Coop roost bar problem

[rosemarythyme]

Those bars already look a bit rounded on the edges. If you want to smooth it out more, just manually sanding it with some sandpaper should be enough to give you a smooth finish.

 

[donddon]

Hi everyone,

We have 2x4's as our roost bars for our 6 pullets in their coop. I'm concerned about the square edges for their feet and I've read that chickens prefer rounded bars and that its more comfortable and natural for their feet. Our issue is, the roost bars cannot be removed because they are part of the infrastructure of the coop. Any ideas on how to round them out or make them more comfortable without removing them? Here is a picture for reference. Taken prior to being cleaned so just ignore the poop.

A coarse rasp will knock off the sharp edges, and some 80 grit sandpaper will finish the job. The sawdust you create isn't harmful. Have at it!

 

[Big Doggie]

Hi everyone,

We have 2x4's as our roost bars for our 6 pullets in their coop. I'm concerned about the square edges for their feet and I've read that chickens prefer rounded bars and that its more comfortable and natural for their feet. Our issue is, the roost bars cannot be removed because they are part of the infrastructure of the coop. Any ideas on how to round them out or make them more comfortable without removing them? Here is a picture for reference. Taken prior to being cleaned so just ignore the poop.

Just reach in with some rough sandpaper or a wood file and take off the 90 degree angles and any splinters.

 

[aart]

Hi everyone,

We have 2x4's as our roost bars for our 6 pullets in their coop. I'm concerned about the square edges for their feet and I've read that chickens prefer rounded bars and that its more comfortable and natural for their feet. Our issue is, the roost bars cannot be removed because they are part of the infrastructure of the coop. Any ideas on how to round them out or make them more comfortable without removing them? Here is a picture for reference. Taken prior to being cleaned so just ignore the poop.

That should be just fine, but you could just screw another 2x4(wide side up) on top of that one.
That 'ramp' is rather nonfunctional....way too steep and no cleats for traction.

 

[Kaesi2020]

That should be just fine, but you could just screw another 2x4(wide side up) on top of that one.
That 'ramp' is rather nonfunctional....way too steep and no cleats for traction.

I've been on the fence about the ramp, a few people have said the same thing. They use it all of the time though. There are actually two of them which takes up too much space but they are used so much. Just take them out? Replace with another ramp or just let them jump to roost? The height is about 16 inches from the roost to the bottom. Thank you

 

[rosemarythyme]

I've been on the fence about the ramp, a few people have said the same thing. They use it all of the time though. There are actually two of them which takes up too much space but they are used so much. Just take them out? Replace with another ramp or just let them jump to roost? The height is about 16 inches from the roost to the bottom. Thank you

If they're using it then you can leave it in if you want, though they'll learn to compensate for it being gone if you remove it, as your roost isn't very high up.

 

[GC-Raptor]

The roosts in my bought coop have 2"x 3" narrow side up. My Barred Rocks like it. .
They went through 2 winters, below -0- Fahrenheit a few days.

No frostbite on these tootsies.
Your roosts look fine. @Kaesi2020 GC

 

[aart]

I've been on the fence about the ramp, a few people have said the same thing. They use it all of the time though. There are actually two of them which takes up too much space but they are used so much. Just take them out? Replace with another ramp or just let them jump to roost? The height is about 16 inches from the roost to the bottom. Thank you

They go up that ramp?
What is the material on the surface of ramp?
Do they go down the ramp or jump down?

 

[Kaesi2020]

They go up that ramp?
What is the material on the surface of ramp?
Do they go down the ramp or jump down?

They go up and down the ramps to go on the roost bars. The material is rubber mat. They always choose to use the ramp so I've held off on removing them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

On of my basic responses on here is to go by what you see, not what somebody like me tells you over the internet. There have been several times, some recent, where what I said did not apply to the situation. We all have different experiences, set-ups, climates, goals, flocks, management techniques, and so many other things that what works for me might not work for you. That's why you see so many different opinions on practically everything. There are typically a lot of different things that work. It's not that there is one "best" way for everyone on the planet, but there are many different ways that can work. Our unique conditions might make one better for us.

Roosts are a good example of that. Some people strongly believe they need a flat surface to roost on. Others are equally convinced it needs to be round. Some people worry about size. I agree you don't want it too small but exactly how small that is ??? Some people think they can't or don't grip, others are convinced they can. People on all sides will quote studies to try to prove their position. My opinion is that people worry about that stuff a lot more than the chickens do. I'm not going to link to the study that supports my opinion. It's just an opinion. Just because it is mine doesn't make it right.

Your original question was on how to round off the corners of the 2x4. I agree with the others that the easiest way in situ is sanding. A power sander of some sort should make it easy. I personally do not round them off to make it more comfortable for the chickens. I round them off to remove possible splinters. But if you want to round them to make them more comfortable, go for it. In my opinion, it will not hurt a thing.