hanging a roost on ropes?

[dftkarin]

Can a roost be hung like a swing? I want to add a roost to me basic box tractor but there are no wood sides in the middle to attach a roost to - and I priced l-shaped basic shelf supports and the cheapest of those were still $5 each in the size I needed. Could I just loop two loops of rope (or bungee cords) around a top support and lay a piece of wood in the loops? Then it could be adjustable too - low to the ground now that the chicks are only 3 weeks, raising it up when they get bigger, etc. What do you think?

 

[seminolewind]

You could try it. But I don't think they'd like it. Experiment, LOL

 

[FarmerChick]

nothing to lose to try but I noticed my birds like their roosts stable.

let us know how it works out.

 

[silkiechicken]

I think you can try, but I know when my birds jump into the garden they are fenced out of, they jump over the wood part of the fence that is stable. They will run across the whole garden to get to the 5 foot stable wood fence, rather than jump over the 3 foot fence that is wobbly. They are "fat" so have to land on top before jumping off the other side.

 

[scooter147]

I placed a day roost suspended by roop in the run.
Except for the yound birds that just want to play "king of the hill" they don't like it. I then placed a standard ladder style roost in the run and they hang out on it at all times of the day to rest and prene theirselves.

 

[patandchickens]

Can't you just add a vertical piece of wood to the middle of each side of the tractor, so that a roost can go between them? Safest thing would be to use 3/8" plywood about 2-3' wide, so that if they fall asleep on the roost next to the pen sides no raccoon or etc can reach in and rip their head off. Use nuts and bolts to attach the roost to the plywood.

Alternatively if your tractor is covered in hardwarecloth you could use any kind of normal lumber, doesn't have to be real strong. you'd basically be making an 'H' across the tractor, with a 2x4 as the roost part.

I very very seriously doubt they will use anything that tips up and sways and wibbles, like a rope-hung perch. Fine for canaries, not so much for chickens

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Perhaps you could hang the roost on ropes from the top and stabilize it somewhat with bungee cords from the ends of the roost to the sides on the bottom. It might still sway some, but not like a canary swing.

Or if it's not too heavy for your tractor, run roosts across the width and fasten them to the wire sides with bolts/screws and wide fender washers. But do add something to the ends so the raccoons can't reach into the birds sleeping by the wire sides.

The roost in my large tractor is a slatted platform up on cinder blocks. It's a 2 X 3' section of railing from an old wood playset. I place it in the center of the tractor for the reason above. It does make it a bit more time consuming to move the tractor, having to move the blocks & the platform before moving the tractor. But it keeps the birds safer.

My girlfriend's chickens got in the habit of roosting on a length of 1" rope in their coop. They look so funny, 5 of them clutching & swaying in the air, whenever one moves the rest of them have to bend their tails & heads to re-balance, like lumberjacks trying to stay upright on a floating log.

Let us know what you decide & how it works!

 

[orchidchick]

I don't know if you will be able to see this, but I zip tied and then bungied a closet shelf for their preening roost but I imagine the concept would apply. I didn't think they would like it; originally I laid a 2 x 4 on it to stabililize for the weight, but later removed it. and they kind of like their trampoline, because it definitely bounces when they alight or descend. It is about waist high.

 

[chickenfanatic]

i know alotta folks down here that use swing perches the y love them keeps them active and busy

 

[Sunny Side Up]

That gives me a great idea for making a roost in my tractor!

I have one made of PVC, a thick rectangular frame for the floor with long pieces bent over from side to side, making a curved roof. It's very large & tall enough to stand up inside. This is the one I had used the cinder block & railing section roost in. But that made it a hassle to move, because you had to first move out & then back in the heavy blocks & the poopy railing.

I think the PVC that holds up the roof is too thin/weak to hold up a roost full of heavy birds. But I'm thinking of adding a couple of extra bent pieces, shorter than the roof pieces, that would be inserted into the floor sections & curve across the tractor. Then I can zip-tie a section of ventilated shelving across the middles. It would be supported by the new PVC coming from the floor pieces, not the roof or sides, and move along with the rest of the tractor.

I'll send photos when it's finished.