Roosting perchs?

[donrae]

Well.....my idea isn't working. I used 2x4 on edge, about a foot in front and a few inches higher than the nest lip and they still prefer the nest boxes or front lip to roost. I'm using a nest box/feed hanger design which may make the perches too high. I added a 5 gal bucket with vertical nipples but even as high as I could hang it isn't really high enough for them to drink comfortably. They have to squat a bit and crane their necks.

If the perches are as high as the nest boxes, they're not too high. My birds roost in the rafters.

How large is your coop?

 

[junebuggena]

The 2x4 should be wide side up.

 

[gpeters3]

The 2x4 should be wide side up.

Well, my first coop used broom handles and 3/4" pipe and they all stayed on them all nite. I tried the 2x4 because so many have mentioned it. Why flat side up? Seems like it would be hard to grip that way?

 

[junebuggena]

Their feet can sit flat and their feet can stay completely covered up. Their feet can't wrap around the 2x4s at all.

 

[gpeters3]

Here are my perches. They have not really used any of them except to hop into the nests.

 

[junebuggena]

Those poles are too narrow for standard sized birds. If your going with rounded roosts, you need them to be appropriately sized for the birds feet, that means using things that are at least 3 inches in diameter, or wider.
Also, any bird on that lower roost is going to be cover in poo come morning. I doubt any of them would ever use a roost like that, placed directly underneath another roost.

 

[gpeters3]

Also, any bird on that lower roost is going to be cover in poo come morning. I doubt any of them would ever use a roost like that, placed directly underneath another roost.

The pipe was the original design, the 2x4 was added later. The bantams liked the higher pipe perch but they were taken so I may try removing the pipes. I hesitated because I have to cut the pipe in front of the nests to remove it. Hate to destroy it but, you are right, it needs to come out. I used the 2x4s edge because they seem to prefer the nest box lip which is a 2x6.

 

[donrae]

I think your larger birds may just have a hard time accessing the top perch. It's pretty close to the wall, not giving them much landing space. Even if they go to the nest box area first, then hop to the roost, the space is pretty tight for them to land and maneuver on that roost.

Personally, I don't think roosts have to be that wide. Granted, most of my birds sleep on shelves, but a the top rankers sleep in the rafters, which are 2x4s on the narrow side like yours is. It's the preferred sleeping place in the main coop. My breeding pens have tree branches of various widths, whatever will hold the bird up. And I've had birds roost in trees for years where there were no branches that large. When their feed curl around the branch, they hunker down and fluff their feathers out and cover their toes. Looking up from underneath them, you can't see any toes/feet sticking out.

 

[gpeters3]

I think your larger birds may just have a hard time accessing the top perch. It's pretty close to the wall, not giving them much landing space. Even if they go to the nest box area first, then hop to the roost, the space is pretty tight for them to land and maneuver on that roost.

Personally, I don't think roosts have to be that wide. Granted, most of my birds sleep on shelves, but a the top rankers sleep in the rafters, which are 2x4s on the narrow side like yours

They have pretty flexible feet so I would think 2x4s would work well.

My plan was to have the perch located so they could fly to the perch then hop into the nest but locating the perch above the nest makes it less uesful for that. The bantams had no problem but the reds don't fly as well. I'm thinking about a two stage perch with a lower one a foot or so in front of the higher one. what I have now is backwards.

 

[ToniTalley]

I put the roost over the top of the nest boxes, and use the top of the nest box as the poop board, covered in Sweet PDZ so it is easy to clean and doesn't smell. Once in a while one of the girls sleeps in the nest box, but most of the time they all sleep on the roost on on the poop board. I made two ramps, one to the nests, and one up to the roost.