any ideas for NON wood roost bar?

Im sorry but the idea of a peice of wood skeeves me out. As it is i have linolium on the floor for easy cleaning and a gigantic heayweight boot tray as a poop board. The idea of poop sitting on wood...i just dont like it. As it is right now they have a wooden roost in their hrooder and when it gets really poopy therea just no real good way to clean in all off so i just replace it. If there are ANY ideas for a non wood roost bar if love to hear it. Ive searched and read that pcv is too slippery and they like a flatter surface for roosting. I have 4 chickens. Thanks

Could i wrap a 2x4 in this stuff? Its plastic yet no holes,and textured so not slippery

I would worry that the chickens will pick at that plastic. We have a 2" x 4" (4" side up) and haven't really noticed a problem with poop sticking to it, if there happens to be some there, I just scrape it onto the poopboard below with a wide putty knife.

Build the roosts from 2x4's laid flat, but don't permanently attach them, just make wood pockets for the ends to sit in. Then cut several board to fit in there and swap them as needed. Take the soiled ones and put them outside where the rain and sun can clean and sanitize them.

Thats a great idea thank you!

What you want is a composite trim board. Both Lowe's and Home Depot carry them. You probably want something like this for their roost bar. Use the "drop-in" suggestion above so it can be easily removed to be sprayed off. When bare, they will have a degree of slickness to them, but they are paintable so you should add a textured paint to the surface. Start with something like the Rustoleum plastic primer so you get a good bond, then coat with an anti-slip paint such as this.

I promise I don't work for Home Depot or Rustoleum. Just trying to be helpful!

ChickenMammX4 said:

I would worry that the chickens will pick at that plastic. We have a 2" x 4" (4" side up) and haven't really noticed a problem with poop sticking to it, if there happens to be some there, I just scrape it onto the poopboard below with a wide putty knife.

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Curious........what is the origin and reasoning of the 2 x 4 "flat side up"? I've heard that also from a local "expert" who holds classes on urban chickens. My local expert's reasoning was it allowed the hens to squat on the roost to keep their feet warm in cold weather.

I ask, as in the past, it was always 2 x 2, rounded over on the top edges. One resource I have goes even further and calls for a 1 x 2, with narrow side up and top edges rounded over. That was from a university poultry expert who went on to demonstrate the physical characteristics of a chicken's foot, and how it is made to grasp the roost and what size it needed to be to allow the birds to do so and to prevent injuries to their feet. By locking their feet over the roost, they won't fall off when they go to sleep at night.

Not sure that would be the case if they are balancing themselves on the flat side of a 2 x 4.

In either case, I'd think their feet would remain warm if the bird lowers themselves down so their feathers cover them up. That would be the way they would do it if roosting in the trees.

Howard E said:

Curious........what is the origin and reasoning of the 2 x 4 "flat side up"? I've heard that also from a local "expert" who holds classes on urban chickens. My local expert's reasoning was it allowed the hens to squat on the roost to keep their feet warm in cold weather.

I ask, as in the past, it was always 2 x 2, rounded over on the top edges. One resource I have goes even further and calls for a 1 x 2, with narrow side up and top edges rounded over. That was from a university poultry expert who went on to demonstrate the physical characteristics of a chicken's foot, and how it is made to grasp the roost and what size it needed to be to allow the birds to do so and to prevent injuries to their feet. By locking their feet over the roost, they won't fall off when they go to sleep at night.

Not sure that would be the case if they are balancing themselves on the flat side of a 2 x 4.

In either case, I'd think their feet would remain warm if the bird lowers themselves down so their feathers cover them up. That would be the way they would do it if roosting in the trees.

Click to expand...

Your last statement there is precisely why I went with natural tree branches for my roost bars. I had cut down an old hedge tree and a couple of the straighter branches were perfect. The texture of the bark along with the natural roundness of the branch just seemed natural for them. I know it's not what OP is looking for, but it worked for me!

Seems like this would be easy enough to test........give them several options and see which one they go for. My guess is it will be something around 1 to 2 inches in diameter and round over square.

Why square on the bottom and straight works is square allows for a stable joint and with straight, there are no offsets to act as "crank handles" to create torque and cause it to twist in place if birds pile up in one area or another. Tree branches still attached to trees don't do that, but cut branches could. A nice straight black locust branch might be really good and especially if it was nailed in place so it wouldn't twist.

On my "give them options" theory, when I see folks describing how their birds seem to prefer roosting in trees, or on their kids swing set, etc, it could be their birds way of telling them they really don't care much for the coop they have been given. If it's too small or not well ventilated, etc. When you think about it, we would probably do the same thing. In hot weather, would we prefer to sleep as a group in a closet standing up, or perhaps reclined on the patio furniture in the screened in porch?

Lots of great options i hadnt thought of thanks!