Oh the quandary! To be able to sit with the chicks, but not have the seat covered in chicken droppings.

I had an idea for a fold down seat. I used scrap 5/4″ decking for one seat, and 2x4s for the other, chain, connectors, eye screws and bolts, and heavy duty strap hinges. To keep the seat in the upright position, I used a carabiner to hook it to the poultry netting. All the hardware is rated for a load of at least 320 pounds, so it should hold up to people sitting on it.

I set the first one a little high, but both my eldest and husband are taller than I am, so that is probably OK. I set the second one a little lower for my youngest and I. The poultry wire back is surprisingly comfortable.

Seats folded down

Update:

The carabiners were not holding the benches upright enough, and the chickens were roosting on them, so I replaced the carabiners with gate hooks that catch the eyes I used for the chain. Much better!