New coop considerations

[2 Acres]

I'll include a link to an interesting (to me) thread on this forum about roost shapes and sizes. Notice that the linked thread is about chicken preferences, not human preferences.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-perch-experiment.74272/

I personally do not have a preference and I don't think the chickens do either. Chickens evolved to sleep in trees so you think since tree limbs are round they want round roosts. No necessarily. Some tree limbs are so big they are essentially flat to a roosting chicken. I've seen chickens sleeping in trees and in various strange places in my coops. I did some experimenting with roosts myself but nothing nearly as good as the guy in the link.

From what I've seen I think chickens can handle a tree limb, a 2x4 on edge, a 2x4 flat, or a wide flat shelf or roof. If you have a personal preference then by all means use it. Your chickens will be able to handle it.

One thing I've noticed. When a chicken squats down on the roost, which they do when it is cold, their feet are covered by feathers whether they are on a shelf, on a tree limb, or on the edge or flat of a 2x4. If your temperatures get to -30 F (-20 C) I think that changes some, but most of us do not see temperatures that cold.

The last 2 winters where I live were negative 30 and negative 50. Supplemental heat will be required at that point.