Do Your Chickens Fly Up to Rafters???

[SandyK]

We are finishing up the inside of our new coop now, and I'm wondering if the chickens will be able to fly up to the rafters. The walls are 8 ft., so the rafters would be 8 ft high. Do you think they will try and get up there to roost?

Thanks,
Sandy

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Absolutely.

 

[cfdf]

YEPPERS! They sure can. Funny thing...one night I went out to lock up my chickens...it was just getting dark. I started my head count...1..2...3..4...5...? Huh? Where are my other chickens. Looked in the run...? Nope....looked outside..did they get out?...nope? head count... 1...2...3...4...5...? Check the fence for holes.....nope....where are my chickens?...went back inside for another head count....heard something above my head....1..2..3..4..5...6...7...8...9...10...11 WHEW!! They had gotten big enough to roost in the rafters...My heart was pounding until I found them. Never a dull moment when you have chickens. Best of luck to you and yours!

 

[rcentner]

I once read a scientific study done on roost height and chicken preference...the higher, the better. If they can find a way to a rafter, then they will roost there!

 

[SandyK]

Ok,.....so what do you all do, put chicken wire on the rafters to keep them off?

Thanks for all the help here.

Sandy

 

[cfdf]

Nope! I just put a tall ladder up to help them out so they don't hurt themselves getting down. Worked like a charm. Oh and we also added a 2 x 4, with the wide side flat so they can roost on it, board across the rafter. They love it. Is there a reason you don't want them in the rafters?

 

[kateseidel]

Um...yeah - I have big hens and little spaces for my rafters and they are the Number 1 spot on the henley hit parade. I am not sure how they get their bulk up there, but they jump from roost to roost to get to the rafters first, and then they take the 2 x 4 next, then the all natural branch perch. The girls were about 18 weeks old here - I've got to get another pic of them roosting here - they are much bigger and cannot fit more than 2 on a rafter now.

 

[woodmort]

Yes, the problem is one half of my coop has an insulated, covered ceiling so when I went to using the full coop they were getting above the ceiling and hiding eggs up there. I just cover the ceiling on the open side with cardboard to keep them below it.

 

[Illia]

Yes indeed - Our cockerels have a separate building from the hens and pullets, but its rafters are over 10 feet up. . . They still find a way to sleep up there, even if it takes flying 7 feet up.

 

[SandyK]

Well, I guess they can sleep up here if they like. Just don't want them to hurt themselves coming down. I know my fluffy butt Cochins won't make it that high. We'll have to put some chicken wire across the rafter to the storage side to keep them on theirs.

We are putting in a gable fan, so maybe that will give them a breeze if it is hot.