Promise Acre: Our Journey

[Symphony]

The Coop looks great, but those roosts may be a tad high for some of your ladies. Usually 2 to 4 feet high is what I do for roost rails. Some of my bigger hens and roosters can't fly that high.

Oh and some will probably opt to roost in the nest boxes anyhow.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

The roost is a bit high and if you want your nest to stay cleaner, you might want to add in some that are more accessible. You have corner free---maybe take three or four 1x1s, cut them to varying lengths with the ends at 45 degrees or so, then attach them across the corners for a tapered roosting corner. When we moved our chickens in, or when we add in chickens, we make the nesting boxes unavailable for night roosting for a few weeks so that they do no sit in them and get all poo-happy on them I rarely have to clean off the nesting areas since the learn to use the roosting bars first.

Pic of how I did our corner like I described above. The birds love it.

 

[Bridgemoof]

I love the coop! They'll be in there in no time now. My chickens roost on very high roosts, but I also have lower ones so they can get up higher. They seem to enjoy the high roosts the best. I think yours will be fine.

Also congratulations on finally getting the sheep! I am anxious to follow their progress. Good luck with them!

 

[Southern by choice]

It's good to have different heights. Birds, generally, if given a choice will want to go high. It is the instinct of a bird. We have perches at different heights but the majority (about 125-ish) use the lower perches to hop up into our rafters and that is where they sleep. The rafters are about 7 ft high. Some just fly straight up some hop up(using lower perches). The lower perches are mostly used by my younger birds. When tiering the perches you want about 18" of distance (viewing from overhead)so when they get large they don't poop on the bird below them. Our turkeys will fly on to the top of our building and from there fly up into a tree beside the building. They are about 20 ft up. Chickens will adapt to the environment they are in, so whether high or low, they will adapt it's just more instinctual to go higher for the bird.
If you were to look in our coop you would only see about 30-ish birds, you'd never know there were 150-ish birds in there!
Our birds are pasture raised so they only go to the coop for night-night. Some stay out and sleep in the trees.

In our nursery building the perches are at 3 ft and 4 ft. and a few perch rails 6 inches off the ground for 3 week olds. They love it and it keeps them off the ground. Some at that age will use it some will sleep on the ground.
I poultry!

Enjoying your journal!

 

[promiseacres]

:bun : thumbsup :bun

CHICKENS are spending their first night in the coop! I'm one happy Mama!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

So where are the pics, momma? We need to see those chickies enjoying their new place.

 

[promiseacres]

Enjoying their coop! Found 2 hens in the nest boxes this am so making progress! As have found 2 eggs in the shavings so far. Poor Girls they so confused they're not attempting to get on the roosts so yes we are moving them down....yesterday morning we found them all in a pile sleeping on the floor....I think they'll adjust if not...oh well not really their fault since they were in the tank for so long.

Anyone have any tips to keep the shavings out of the feeder and waterer??

 

[purplequeenvt]

You'll have to raise the feeders and waterers off the ground more if you want to keep shavings out. I hang my feeder from the ceiling and I have a wooden stand for the water.

 

[Pearce Pastures]

That looks great! Your chickens look like they are loving it.

 

[promiseacres]

Halloween fun!