natural branches for roosts?

[AtHomeOnThRange]

Would pine be an ok wood for a natural roost?

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Would pine be an ok wood for a natural roost?

I have this same question. I have a ton of pine branches down from the heavy snow this winter, and I wonder how much of a problem tree sap might be. I know it's a pain to get off my kids' hands. Could it be a problem for the chickens?

 

[AtHomeOnThRange]

I have this same question. I have a ton of pine branches down from the heavy snow this winter, and I wonder how much of a problem tree sap might be. I know it's a pain to get off my kids' hands. Could it be a problem for the chickens?

There's actually another thread on here somewhere about roosts, and the folks over there advised me that pine was just fine for chickens. The sap didn't come up, but I think that they said to make sure the limb was dried out first.

 

[Belott]

Also if you use tree branches such as pine you want to remove the outer bark as it can provide a place for mites to hide.

David

 

[hoosiercheetah]

There's actually another thread on here somewhere about roosts, and the folks over there advised me that pine was just fine for chickens. The sap didn't come up, but I think that they said to make sure the limb was dried out first.

Cool, thanks. I was thinking if I strip the bark and lean it up in my garage for a while, it should be fine. There's only so much sap in the branch, and I think they dry out pretty quick.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When you dry it, try to keep it straight. A green branch will dry crooked if you lean it up against a wall. A good way to keep one straight is to hang it from one end so it stays straight or just lay it flat until it dries.

This is how I attached mine so they don't role and are still pretty easy to remove. Drill a hole through the end and the support and drop in a big nail or some kind of peg.

 

[BobbyRoo]

this was a little roost I made for the girls as they are not big enough to get to the one built in the coop, it was sassafrass, they love it

 

[hoosiercheetah]

Update, I stripped bark off of a 3" pine branch about 7' long, and my birds love it, no problems at all.

 

[Mahtowagal]

Yes, driftwood and pine are both fine! We also use branches here. I put a 2 X 4 up on two stumps but they prefer the branches so removed the 2 X 4. Funny, I bed with deep hay and I thought for winter, I'd just add more hay and put some bales down for them...but they have never once spent the night in the hay. They are up on the roosts 100% of the time at night. I'm new to chickens
so I just didnt know they would never bed on the floor. Here are our branches....our 11 just pile up next to one another on them. You can't see but there are two branches parallel to one another (all part of same big limb) and then I added a third across...so it's a large triangular space and they set on all 3.

 

[FlyWheel]

Thanks ChookHappy - the question about the moss and lichens was my biggest concern.

I would be more worried about the eucalyptus. Sure it would ward off lice and mites and would probably smell nice in the coop too*. However isn't it poisonous to anything that is not a koala?

*so would cedar!