attaching roosts?

[cheeptrick]

With New England winters it is very important that the chicken can roost on a 2X4 to prevent frost bite. They actually sit down on the roost; which keeps their feet warm. It is what was recommended to me from fellow New England Chicken owners. I do have a roost outside the coop that is a natural branch that I stripped of bark. They roost occassionally here...and I figured they would prefer it....and my birds do not!

 

[Mac]

My adopted chickens only roosted in the coop rafters or made nests on the coop floor when I first inherited them. I made a ladder type roost for them. 3' wide, using 2x4's, 2" wooden dowels, 1" wooden dowels for the bantys etc. After two weeks none of them use the roost yet. Somehow they still can get up in the rafters to roost. I'm still hoping they will eventually roost there. They are all 3 years old and set in their ways. They had no nest boxes and it took them a week to find their new ones and now they love it! This week we completed the outdoor run, only a BEAR or human could get in this thing, and Monday we loaded the run floor with a mixture of sand and topsoil 8" deep. Before they had completely hard packed soil/rocks/glass etc in the run. To watch them tentatively come down the ramp and step into that new foundation was a sight to behold! All the hard work and money well spent. They even take dust baths now because the soil is loose for them. Makes me feel really good, and I know they are happier.

Mac

 

[mdbucks]

These are the small trees that mine(should) roost on

Since I added guineas most now roost here(in the rafters 8 feet up

 

[cheeptrick]

mdbucks:
My Dh and I used to live in Elkton! We rented a tiny apartment above Tony's Pharmacy on Main Street! My sis and Mom live in Chesapeak City!
Long story how I ended in NH!
Great to see folks from MD!

 

[GoodEgg]

Thanks, you all, so much for the pics. Those are some great ideas, all! I like them even better than what I ended up doing (wish I'd read the rest of the posts, but I was in a hurry because they knocked down BOTH of the roosts the night before last, and I had to do something quick.

I'm not sure how long my coop will last anyway (I hate saying that when it's only a month old or so, but I was figuring it out as I went and I see now things I should have done differently).

I ended up cutting down two 2 x 4's I had on hand, and attaching them with long screws from outside the coop wall. Let's see them knock THOSE down, LOL.

Problem was ... well ... lots of problems. LOL, whenever I try to do something, it always happens that way. The outside electrical outlet wasn't working, so I couldn't plug in the saw. Had to move everything. Mosquitoes were killing us, so that took time. Discovered the freezer (also plugged into the outside outlet) has been off for at least a few days ... ugh.

After dealing with everything, it ended up being after dark while I was in there trying to get the roosts attached. Chickens trying to roost WHILE I'm trying to attach them ... I had tried to keep them outside but someone opened the door (who taught them that?). Chickens jumping on my back, arms, and head because I wouldn't let them on the roost yet. LOL ... I'm SO glad no one poo'ed on me! Someone CLOSED the run door, and more chickens got caught up in the wire trying to roost in the tunnel between coop and run. It was basically mayhem ...

When I'd finally gotten the roosts in, chickens put up, water refilled, etc. I took a flashlight in to do a head count. I have a few who still pack into a pile in a corner on the floor who aren't roosting yet. Every time I counted, I came up one short. I searched the yard, looking for the hiding chicken. After counting and searching MANY times, I realized that somehow a little RIR managed to hide herself under everyone else in the pile, and she was there the whole time.

Well ... anyway, the roosts were still up this am, the chickens are all there, and I need to go water down the run again because they're probably all back in the coop already.

Thanks again everyone, so much! I will definitely use some of those ideas next time!

trish