Perch and róosting bars.

[BountyHunter23]

Adding a new coop, which is actually a walled off section of my barn. It is about 8 x 16 with sand floor and a nest box on one side. I plan to build perches on a step ladder type stand so I can remove it for cleaning. QUESTION: Should I use 2x4s for the perches, mounted 4" side up? How far apart, vertically, should they be? There are 20 hens (no roosters) that will share this.

 

[rosemarythyme]

2x4s will work fine. You want approx. 1 linear ft per bird in roost space, set a minimum of 12" away from the wall and a minimum of 14-16" horizontally apart.

 

[cavemanrich]

Ether way positioning the 2x4 will work,, although most peeps suggest the vertical position is better. Allows the chickens to grab a hold of the roost.
Consider using round wooden branches, with the bark on. That is what I use. Just sand off any sharp portions that would possibly cut chickens' foot. The bark allows a better grip than smooth wood.
Another option, that I have used in the past...... On smooth wood, I stapled a layer of carpeting. This provided,,, SOFT, as well as a good grip.
Now to the spacing; If you choose to make 8 foot long roosts, go with 3, about 16 inches apart. and incrementing in 8 inch height differences.


WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[debid]

Whatever makes your installation and maintenance easier. I used 2x4s ripped in half for the hop bars in front of my nest boxes and just rounded the edges with sandpaper. They don't seem to have any trouble grasping those 1.5" boards when they hop up.

For roosts, I went with natural branches because we have an abundance available. 2" or bigger diameter seems to work nicely for even the larger adults (I have 1-1.5" in the mini coop for juveniles) and they like some texture so it's easier to land without slipping. The best part about using natural branches is that when the chickens have any raised leg scales, I don't fret about replacing the roosts as part of the mite eradication effort. Toss them in the bonfire and drop new ones in. And I use some angled scrap wood on the walls in an open bottom V shape to hold the roosts. Removal for cleaning or making access easier is simply lifting them out. Gravity and preventing shear force from moving them too much as they land is plenty, roosts don't have to be screwed down.

 

[cavemanrich]

For roosts, I went with natural branches

Criminal minds think alike

 

[debid]

Criminal minds think alike

Criminally cheap?

 

[cavemanrich]

Criminally cheap?

Practical

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll copy a link to an article where somebody experimented with this. You can see the results.

The perch experiment | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

I played around with this also, not to the extent in this article. I used tree branches, 2x4 flat, and 2x4 upright. I did not see that it mattered to my chickens what roosts I used. Height and location in the coop were more important.

For the 2x4's I sanded the corners, not to make them more comfortable but to remove what could become splinters. Just hit them a couple of times with medium sandpaper.

You do not want the roost to sag from the weight of the chickens. So don't use tree branches that are too thin. A 2x4 on edge will not sag. A 2x4 flat on 8' centers is not going to sag enough to make a difference.

Some people feel very strongly that their way is the right way and anything else is abusive to chickens. I've seen chickens sleep on some pretty thin things and on 12" wide shelves. People tend to care a lot more about this than the chickens.