Actual Feet Posture on Various Size Roosts (And Chicken's Preference)

[Boise-girls]

This is all very helpful! You guys all rock!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I sometimes forget that not everybody has the luxury of living near forests and trees... Large branches may not be so easy to come by in Arizona

Northern Arizona has beautiful forests

 

[Outta Here]

"Seems like the bigger the better, as long as their butts can still hang over the edge, so they don't sit in their poop at night (probably why they don't like the shelf). If you can go bigger, why go smaller, would be a good general guideline."

Absolutely! And having it wide but still have their butts hang over would ensure their entire legs would be in contact without pressure points! Wish I would have done my test earlier--I ripped that 8 foot 2x4 on a table saw and used it for weeks just because I read 2.5" was perfect. Now it's firewood as I switch to wider and more comfortable.
How lucky you are to have found a great branch! I was toying with buying a 4" or 6" pole from Tractor supply, but I don't want a pressure treated one...

A little clarification: Chickens sleep differently at night than daytime napping. I wrote: "Whichever width, they always have their front toes protruding (not necessarily clutching) a tiny bit over the front edge." That's at night.
But for daytime napping they will sleep sideways on the roost, down in the sand, on the shelf, on my lawn furniture cushions, on fence rails and narrow armrests. In the daytime nap on the 2x6 roost the smaller ones sometimes scoot back to give butt-hanging preference over having their front toes protruding! So having room for their rear to droop must be important!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

A little clarification: Chickens sleep differently at night than daytime napping. I wrote: "Whichever width, they always have their front toes protruding (not necessarily clutching) a tiny bit over the front edge." That's at night.
But for daytime napping they will sleep sideways on the roost, down in the sand, on the shelf, on my lawn furniture cushions, on fence rails and narrow armrests. In the daytime nap on the 2x6 roost the smaller ones sometimes scoot back to give butt-hanging preference over having their front toes protruding! So having room for their rear to droop must be important!

You forgot……. Yourself.

 

[Outta Here]

Northern Arizona has beautiful forests

You forgot……. Yourself.

Not sure I understand...do you mean I forgot that I am important to my flock?

 

[NatJ]

Not sure I understand...do you mean I forgot that I am important to my flock?

I found that confusing too, until I took a closer look at the picture. It shows chickens sleeping on a person ("yourself," the flock owner.)

for daytime napping they will sleep sideways on the roost, down in the sand, on the shelf, on my lawn furniture cushions, on fence rails and narrow armrests.

In addition to all those places, chickens will take naps on a person too.

 

[Outta Here]

Yes, that's so true! My Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte is my best lap nappy girl!

p.s. Are you talking about the picture I just posted as my avatar? It's me feeding my flock. We have this morning ritual....

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes, that's so true! My Blue-Laced Red Wyandotte is my best lap nappy girl!

p.s. Are you talking about the picture I just posted as my avatar? It's me feeding my flock. We have this morning ritual....View attachment 2744367

View attachment 2744380

Love your hair. Mine's about the same length and the same color.

 

[Outta Here]

Love your hair. Mine's about the same length and the same color.

Thanks!

 

[MysteryChicken]

I use large tree branches as roosts. I don't like the warped keel bones, & would like to switch to actual squared roosts sometimes, but lumber prices are really high.