[akwebb]

Hi! This website is brilliant! Anyway, thinking of getting some chickens, and when doing my research have read that perches need 2 b higher than the nest boxes, as the chickens will naturally perch in the highest place possible, and to avoid sleeping and making a mess on the eggs. However, all the chicken coops that I find availiable on the net all the perches are lower or at the same height as the nest boxes. Any ideas??  Ive heard that u can train chickens 2 sleep on the perches by keeping putting the chickens on them when roosting and they will get the idea eventually.
Any advice appreciated....

[Celtic Eagle]

Right most houses you by have the roost bars near floor level which is fine the chooks don't really care it is done as the houses are easier to build like that. If you intend building your own try putting roost bars at differing heights but remember higher bar higher houswe  more cost. Also if the bars are too high there is a chance of injury to the chook's feet and legs IMHO a max height of 18 inches should be used.

[Sassy]

My very limited experience has been that if the right design of house is provided they 'magically' use all the different bits of the hen house for the right things! And no training necessary, its all instinct. I would be dubious of any housing that did not provide the right environment. There are a lot of cheap imports that will rot in 12 months - many forum members have experience of these, also with the increase in popularity of keeping chooks a lot of business have jumped on the band wagon without the necessary knowledge.

If you are handy some of the best houses are converted garden sheds. These also have the advantage that they are full height and much easier to manage. You can also have it customised as to where you want things re access eg to nestboxes given the space you need to put it in.

[akwebb]

Thanks for the info!!