Roost Boards -easy question....

[booker81]

I have to ask....I know it's regularly posted to use a 2x4, and have the 4" part up so the chickens can keep their toes warm in the winter (I'm in MI).

When I was digging in the scrap wood for a roost board long enough, we didn't have 2x4, so the chickens have a 2x6, the 6" side up.

They seem pretty darn happy with it - figure if 4" is enough, 6" is good to, right?

Or not right?

(I know 2x6 is generally more expensive, but for me, it was free and available, whereas a 2x4 in the right length was not

)

 

[StupidBird]

2nd year noobie here - the only thing I can figure is more poop on the board. Other than that, win-win, because they're sitting on it and not elsewhere - like the nest box.

 

[Opa]

Booker81, the 2x6 is just fine and just use a putty knife occasionally to keep it clean.

 

[booker81]

Cool beans, I already scrape it about once a week, when I tend the coop (put the straw back near the next boxes, turn and level the shavings. I just scrape it all off, turn it in the shavings, and everyone is happy

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Bingo! That's the drawback to a wider roost. You need to change your user name to SmartBird.

 

[Opa]

I have three roost boards approximately 12 inches apart. I built a shallow box of 1x2 sides with a 4' wide piece of plastic tile board (available in a 4x8 sheet in the paneling section of Lowes or Home Depot) This box is suspended under the roost board by 4 light weight chains. It hangs approximately 6" below the roost and catches most of the droppings at night. Once a week I use a small toy hoe to rake off the droppings into a 5 gallon pail. My coop stays remarkedly cleaner.

 

[UrbanChick101]

I'm a newbie only 2nd morning with our birds. We have the 2x4's and we bought some doggie litter pans (I know, I never heard of them before either, bigger than kitty litter pans) and placed them under the roosts. Yesterday only one bird was on the roost for the night. The rest were scared and hid under the nesting boxes. Last night, I was able to get all of the birds on the roosts. 2 days in a row!! my kids have been happy as a lark to go in the coop and clean the wood shavings under the roosts with a kitty litter scoop!!! Works great, however, when we get the sand for thier pen, we are putting sand in the boxes under the roosts too, for easier cleaning!!