to feed them? If you are going to cram as much protein in them as you can so they grow large for their breed you have more cause to worry. People that raise birds for show feed them well so they grow large and have more cause to worry about this. If you are growing CX or Rangers for meat you need to be really careful but they aren't going to be up there anyway.

I feed my chicks an 18% protein feed when they are 4 weeks old or younger. After that they get 16% protein feed plus forage for a lot of their food. Mine are a mix of Sussex, Australorp, Delaware, Rocks, sizes like that. I have no problems with them flying up to and down from my 60" high roosts. They have a lot of clear space to land without banging into nests, feeders, waterers, walls, things like that, which I consider also important.

Some people do have a legitimate concern about them hurting themselves hopping down, especially people with birds large for the breed. I'm not talking about fat, I'm talking about large.

 

[3KillerBs]

Roost height depends on your breed, how much room they have to fly up and down, and whether or not you provide some accessory help such as lower roosts or other items to use as steps, ramps, etc. for them to hop up and down. I had a Brahma who had to use a ramp because her wing-assisted hop couldn't clear more than about 18". I have a California White who flies up to a perch in the roof structure that's about 14 feet off the ground -- though I think she flies up onto the sloped roof and walks the rest of the way up.

In a hot climate it's good to maximize ventilation. I strongly recommend an Open Air style coop with plenty of airflow.

Hot Climate Chicken Housing and Care

Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation

 

[Ragfrey]

These are the chosen warriors:

Black Copper Maran
Welsummer
Buckeye
Spec Sussex
Blue laced Wyandotte
Golden laced Wyandotte
Silver laced Wyandotte
Starlight green Egger
Blue Andalusian
Easter Egger
Prairie blue Egger

Thank you for your replies!

 

[3KillerBs]

These are the chosen warriors:

Black Copper Maran
Welsummer
Buckeye
Spec Sussex
Blue laced Wyandotte
Golden laced Wyandotte
Silver laced Wyandotte
Starlight green Egger
Blue Andalusian
Easter Egger
Prairie blue Egger

Thank you for your replies!

So you've got a range of builds and likely flight capabilities. The Andalusian and the various eggers are more likely to be able to fly than the heavier breeds (though I had two SLWs roosting in a cross-brace a foot over my head for months after they reached full size).

Put your roost at a height that's convenient for you (and higher than your nests), and add a few launching points to help the heavier ones get up and down and you should be good.

As a *general* rule, chickens fly up or down at about a 45-degree angle so they need as much horizontal space from the roost to the wall as the height from the roost to the ground plus a little room to land.