Best materials for roosts?

[Lazy Farmer]

I have multi 2X4's made of spruce pine. 4 rows and installed in a stadium seating fashion. Works for us.

 

[Bobby Basham]

An ideal roost is fairly wide so the birds can cover their feet with their feathers when it’s cold, and it should not be metal or natural materials (such as a tree branch because they have sharp pieces and are uneven). A two by four is an extremely ideal roost. Wide, you can sand it (I didn’t), and comfortable for the birds. I use two two by fours and I have never had a single issue. The coop was built so that they are removable, so if they get too poopy I can replace them, and I can take them out if I need it do a deep clean.

I have seen this idea before a few years ago and had forgotten about it. This just refreshes my memory as I'm getting to start my coop in the next week or so.

On another note...how are external nest boxes attached to the coop? I've been going through different forums and can't see how they're actually attached. All you see is the end results.

 

[Bobby Basham]

I used 2X4"s, wide side up. I routered/rounded off the edges, and painted them. They sit in notches, so they are easily removed for coop cleaning.

What is the spacing between your parallel roosts?

 

[Chelseyb123]

Okay so next question.. The space im adding is it to big or small? I drew this up last night. I was going to just make a new coop but I build this one on my own so a lot of hard work went into. Here are some measurements and how my coop is now.

Before add on my coop is about 20ft long 4-5ft wide and 5ft 6ft tall but has slanted roof i can stand up in it at the door. And one side is only 4ft tall an wide with a slanted roof the opposite direction.

What I want to do is to the far left looking from the back keep my 4 ft × 4ft side just turn it into nest boxing spots since they already lay on that side and its the darkest spot in the coop. But looking from the back side after the 4ft spot I'm keeping its about 15-16 ft (sorry my measurements may be off but only a ft I believe since every thing I used was recycled so it was slightly off but either 4ft or 5ft the plywood I used and platfroms.) long of space I want to bring it out four or five feet with a slanted roof im I going to have to much or to little space? And I still have enough materials left over from when I made this just need more beams for the walls.

 

[Chelseyb123]

Here's the back side bow I have more vents than shown they are coveted by tube trap because its very windy an cold out today

 

[rosemarythyme]

Chickens can grip onto a round roost just fine. I see no reason to pay for a 2x4 when I can "recycle" sturdy branches off my own lot. I sand it down so it's nice and smooth and there's never anything to scrape off, as no poop will stick when there's no excess surface space.

 

[Chelseyb123]

Yeah I haven't had any feet problems the seem to grip onto the branches good. An I used maple wood branches so its not rough its smooth I didn't sand them. I just made sure they were wide enough for their feet.

 

[Abriana]

I have seen this idea before a few years ago and had forgotten about it. This just refreshes my memory as I'm getting to start my coop in the next week or so.

On another note...how are external nest boxes attached to the coop? I've been going through different forums and can't see how they're actually attached. All you see is the end results.

I don’t know much about external nesting boxes. Maybe screws? I have no idea otherwise

 

[squadleader]

There's definitely several different opinions on this point. I was told flat was better by someone who had trouble with rats or mice nibbling on the birds exposed claws while they slept on two inch round roost.

My roosting bar runs down one whole side of my tractor, and is a five quarter by six Inch (apparently that's lumber code for a true one inch thick deck board, that's really one inch by 5.5 inches).

It's a long span (16 feet), so I turned a salt treated 16 foot, 2x6 short side up, and put the 16 foot deck board over it. The 2x6 keeps the deck board from sagging or wobbling. I liked the deck board edges were already rounded, it only took a few extra minutes to also sand them a little smoother.

On the left you see the deck board on the 2x6. At the other end of the tractor is another deck board, but also a couple of 2x4's, short side up, sanded, and finally you see 2 inch PVC schedule 40 pipe covering the scaffold bracing that keeps the frame of the tractor rigid.

I put a bolt through the PVC pipe and bracing to keep it from spinning, and wrapped it in Gorilla tape to make it warmer, and to give them more bite on the surface when they perch on it, which they do during the day.

For what it's worth, the birds all roost on the 5.5 inch wide deck board, in the left corner, closest to the door.

I went this way to avoid rat or mice problems. How real that concern is, I don't know.

Having made that choice, here's the advantages I can see. No mice bites, they can cover and keep their claws warm, with a metal six inch drywall knife, a quick walk down the perch and poop is gone, and finally, it really does add practical and useful space the birds use. They run up and down the board all day long and easily pass each other, that passing ability also helps when they settle in to roost, they can work out, who's next to who better.

As much as we agonize over this issue, I'm not at all sure the birds care, one way or the other, they're pretty versatile.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

I used 2X4"s, wide side up. I routered/rounded off the edges, and painted them. They sit in notches, so they are easily removed for coop cleaning.

This is fantastic! I will be doing removable roosts in my remodel this spring. Thanks for the idea!