Roost material??? old branch or lumber?

[fiddlechicken]

Greetings, Chickeneers!
I've read SO many posts on this lovely and amazing site as we are gathering materials for our first coop and run/ and the fluffers that will arrive next week. Yay! We are all so lucky to have such an amazing resource in BYC!

My question, as you may have guessed from the heading, is:

What shape/ size roost boards are ideal? Some seem to think lumber is fine, while others say a round shape- like a branch- works best. It seems ( to a newbie like me) that a round branch/ dowel is better for their feet, but enough peeps on this site use lumber, so I am curious about the reasoning.

I should mention here that I have an Astrolorpe, BO, EE, and a red star coming on Wednesday. (Just to give you an idea of the birds size.)

In summation- best material for the birds feet health, along with ideal diameter.

Very much looking forward to all your kind and thoughtful advice, with much thanks!

 

[Judy]

You can use either. I used to feel that roosts should be a 2x4 on the wide side, which is what mine are. But many people with a lot of experience in larger chickens such as ours prefer a fat branch. I do feel that something narrow, like a broomstick, has to be uncomfortable for them, as their feet just don't curl around things like many other birds' do. In very cold climates, the width may be even more important as it can help prevent frostbite by keeping the whole foot in contact with their body.

 

[fiddlechicken]

Aha! The missing information I needed!

I assumed that chickens curl their feet around their roost, and for all the reading I have done on this site and others, I had missed the detail that they don't- or, at least, not as much as other birds.

Thank you, Judy!

So... Fat branch (a couple inches in diameter enough, or bigger?) or a 2x4 both ok, broomstick, not so much?

 

[Judy]

I would say a fatter branch than 2". Personally, I like the wide side of a 2x4, so that's is 3.5". If I lived in Canada I would probably ake it even wider, so toes couldn't hang over and would stay well in contact with their body.