A frame chicken tractor...

[joskt0204]

I love my chicken coop/tractor, but it doesn't have roosts. The chickens have been sleeping in their nest boxes all along, which means a lot of cleaning, but it hasn't bothered me.....until now, when I'm expecting them to start laying. I can lock them in the tractor but pull up the ramp for a few days to teach them to use roosts, right? How would you install them?

They free range from about 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., so they aren't locked in the small space long.

 

[FriendlyFlyer]

I would put a pole or two inside of the tractor or on the bottom. If you put poles in there they will roost on them! They don't need training! I'm not sure how it would work with a coop that small but if you CAN make it work, they will love it!

 

[CarolynF]

The roost needs to be higher than the top of the nest boxes or they'll choose to sit in/on the nest boxes. My coop is small so we installed the perch diagonally. We used a 2x4 installed such that they sit on the 4" side. Some people use a 2x3, too. Since your tractor is pretty long, maybe 2 will fit in? Sometimes they are a little slow to adapt to the new "furniture". If so, just go out after dark and set them on the perch. They'll get the idea in a day or two.

 

[joskt0204]

The nest boxes are up top, where there's no room to add a roost. I was thinking of just putting a dowel rod through the bottom of the run space. They aren't using the run anymore, since they are out from when they wake up until the come in, ready to go to sleep. I have four 20 week old pullets, so it's not too crowded.

 

[CarolynF]

hmmm... Having a roost outdoors will probably only get used when they are outside. In the evening they're probably going to head indoors and sleep in the nest boxes. But there's nothing wrong with giving it a try. Maybe it'll work and your problem will be solved.

4 pullets.... you really only need 1 nest box, would that leave room for roost(s)? What are the dimensions?