<<Out of sheer curiosity: when you face the center of the roost with the length going to your left and right which compass direction are you facing? (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)>>
I am facing west--at the moment. We haven't yet moved the coop (have to get a new tow bar for the tractor) but it's on wheels, with intent to move it around to the various pastures with the horses. In general, though, it could nearly always be parked with the same compass orientation. (Where we intend to set it up with a "hoop house" addition for the winter, it will most probably end up either with the same orientation as above, or with the perches to the south.)
<<Also considering the top bar as #1 which roost(s) is (are) not full and which side are the birds bunched to – your left or your right?>>
Rail #1 is always full (right after the new longer top rail was put up, the left side--which was where the new extra length lay--was not full the first two nights.) Rail #2 usually has a gap of at least 2' empty in the center--ends are full. #3 is always unused.
<<Other helpful information would be the date and time of day of the observation, size of flock, and whether the structure is wood, metal or masonry, and the composition of the perches.>>
Date--well, nearly every day! (They started actually roosting in June upon the addition of 4 older pullets--at that point, everyone squeezed onto the top rail!)
Time--usually around twilight (currently 7:00-ish P.M.) and another peek with a flashlight around 9:00.
Size of flock--26 (23 pullets, 3 cockerels)
Construction--wood
Perches--natural wood (2" diameter trees cut to length and branches trimmed)
Would be interesting to see how this info, over a wide set of variations, compares with what I observe with how the wild turkeys roost...
Rhonda
Sidesaddle Hall of Famer
Five-time US National Sidesaddle Champion
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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