LF Orpington Roosts

[sgtilton]

Hello all, it's been a while since I've posted very much on here, but that is because I finally bought a new house and have relocated!    It is our first home and it has been a long, tedious process.  We are finally in though, and I have begun the construction of some permanent chicken coops!  The cement is already poured for my first few pens.

My first pens will be 8x8 and 8x4.  I use cement flooring because there are a multitude of skunks, javelinas, and other critters that try to dig under my pens and eat my birds!  Anyways, my big question is how high do you all make your roosts?  I generally use a 2v2 board to let them sit on, but my Large Orps don't "fly" too high it seems.  Any advice on the roosts or my new pens in general?

[d12chandler]

My roost for my big birds is 15 in and I still have some that roost on the ground. If you get them to high and they do roost, when they come off the roost it can hurt there feet. I think they call it bumblefoot.

[Fred Kokke]

I made mine like stair steps where they can go up one foot, two and three ft. I used 2x4's lay flat so in winter they can keep there feet warm. The rooster likes to be on bottom and keep his girls behind him.

[Lisa Sharp]

My roosts are about 2' off the ground and about 15"-18" from the wall. I learned that measurement from an old farm book which keeps them from rubbing tails on the wall and/or pooping down the wall. Some birds face the wall and some away.
Jumping from high perches can cause some bruising but that in itself is not bumble foot. BF is the actual development of an abscess for various reasons in the primary pad of the foot. It can also develop between the pad and toes when damp bedding or clay accumate there on large birds who have lots of skin/pockets underfoot. This wad of dirt or bedding can ulcerated the skin and puncture a hole between toes. Untreated abscesses can cause systemic infections and death. Draining and removing the abscess is not difficult and properly done usually has good results with proper bandage changes for about a week.

[Lisa Sharp]

On the height of perches/roosts. I have a few girls who insist on being low to the ground. I put a 2x2 or natural branch (even better) on top of some 6x6 cut offs. The stick is screwed in. Those perches are then easily movable for ground cleaning.