Changing the roost?

[TheBrumstead]

My coop is 4 ft x 4 ft. My roost is a 1 in x 6 in board the width of the coop, about 4 inches from the back wall. They huddle in the corner in a pile and poop all over the roost, but seem happy. I had my husband move it forward to about 7 inches off the wall, and they pushed each other off the roost getting up there... Should I just leave it and clean it off every day? Change it to a 2x4?

 

[KDK1]

I'm reworking my roosts in the VERY near future and using 2 to 3 inch branches. Right now I have two three foot 2X2s and a five foot 2" dowel rod and they seem to prefer the dowel.

 

[TheBrumstead]

I want mine at least 4 in wide so they can get their feet under them in cold weather. I'm in NW IN and we get below 0 here. No heat in the coop.

 

[turbodog]

Yeah, I would make a narrower roost to minimize pooping all over it. 2x4 with rounded corners on top works good, so does natural branches.

 

[greenriver]

I just narrowed the roost in our temporary coop. I found a couple of landscape timbers and put them flat side up. There was chaos at roost time last night but it looks like the girls like the new arrangements. I think the landscape timbers will be perfect for them, wideand stable and pre-rounded.

 

[Ole rooster]

I have found at least 12 inches off the wall is best. I use a 3 inch round pole for the top roost and with one hen sitten, the other seven roost on top. That pole is 54 inches long and they all fit just fine. They want it that way.