Roost for chicks?

[afieldssnowyegger]

Hi!

I'm going to be attempting to hatch 36 chicks next month (first time hatching my own so I don't know how great the results will actually be) and I'm wondering how I should build a roost for them? My current hens started perching around 3 weeks old in the brooder, so I won't put anything in the brooder for the new chicks until around that time...... my first perch/roost that I built for my girls ended up being a bit unstable and ultimately was unsuccessful. For the new one, I'm thinking a roost very close to the ground would be best, just a couple inches above the floor probably. Does anyone have any tips, or some pictures of things that worked you? I'm also not super certain about how long it should be (I know it needs to be wide enough for their feet to be flat, so I'm thinking 2-3 inches for that) but I want them to be able to all fit on it, or at least most of them. My brooder is about 3 feet x 10 feet.

Thanks

 

[3KillerBs]

I used a series of "training roosts" when brooding my chicks. They liked being able to get up on things.

One was just a conveniently-shaped twig and another was a bit of 1x2 furring strip nailed to a couple chunks of scrap 2x4.

 

[afieldssnowyegger]

I used a series of "training roosts" when brooding my chicks. They liked being able to get up on things.

One was just a conveniently-shaped twig and another was a bit of 1x2 furring strip nailed to a couple chunks of scrap 2x4.

Thank you so much! I think I'm going to use the second idea!

 

[3KillerBs]

Here's a photo:

 

[Isadora]

Here's a photo:

View attachment 2605727

We use something similar for our chicks. Attached it to a 2x4 (It actually may be a bigger piece of wood, but same principle) and the other end is actually put through the chicken wire on the other side to hold it up. The actual roost that they sit on is thinner, so they could close their foot around it.

 

[afieldssnowyegger]

Thank y'all so much! (especially for the pictures, those really help!!) and such cute little chickies too!