Perch height

[Justindelong]

I am just curious what a good height is for my chickens perches

 

[aart]

Much can depend on the layout of your coop.
Dimensions and pics(inside and out) of coop would help immensely here.

But in general, as low as possible.
Here's some tips about heights:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/

 

[NatJ]

I am just curious what a good height is for my chickens perches

There are good reasons for just about any height. Here are things I would consider:

Higher than the nestboxes, because chickens like to sleep on the highest available thing, and you don't want them sleeping (and pooping!) in the nestboxes.

If you want them to use the space underneath during the day, then at least a few inches above their heads when they stand up. So maybe 2 feet or higher.

Not too high for you to reach, so probably below 8 feet. (Easiest way to catch a chicken: grab them at night when they're sleeping.)

Chickens tend to jump or fly down at an angle, so try not to put the perch higher than the distance to the opposite wall (for example, if the wall is 4 feet away, try to keep the perch below 4 feet.)

Some chickens just can't fly well at all--silkies because of their feathers, and really heavy birds because of their weight. For them, perches might need to be within a few inches of the floor. Yes, you could build a ramp to get up to a higher one, but they might still jump straight down and hurt themselves by landing hard.

I have seen stories of heavy chickens that broke their legs when they jumped off the perch. Either they didn't think they needed to fly down, or they tried but couldn't. I think it's rare, but maybe that's because people know to build low perches for heavy chickens.

Some people think that really low perches (6" or so) make bumblefoot less likely. I have no personal experience with bumblefoot or with perches that low, so I can't say. (Bumblefoot is an infection on the bottom of the foot, probably caused by bacteria getting into a small cut or scratch or other injury.)

In my experience, chickens seem more likely to jump down if it's only a foot or two, but more likely to spread their wings and actually fly or glide down if it's 6 feet or so. So they sometimes land more gently from a higher perch. But that only applies to breeds small enough and light enough to do any flying. So I'd be more likely to use a high perch for Leghorns (light, fly well), and a low perch for Brahmas (big & heavy), and maybe no perch at all for silkies (because their feathers make them unable to fly.)

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm basically going to say the same things they did but maybe a bit differently. Perches are something they play on during the day. Roosts are where they sleep at night. I assume you mean roosts though most of this applies to perches too..

First, determine the height of the coop floor. That includes any bedding. Then position the nests. Some people put nests on the floor, others like them higher so they don't have to bend over to gather eggs. Handy if you have a bad back. Of course this depends on what your coop looks like, a walk-in or one of those elevated ones. If you access your nests from outside you might want them at a good height for that.

Then position the roosts noticeably higher than the nests. Chickens usually like to sleep at the highest spot available so you want them higher than anywhere else you do not want them to sleep. If it is a small coop or they are really close to the nests 6" might be enough. Across a larger coop 12" is probably better.

In winter I want ventilation over their heads when they are on the roosts. Depends some on your climate but you do not want cold winds hitting them in the roosts but you want good ventilation.

I want them as low as reasonable. The higher they are the more clear room they need to fly down without banging into walls, nests, feeders, or waterers.

If you are going to use a droppings board, plan for that.

This is more on where to put them than how high, but you do not want the roosts to block your access inside the coop. That usually means the wall away from the door or along a side wall. Give yourself access to the pop door.

 

[Sally PB]

This is just my experience. I had my roost about three feet off the floor, and about six feet from the people door. This last spring, I opened the pop door at daylight, and the people door a couple hours later. There was one pullet who was usually on the roost when I opened the people door. She wanted to fly out of the coop and land in the run, not land in the coop and hop out. I think she felt like she'd hit the door, so didn't want to come down.

I lowered the roost about ten inches, and she gets down just fine now. I might lower it a few more inches so there is more space between the top of their heads when they stand up and the ventilation. I will keep it above the nest box height, which is 18 inches.

 

[NatJ]

Perches are something they play on during the day. Roosts are where they sleep at night.

I've never heard that distinction before.

I just assumed that some people used one word, and other people used the other word.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Looking at Webster (dictionary) they can be used interchangeably so yeah, you are right. They can roost on a perch, they can perch on a roost. Roost is more associated with sleeping but it doesn't have to be. Good challenge and politely done.

 

[aart]

Perches are something they play on during the day. Roosts are where they sleep at night.

I think this is a good delineation.
Roosts are for sleeping, perches whether for 'playing' or access to nests, are not.
Yes, both can mean the same thing..but in chickeneering the difference is good.

 

[NatJ]

Yes, both can mean the same thing..but in chickeneering the difference is good.

I disagree, because if we adopt new specialized meanings that are not in the dictionary, we confuse newcomers when they come here asking questions. In this particular case, how high to put it can be answered regardless of whether it's called a perch or a roost. The chickens will almost certainly sit on it in the daytime AND sleep on it at night.

I prefer to use correct terminology that already exists, but I don't think we need a new distinction here.

 

[aart]

I disagree, because if we adopt new specialized meanings that are not in the dictionary, we confuse newcomers when they come here asking questions. In this particular case, how high to put it can be answered regardless of whether it's called a perch or a roost. The chickens will almost certainly sit on it in the daytime AND sleep on it at night.

I prefer to use correct terminology that already exists, but I don't think we need a new distinction here.

good to add 'where they sleep at night' then