PVC roosts ... ?

[kimb]

I was thinking of making my roosts out of PVC and then applying grip tape to them so that it wouldn't be slippery...

Has anyone else ever used PVC successfully ?

 

[Zanna]

We originally did this but they would bounce slightly when the chickens would go to roost and they sagged in the middle before too long, they were just not stable enough. May partially be how we installed them but we ended up switching out to 2 x 4's, installed with the flat side for the chickens to roost on. We also have a fairly large number of hens so the weight was definitely an issue.

 

[farmer_lew]

PVC isn't strong enough to support the weight of the birds, plus they won't be able to sit on their feet to keep them warm. A 2x4 laid flat works best.

 

[tammyd57]

PVC comes in larger diameters with thick walls. That would be plenty sturdy enough, and with the grip tape it wouldn't be slippery. Just be sure to use enough supports so that it doesn't sag or move when they jump up onto it. The 4" would be wide enough that they can still sit on their feet to keep them warm.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Not for chickens but for finches and parakeets. I can see the attraction because they would be very cleanable. I am into making things work rather than dismissing them out right... not a slam on anyone but its just my nature. One of the things I think would be a problem is that PVC is not structurally stable. So If you use it without changing its properties keep the lengths of PVC short. Plan for no more than two birds per perch and support that perch from both ends.

If you wanted to do like say a perch that would be 4 feet long you could use a larger diameter. Then go with something that is 3 or four inches in diameter. Schedual 40 at this size has a wall thickness of .216. between a quarter inch and three sixteenths. Solidly support on each end Which can be supported by 2 x 4 with pipe caps screwed on then the perch inserted between.
Sorry the engineer in me rears its ugly head now and then.... http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pvc-cpvc-pipes-dimensions-d_795.html

But the easiest is using a two by four with a good coating of primer and paint. No special treatment.

 

[elmo]

perchie.girl :

But the easiest is using a two by four with a good coating of primer and paint. No special treatment.

I agree. By the time you wrap the PVC with tape you could have already installed a more conventional board. It also could be harder to clean poop off the tape than it is to clean it off a painted board.

And a flatter roost is easier for a chicken's foot that a perfectly round one.​

 

[skyarrow]

my whole coop is made of pvc and wire and i used limbs and pvs for resting spots pvc can be good but mos hardware stores don't carry the heavy wall pvc like sced80 and sdr 17 they normally carry the thin wall like sced 40 and class 200 that's way to thin and will flex if its a thin wall just get a larger diameter and it will support the chickens say like some 6" and itl be lighter sdr17 6" is very heavy but you can park a tank on it its so tuff lol

 

[ranchhand]

Chicken feet are not made for gripping a perch, they're made for flat roosting. They can grip a little, but it's not easy for them. I recommend a 2' x 4' with the wider side up. And it's no more expensive then heavy duty PVC.

 

[happychickengirls]

I have pvc pipe in my coop it is about 1/12 inches wide. I have four hens. It hasnt sagged and they have
used it just fine with no tape on it. Maybe Im bad for using it but I honestly havent had any problems.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
You might think about checking the bottom of your chickens' feet regularly to make sure they aren't developing any pressure sores from having to balance all their weight on the top of the round roost.