Visited a fancy farm tour and saw their coop... it was all wrong

I went to this 'sustainable farm' tour outside Portland last weekend, thinking I'd get some good ideas for my setup. Their coop looked beautiful, like a tiny barn with a green roof and all. But they had 15 birds crammed into a space built for maybe 8, and the roosts were just 2x4s with the sharp edges still on. I mentioned it to the guide and she got all defensive, saying the chickens 'prefer it natural.' Has anyone else seen these 'pretty' coops that are actually terrible for the birds?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellafisher2d ago

Have you ever tried to walk a 2x4 barefoot with sharp corners? Because that's basically what those chickens are dealing with every night. I've seen this exact setup so many times, people think they're being fancy but they're just making foot problems for their birds. Roosts should be rounded off or use actual tree branches, and that nesting space they're cramming them into is just asking for pecking order fights. If the guide said they prefer it natural, she's either lying or never watched a chicken try to grip a sharp edge at 2am. You're right to call it out, it's all looks and no sense.

reese1772d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back a little here. I actually think the 2x4 thing gets blown out of proportion if the wide side is facing up. Chickens don't grip like parrots, they prefer a flat surface under their feet when they're sleeping, and that wide board gives them something stable to stand on instead of having to wrap their toes around a branch all night. The sharp corners thing is fair to raise but most folks just hit them with a sander or a plane for five minutes and it's fine. And honestly, I've seen way more bumblefoot issues from birds jumping off high round perches than from a 2x4 that's been prepped right. I do agree with you on the nesting space though, cramming them in there is just asking for trouble.