Roost type

[mossyoakpro]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-perch-experiment.74272/

Very interesting!! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[aart]

I happen to work for a builder so getting the scrap 2x4's will be easy to do....probably should have gotten those to start with and save me some $$$ LOL

Yes, Yes indeed.
But the 2" poles should be fine, I wouldn't go any smaller tho.
A 2x4 on edge is only 1.5".

 

[Shadrach]

Not the greatest picture but this hen has her toes wrapped around the branch she's perching on. If one tried to lift her directly upward one would find she had an excellent grip on the branch. The majority of chickens I've known that roost in trees wrap their feet around the branch they use as a perch.

According to conventional wisdom the branch this hen is roosting on is too small in diameter. There are plenty of other thicker branch options should this hen feel uncomfortable.

Here's a picture of a few more. They haven't fully settled yet. They also grip the branch curling their toes around the branch. You can tug at them, but until they release their grip, they won't lift off.

As you can see, they haven't chosen the thicker branches where they rest on rather than grip around.
Of course, if you only provide a perch where they can't wrap their feet around it then that's what they will use and one may draw conclusions from this that are not a good indication of the chickens real preference.

Some of the more progressive batteries have studied perching behaviour and the conclusion is that rounded perches are better for the chicken than flat ones.
There are very few wide flat surfaces up trees imo and up trees is where chickens have been roosting for thousands of years.

But, many of the chicken breeds easily available to the backyard keeper are now much larger than their ancestors and this may well infuence their perch preference. One of the reasons perch studies were undertaken was concerns about keel damage due to badly designed perches.

My view now is you can't go far wrong if you use an irregular shaped branch as a perch of a diameter suitable for the size of the chickens foot. Just because a Light Sussex with big feet prefers a two inch diammeter perch doesn't mean an Old English Game Bantam will prefer the same diameter perch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Will these be okay versus a 2x4?

That perch experiment says a lot about what chickens prefer. I did one of my own though not as scientific or detailed. My conclusion was that people are a lot more concerned about this than the chickens are. I've seen chickens choose to sleep on 12" (30 cm) wide shelves and on bits of wood less than 1" (2.5 cm) wide. The ones sleeping on that 3/4" wide wood were not Jersey Giants but they were not tiny Seramas either.

I use tree branches and a 2x4 with the narrow side up. As mentioned, the top of a 2x4 on the narrow side is 1-1/2", smaller than your 2" diameter poles. I've seen large sized fowl sleeping on the portion of a tree branch that is smaller diameter than 1-1/2". Your poles are wood. Wood is a great thermal insulator. Metal or plastic might be a problem in a colder climate but you are in Georgia, not an issue. One of the arguments some people use for a flat roost is so their feathers can cover their toes and keep them from frostbite. That's not an issue in Georgia. One guy in Alaska where it does actually get cold says that does not become an issue until you get in the range of -20 F (-30 C). Totally not an issue in Georgia.

For anybody that thinks a chicken does not grip, perch a small chick on your finger or a larger chicken in your bare wrist. Do you still think they don't grip?

In my opinion those 2" poles should do fine provided they have the structural strength to support the weight over an 8' span. I think they will. A 2x4, either flat or on end. would work great.

@Shadrach thanks for that link. I lost my links in a computer crash and am slowly putting them back together.

 

[Shadrach]

That perch experiment says a lot about what chickens prefer. I did one of my own though not as scientific or detailed. My conclusion was that people are a lot more concerned about this than the chickens are. I've seen chickens choose to sleep on 12" (30 cm) wide shelves and on bits of wood less than 1" (2.5 cm) wide. The ones sleeping on that 3/4" wide wood were not Jersey Giants but they were not tiny Seramas either.

