Roost bar

[Chicanomama]

So I am making my poop board with the roost bar on it,& my neighbors have chickens & informed me not to use a circular roost bar, because they like to have it flat.Now I'm having to redesign my poop board/roost.I was researching on what exactly to do & I came across something that makes so much more sense.i saw wrapping the roost in twin/rope because it mimics a tree & helps prevent bumblefeet. A light bulb went off that made so much more sense to me. So just curious if anyone has ever tried that on their roost?! done bm

 

[rosemarythyme]

Chickens are perfectly fine on a rounded bar provided it's wide enough and not slippery (i.e. see Test 5 https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-perch-experiment.74272/ )

A wrapped roost bar could possibly be a good spot for roost mites to infest so that would be something to check for if you notice birds not wanting to go in or seeming like they're itchy.

 

[Chicanomama]

Chickens are perfectly fine on a rounded bar provided it's wide enough and not slippery (i.e. see Test 5 https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-perch-experiment.74272/ )

A wrapped roost bar could possibly be a good spot for roost mites to infest so that would be something to check for if you notice birds not wanting to go in or seeming like they're itchy.

Thank you so much. The experiment was very interesting. I think we are going to start with standard 2 inch flat and adjust if we need to and hold off on the wrapping until we see how they do.

 

[Yakisugi Coop]

Chickens don’t prefer flat. They just want it at least 2 inches wide. Mine love their round perch.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Where are you located? Flat roosts are helpful in cold climates.

 

[Yakisugi Coop]

Where are you located? Flat roosts are helpful in cold climates.

I’m in Colorado. Our chickens are fine in the winter. It’s gotten very cold with no problems. (And if they do want a flat roost they have that option but they never use it even though it’s a bit higher than the round roost)

 

[MountainWoman73]

I'm sure they'll love whatever you build for them. I give mine 2x4's and natural tree branches. They like the tree branches best, and also the little shelf on top of their nest boxes.

 

[gtaus]

Where are you located? Flat roosts are helpful in cold climates.

I agree. I think location matters. I live in northern Minnesota. When I was looking into types of roosts for my chickens, I read that they would do better in cold climates with a 2X4 laid flat. That way, in the winter, they could easily roost on the flat 2X4 and tuck their feet into their body feathers.

That's the way I have done it for about 5 years now and it works for me. No frostbite. No bumblefoot.

I don't use a poop board, either. Just dry deep bedding that I clean out twice a year. If it gets a bit messy under the roost bar between cleanings, I just add fresh litter on top of the old and it automagically seems to clean itself.