Can I use shelving as roosts?

[NellaBean]

I have all options in my coop.

2x2
2x4 flat side up
8 inch wide shelf
2 foot deep table


Chickens use all and do fine. They fight over the shelf since it is the highest. They do prefer the wider roosts.

 

[ams3651]

this is one of mine, lower when they were younger. i find now they use it mostly during the day but they pretty much sit on the end with their toes wrapped around. This was made with shelving brackets and is very sturdy.

(the coop wasnt quite finished at this point and they were young, its much bigger and nicer now)

 

[celticbird]

Could use the shelving as nest boxes with just a lil modification. Just a thought.

 

[Nostalchic]

I think the other issue with using just shelving and no roost board or pole above it is that the chickens will walk around on it, and if they've been roosting on it all night, it will be very poopy and their feet will get pretty messy - they don't seem to mind walking in fresh squishy poo, but it makes a big mess if they go from there to a nest.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Sorry, but I don't think that's correct. Chickens are ground dwelling birds and their feet are primarily designed for walking on flat surfaces. Their toes don't grip the way a true perching bird's can. The differences in foot and toe structure seem clear to me when I compare the feet of our chickens to the feet of our parrots or even our doves.

One reason why the OP may not like using shelving as a roost is that the nighttime droppings will all be caught on the shelf, rather than falling below the roosting chicken as is the case with a typical narrow roost. Because the shelf would be the actually roosting spot, you wouldn't want to leave them there and make the chickens roost in their own feces night after night. It would get fairly nasty fairly quickly. But if you plan on scraping and scrubbing the shelf every morning, it could work.

2x and chickens prefer the wider bases than the narrow perches.

 

[crookedcreekranch]

I have 2 roosting boards and a shelf all along the back that came with the coop. My chickens love the shelf. I just put shavings on it and scrape it clean a couple of times a week. Only problem was this winter when the poop froze to the shelf. It got pretty messy before it thawed enough for me to clean it. Birds didn't seem to mind, though.

 

[MVchickens]

Thanks guys! I have plenty of ideas now.