roost design (pic)

[lovemy6hens]

Would painting the roofs make them easier to clean? Will the chickens still have good traction?

Yes, they will definitely be easier to clean. As long as the roost is flat, they should be fine.

 

[lovemy6hens]

If you can get the carpet to wrap tighter on the board, it would be ideal (assuming that's a 2x4 under the carpet). It's much easier for them to get on the roost with a tight edge around the board. If it's a rounded roost, it would be best to switch to a flat one. Be sure to check for mites every day and replace the carpet if soiled. We screwed in strips of Astroturf on our roosts and it is very easy to remove, clean, & put back on. The original plastic grass Astroturf is hard to find, but that's what works best.

A roost that is too rough or too smooth can contribute to bumblefoot.

 

[ChickityChina]

I agree with one of the previous posters, I wouldn't use anything cloth, fabric, or carpet-like in my coop. Especially on the roosts as they will get pooped on the most. It will become reeaaally smelly and really dirty very quickly. The fabric will hold in the bacteria and the smell and you might never get it out. I don't think there would be anything wrong with having bare wood for a roost. I have only ever seen that used.

 

[Chicks4fun2]

ok i will remove the carpet... my RIR, Precious, has told me she doesn't like it... and has decided she is gonna sleep in the nesting box till i fix it!

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Ha they sound really spoiled like mine they won't eat there pellets till I give them some corn or some scraps hey don't get a lot of scraps though and my rir hen she is my little baby she sets on my lap takes rides on my shoulder and she will squawk and sqawk until u let her out and then my rooster takes them out to my moms flower beds and I have to fix them and they go back in and we will start the process through out the day and she went egg bound there in the fall and still has the egg inside her and since it broke inside of her ever since she has been going on the nesting box every day and do her egg song every day and she pretends to lay but every time she kicks anyone who is in her nest with the golf balls in it out of her box because she likes her golf balls and will set there and lay her pretend egg it makes the one she kicked out mad and they won't lay it till a while after she is done it's funny but she is my baby and she comes out with me in the morning to go into the garage and get there feeder and follows ,e back to the pen and will eat with the rest she is so spoiled