I use tree branches and a 2x4 with the narrow side up. As mentioned, the top of a 2x4 on the narrow side is 1-1/2", smaller than your 2" diameter poles. I've seen large sized fowl sleeping on the portion of a tree branch that is smaller diameter than 1-1/2". Your poles are wood. Wood is a great thermal insulator. Metal or plastic might be a problem in a colder climate but you are in Georgia, not an issue. One of the arguments some people use for a flat roost is so their feathers can cover their toes and keep them from frostbite. That's not an issue in Georgia. One guy in Alaska where it does actually get cold says that does not become an issue until you get in the range of -20 F (-30 C). Totally not an issue in Georgia.

For anybody that thinks a chicken does not grip, perch a small chick on your finger or a larger chicken in your bare wrist. Do you still think they don't grip?

In my opinion those 2" poles should do fine provided they have the structural strength to support the weight over an 8' span. I think they will. A 2x4, either flat or on end. would work great.

@Shadrach thanks for that link. I lost my links in a computer crash and am slowly putting them back together.

It is really annoying when ones bookmarks and links vanish!

 

[mossyoakpro]

That perch experiment says a lot about what chickens prefer. I did one of my own though not as scientific or detailed. My conclusion was that people are a lot more concerned about this than the chickens are. I've seen chickens choose to sleep on 12" (30 cm) wide shelves and on bits of wood less than 1" (2.5 cm) wide. The ones sleeping on that 3/4" wide wood were not Jersey Giants but they were not tiny Seramas either.

I use tree branches and a 2x4 with the narrow side up. As mentioned, the top of a 2x4 on the narrow side is 1-1/2", smaller than your 2" diameter poles. I've seen large sized fowl sleeping on the portion of a tree branch that is smaller diameter than 1-1/2". Your poles are wood. Wood is a great thermal insulator. Metal or plastic might be a problem in a colder climate but you are in Georgia, not an issue. One of the arguments some people use for a flat roost is so their feathers can cover their toes and keep them from frostbite. That's not an issue in Georgia. One guy in Alaska where it does actually get cold says that does not become an issue until you get in the range of -20 F (-30 C). Totally not an issue in Georgia.

For anybody that thinks a chicken does not grip, perch a small chick on your finger or a larger chicken in your bare wrist. Do you still think they don't grip?

In my opinion those 2" poles should do fine provided they have the structural strength to support the weight over an 8' span. I think they will. A 2x4, either flat or on end. would work great.

@Shadrach thanks for that link. I lost my links in a computer crash and am slowly putting them back together.

Thanks!! They should hold them just fine. I put them between some cinder blocks and stood on them to be sure. I'm going to give them a try. I'll probably cut them down some so that I can lift the ladder up to clean under it so that will make it stronger still. Thanks again!!

 

[mossyoakpro]

Not the greatest picture but this hen has her toes wrapped around the branch she's perching on. If one tried to lift her directly upward one would find she had an excellent grip on the branch. The majority of chickens I've known that roost in trees wrap their feet around the branch they use as a perch.
View attachment 3220320
According to conventional wisdom the branch this hen is roosting on is too small in diameter. There are plenty of other thicker branch options should this hen feel uncomfortable.

Here's a picture of a few more. They haven't fully settled yet. They also grip the branch curling their toes around the branch. You can tug at them, but until they release their grip, they won't lift off.
View attachment 3220322
As you can see, they haven't chosen the thicker branches where they rest on rather than grip around.
Of course, if you only provide a perch where they can't wrap their feet around it then that's what they will use and one may draw conclusions from this that are not a good indication of the chickens real preference.

Some of the more progressive batteries have studied perching behaviour and the conclusion is that rounded perches are better for the chicken than flat ones.
There are very few wide flat surfaces up trees imo and up trees is where chickens have been roosting for thousands of years.

But, many of the chicken breeds easily available to the backyard keeper are now much larger than their ancestors and this may well infuence their perch preference. One of the reasons perch studies were undertaken was concerns about keel damage due to badly designed perches.

My view now is you can't go far wrong if you use an irregular shaped branch as a perch of a diameter suitable for the size of the chickens foot. Just because a Light Sussex with big feet prefers a two inch diammeter perch doesn't mean an Old English Game Bantam will prefer the same diameter perch.

Great post!! Thanks for taking the time to help out!!