Adding Roost Bars to Amish Coops

[Olivess]

Hi. I've come to this site for awhile now for great information. But this is my first time posting.

I'm looking to hear from those of you with the "Amish/Quaker" design coops that have added additional roost bars. This past spring I added some chicks to my existing flock. But the older girls are refusing to share any of the existing roost space...despite the abundance of extra room.

I thought I should add some roosts to ease the tension. Also some of the younger girls have taken to sleeping on the coop roof to avoid then tension inside. This is not only creating a mess but will also become problematic come winter.

So I'm looking for ideas on where on the inside of these types of coops to add more bars. Below are some stock photos of the type of coop I'm referring to.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Rickba]

I cut some limbs off some fallen trees and screwed them into the coop. All birds love natural roost instead of cut lumber.

 

[Rickba]

 

[Olivess]

Thanks for the feedback. It hadn't occurred to me to just make a free-standing roost. I was concerned about adding something that would interfere with cleaning. But if its freestanding, I can easily remove it as needed.

 

[blackdog043]

How many chickens do you have in there? Instead of adding a roost, can you put a divider in the middle of the existing roost board? Making it like two separate roosts.

 

[Rickba]

This is a new coop I just built from recycled decking. Right now there are 8 chickens in there but I have 6 California Whites I will be putting in there also. Here is a pic of my hunting dog Emma, she's a Brittney Spaniel. My wife bought her as a surprise present for my when I got back from Afghanistan. That's my cat MeMe. If sit down she's on my lap. Next spring we plan to get some goats. I need to put the fencing up. Here's a bat I found in my wood burner when I went to clean it out for the winter. I just let it go outside. I wouldn't know how to keep a pet bat.

 

[Olivess]

How many chickens do you have in there? Instead of adding a roost, can you put a divider in the middle of the existing roost board? Making it like two separate roosts.

I've got 6 older girls and a roo. And then 6 young ladies. The coop is 4x6'.

The divider may work. Got any photos of a setup like that?

 

[aart]

These roosts in a 4x6 should be plenty of room for 6 birds.

 

[blackdog043]

I don't have any pictures of a divider, I read that some where, where they were having the same kind of problem. I would use a piece of plywood and attach it some how, to the roost boards.

 

[Wise Woman]

Hi. I've come to this site for awhile now for great information. But this is my first time posting.

I'm looking to hear from those of you with the "Amish/Quaker" design coops that have added additional roost bars. This past spring I added some chicks to my existing flock. But the older girls are refusing to share any of the existing roost space...despite the abundance of extra room.

I thought I should add some roosts to ease the tension. Also some of the younger girls have taken to sleeping on the coop roof to avoid then tension inside. This is not only creating a mess but will also become problematic come winter.

So I'm looking for ideas on where on the inside of these types of coops to add more bars. Below are some stock photos of the type of coop I'm referring to.

Thanks in advance!

Couldn't you add one on that 2 x 4 over the door? We are going to be building a coop similar to this one and I plan to put in an old picnic table bench in if I need an extra roost. That way it can be taken in and out as needed. It will sit in front of the lowest roost bar.