Proper design of Roost Bars

[Rodrad]

Another option for vacations is to check your local pet sitting companies. Some of them take care of other animals besides the usual dogs and cats. The company we use for our cat when we go on vacation also has people who take care of chickens, so that's our vacation plan. We don't travel often, maybe once a year, but when we do it's for extended periods - several weeks - which is too much to ask of any friend or neighbor.

That’s a good idea. We are in rural suburb of Columbus (IN) don’t think we have pet sitting company. However, there are good many neighbors, some with teenage kids, who took care of our cat and dog (both live outside), cat on the porch and dog is free outside (but has a nice house in the kennel) and thus made little money.

 

[K0k0shka]

This nesting box looks look like an abstract face of a chicken, big eyes, nose and legs!

And the lid is scalloped to resemble the chicken’s comb, too The lid opens up for easier collection of eggs. And the inside is painted black to make it darker and cozier.

 

[ackie]

OP, the scientist/engineer in me loves this study. Thank you for posting.

 

[Acre4Me]

I'm sorry to hear that! Was it a wide flat roost (lumber board) or a wide (thick) branch? Asking because one of the studies cited earlier claimed the opposite - that the wider boards offer more contact area for the keel bone, thus redistributing and reducing the pressure on the keel and the likelihood of pressure wounds or fractures to it. This is why the roost discussion is so confusing. In addition to there probably being studies to support every opinion, there's probably anecdotal evidence both for and against every type of roost as well... And there may not be a foolproof way to go about it but just try and see

Wide, flat 2x4. Actually, the reason I see most often for wide roosts is so the bird sits on their feet, which are then flat on the board. However, a bird roosting on a branch or narrow board, would also cover their feet. Birds are designed to perch on branches, and don't need their keel bone supported, so thats a new idea to me. However, there is skin and feathers on top of the keel bone, and when the keel bone is resting on something, there will be friction. Humans develop blisters because of friction. In the case of birds, there is friction between bone and skin and skin and feathers. The thread on the issue experienced by my large rooster is here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-is-this-scabby-enlarged-thing-on-roos-chest.1292202/

There are only a few breeds of chickens that have a male (per standard) that would be 10+ lbs when fully grown. Of course, there can be heavy/large males in other breeds, that are just bigger than normal. Overall, I'd keep to a more narrow/rounded perch for a large breed flock.

 

[K0k0shka]

There are only a few breeds of chickens that have a male (per standard) that would be 10+ lbs when fully grown. Of course, there can be heavy/large males in other breeds, that are just bigger than normal. Overall, I'd keep to a more narrow/rounded perch for a large breed flock.

And this is why we can't use the "birds have evolved..." argument. Modern-day chickens are very far from natural evolution, or from the birds they used to be before humans stepped in and started morphing them into all shapes and sizes. Modern-day chickens most definitely have not evolved to look or behave the way they do today. Just look at meat chickens. They can't even walk straight because their breasts are so large. Your rooster did not evolve naturally to be so large, so who knows what his keel bone is like and what kind of pressure it's under when he sits. Maybe chickens are so far removed from nature these days that a branch may just not be the best thing for them. Or at the very least, not for the breeds that deviate the most from whatever the original chicken was.

 

[ackie]

I had a big floofy hen who refused to roost anywhere other than on the 2x4 handrail on the front steps. I moved her to a tree a couple times and she literally fell out. She hurt her leg at some point (not related to the tree but possibly related to a different 2x4 I put her on that was higher up than the porch rail - no visible injury) and I eventually got sick of moving her every single night and locked her in a coop and she slept on the floor. I gave her a milk crate and then she slept on that. I thought after she had time to rest her leg shed go back to sleeping on at least the 2x4 right above her, but nope. Milk crate it was.

Tl;dr long winded anecdotal story about how some birds cant sleep in trees.

 

[Rodrad]

Your coop looks DYNAMITE BEAUTIFUL,,,

2413337[/ATTACH]

Just incredible artistic nesting box!

I am in the process of making my nesting box. it will be attached on the outside of the south wall of my future coop.
It is just so simple, but is functional (3.5” front ledge would prevent hay from getting out of the nest). I already prepared a black paint for inside of the nests! All the inside seams are siliconed, what I understand should prevent mite infestation in the crevices. It may be built too have (any chickens weighing 25 lbs?!). Here are two pictures:

 

[Acre4Me]

And this is why we can't use the "birds have evolved..." argument. Modern-day chickens are very far from natural evolution, or from the birds they used to be before humans stepped in and started morphing them into all shapes and sizes. Modern-day chickens most definitely have not evolved to look or behave the way they do today. Just look at meat chickens. They can't even walk straight because their breasts are so large. Your rooster did not evolve naturally to be so large, so who knows what his keel bone is like and what kind of pressure it's under when he sits. Maybe chickens are so far removed from nature these days that a branch may just not be the best thing for them. Or at the very least, not for the breeds that deviate the most from whatever the original chicken was.

Well, a lot of chickens are developed bc humans put various breeds together with a goal in mind (winter hardiness, egg laying, more meat in a shorter amount of time, etc). Chickens are a great nutritional resource. So, the BJG was a naturally developed breed from combining other breeds and historically, they were bred to make a larger table bird, like a turkey. But then the broad breasted turkeys were developed, so BJG never really took over the Thanksgiving market. You can't really knock human's ingenuity - different chickens serve different purposes. And, if a person was to rely on their flock for food, they would likely breed from the better egg layers, or from the larger birds...to continue to get more eggs or larger carcasses.

 

[K0k0shka]

Well, a lot of chickens are developed bc humans put various breeds together with a goal in mind (winter hardiness, egg laying, more meat in a shorter amount of time, etc). Chickens are a great nutritional resource. So, the BJG was a naturally developed breed from combining other breeds and historically, they were bred to make a larger table bird, like a turkey. But then the broad breasted turkeys were developed, so BJG never really took over the Thanksgiving market. You can't really knock human's ingenuity - different chickens serve different purposes. And, if a person was to rely on their flock for food, they would likely breed from the better egg layers, or from the larger birds...to continue to get more eggs or larger carcasses.

I’m not knocking human ingenuity. I’m acknowledging that the birds are no longer “naturally evolved” and suited to their environment the way they would have been without human interference. They are dealing with completely different selection pressures - egg production, meat production, looks, etc, not perching ability.

 

[ackie]

I’m not knocking human ingenuity. I’m acknowledging that the birds are no longer “naturally evolved” and suited to their environment the way they would have been without human interference. They are dealing with completely different selection pressures - egg production, meat production, looks, etc, not perching ability.

Currently imagining the spiel trying to sell these.
"No ma'am they arent good layers"
"No, not meat birds either"
"Well you see, they perch better than any other breed on the market - they are master perchers, if you will
There is no perch they cannot handle"