Proper design of Roost Bars

[JMotuzick]

I recently re-did things in the coop and added a permeant “litter box” type poop tray. I got some pdz but have not put it down yet. Just shavings that I had on hand while working. The tray is at about 54” with the bar 10” above that to the top. (2x4 small side up). One of the hens likes to rest on the 1/2” strip of ply wood I used as a side for the poop box. I’m not quite done and want to add more roosting space, so that might help. Any other ideas to get her up there on her own? Also wondering if I should add a ladder for them? So far they all Seam to be getting up there but we have chick coming in a few weeks and I’m thinking a few months ahead! What about when they get older/slower? I want everyone to have access but don’t want the lower pecking order girls to sleep on the steps.

 

[Howard E]

This photo shows the roost bars from a house I recently built. If a droppings board were used, it would be installed about 6 to 8 inches beneath that. If you find the birds end up walking on the droppings board, smearing them around and getting their feet soiled, an old school solution was to install a layer of 1" x 2" welded wire between them for the droppings to fall through. Roosts and wire are fixed. Droppings board slides out for cleaning.

The birds in this house began using these roost bars the second day they went into the house, which was around 4 weeks of age. There is a water bucket in there they hop to (they began flying up on the water bucket the first week) and on up to the roost. At 6 weeks, they can all fly up to these roost bars on their own and that is where they sleep at night. All 22 of them.

But this is what you should strive for. This layout. And all roost bars on one level. No multiple level ladders, unless the intent of the ladder is an intermediate step to get to the top roost.

View attachment 1423058

 

[Howard E]

This was the photo. Roosts are about 32" off the deck on a 48" wall. Always on the back wall as far away from south facing windows and vents as you can get them to minimize drafts in winter. This also allows them room to fly up to and down from the roosts. They need at least as much room sideways to fly down from as roost is high. (45 degree glide path).

 

[bayareapilot]

Well, I never referenced any research papers when I made the choice for my hens, I just used simple logic; chickens evolved to roost in trees, on branches, so ideally a branch would be the best choice. As finding a branch strong enough and straight enough for the 6 foot span as well as supporting all the chickens and their poop trays would have been impractical, I chose what I thought would be a good substitute: A 2.25 inch wide stair rail which has a gradually curved top that I roughed the top of with really coarse sandpaper. The result is pretty much what your article describes, a two inch top with rounded edges.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Creative-S...x-8-ft-Stain-Grade-Un-Plowed-Handrail/3727399

My ladies seem to like it, I certainly haven't heard any complaints from them.

That is a great idea.

 

[bayareapilot]

This photo shows the roost bars from a house I recently built. If a droppings board were used, it would be installed about 6 to 8 inches beneath that. If you find the birds end up walking on the droppings board, smearing them around and getting their feet soiled, an old school solution was to install a layer of 1" x 2" welded wire between them for the droppings to fall through. Roosts and wire are fixed. Droppings board slides out for cleaning.

The birds in this house began using these roost bars the second day they went into the house, which was around 4 weeks of age. There is a water bucket in there they hop to (they began flying up on the water bucket the first week) and on up to the roost. At 6 weeks, they can all fly up to these roost bars on their own and that is where they sleep at night. All 22 of them.

But this is what you should strive for. This layout. And all roost bars on one level. No multiple level ladders, unless the intent of the ladder is an intermediate step to get to the top roost.

View attachment 1423058

I have sweet pdz on the floor of the coop sometimes I mix it with a little sand. The beauty of the PDz with the poop is that it removes the ammonia nearly immediately as well as the sand in PDz helping to dry out the dropping so it's easy to scoop up.

You couldn't talk me into using wood shavings. A little sweet pdz in a little sand go a long way on the coop floor easy to scoop out with a kitty litter scoop

 

[Molpet]

I have sweet pdz on the floor of the coop sometimes I mix it with a little sand. The beauty of the PDz with the poop is that it removes the ammonia nearly immediately as well as the sand in PDz helping to dry out the dropping so it's easy to scoop up.

You couldn't talk me into using wood shavings. A little sweet pdz in a little sand go a long way on the coop floor easy to scoop out with a kitty litter scoop

You must only have one small coop to be able to afford pdz for the whole coop. My main coop is 8x24 LOL

 

[cmom]

I have several coops. I used 2x4's in all of the coops. So far no complaints from the birds. They are somewhat rounded on the corners.

 

[bayareapilot]

You must only have one small coop to be able to afford pdz for the whole coop. My main coop is 8x24 LOL

The newest coop which is the largest is has a bottom of about 4 x 6 ft. In fact I'm just completing it. The others are smaller but you're right to a mine is infinitely smaller than your coop.

 

[whiteboy]

All of my birds prefer the 2X4 vs the 2x2 they also have access to.

 

[CajunChooks]

I fear I am about to soil someone's shrine, but here is a modern era reference to proper roost bar design:

http://www.yourchickens.co.uk/care-and-advice/the-perfect-perch-1-2842822

It is a layman's summary of this study (which I cannot open or I would have only referenced it):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21406354

So best roost bar design is basically a 2 x 2 (nominal 1.5" x 1.5") square wooden pole with top edges rounded over slightly. It is NOT a 2 x 4, flat side up. (45mm = 1.75")

Thanks for this! The design choice has been bugging me, especially as a new chicken owner. Everything I read from forums or in a couple of books called for the 2x4 wide side up, but I found a british article that referred to a study, their poultry association's guidelines and EU standards to argue for exactly what you are talking about here: narrower, rounded edges. It made sense to me, but as a newbie, I was also intimated by the fact that seemingly everyone recommended wider. I am going to change mine ASAP to 2x2 with rounded edges.

Another thing to note here, which both the article and the study refer to, is softness. The prototypes in the study "contained an air cushion below the soft polyurethane surfaces (patent pending)". So, um, I don't think I can DIY whatever their patented custom air cushion is. The article though suggests using bike inner tubes, which I think I will try... Does anyone see any reason why not use rubber as a softening surface? Could they eat it? I don't think so, if I stretch it tightly around.

Finally, you mentioned you could not get the study itself - I used my university library login and downloaded it (although I now realize it has become open access apparently anyway). I am attaching it here. It has the diagrams for each model tested. I am not used to scientific literature (I am an academic, but in the humanities), but my understanding is that the overall winner was their "Prototype48"

Anyway, thanks for bringing this up, gave me the courage to go against the grain of most of the advice I kept seeing. Maybe they will stop standing up every 5 minutes haha (see photo)