Roost!?!?

[alicarthen]

My coop is small but fits my 8 girls. You can see the inside of the coop where the roost is in front of thee curtains to the nesting boxes...should I "lift" the roost another six inches, that's about all I can do.....one or two of the girls will sometimes try to sleep in the nesting boxes, but not all the time....thoughts? Thanks

 

[mainechicklet]

How did this banister railing work out for you?

We used a bannister rail for our trailer chicken coop - here is a photo of it under construction

 

[BlessedCountry6]

This ones huge ten feet tall about twelve wide

This is a small one simple to build

Larger one about five feet tall

Those look awesome! Nice work!

 

[mainechicklet]

Preparing to build two roosts in an L configuration all the same height over poop boards. Was intending to use a removable rounded off 2x4, rounded wide side up. But the new rescues vary substantially in size...bantams and standards. Would anyone recommend that I make the 9' roost 2x4 and the connecting 5' roost 2x2 or 2x3? Just seems that a 2x4 is a bit wide for a bantam.

 

[Mehjr10]

The 2x4 will work for all. They never roost on the one that you want them too.

 

[OwensChickens]

I use tree branches that have a diameter of around 2-3" now. I have done a lot of experimentation with different types of roost and the chickens like these the most. If you can't get tree branches I would use 2x2's with the corners sanded down a small bit. I have had many problems with 2x4 roosts and whenever I give hens a choice they never choose to roost on the 2x4.
Chickens have very fluffy skirts that will cover their legs and feet while sleeping on any roost, 2x4 roosts make them roost with their legs flat on the boards which very is unnatural.

I guess I have unnatural birds. I tried both 2x4s and 3" round branches right next to each other. The branch was deserted and they all fought over the 2x4.

 

[mainechicklet]

In my first run (7 hens 12x12 run) I built a tower with three milk crates that they came with, inserting through the crate handles the pieces of wood that lumber companies set your supplies on, ~2"x3". Then I cut down a 9 foot birch tree, ~3" diameter and painstakingly stripped all the bark and knots off by hand. They prefer the wood scrap tower that took me about 5 mins to assemble.

In their coop, all the roosts have ~3" diameters and all they fight over is the position next to the windows.

Silly hens.

 

[topdog24]

Now this is one of the best roosts i have seen anywhere on this site, all natural materials and more important they are the right diameter and naturally ergo healthy to the birds, mine will be very similar to this although i will have a dirt floor. I would add 2 more rungs for easier access to the upper levels as they age, but that is just me


This ones huge ten feet tall about twelve wide

This is a small one simple to build

Larger one about five feet tall

 

[topdog24]

You have the best roost material around, small saplings about 2&1/2 to 3 in

 

[mainechicklet]

I'm ultra paranoid about predators (after one of my first 4 was killed by a fox in front of me and the hawks/eagles are hovering daily) and I live in a state with harsh winters. So I have a raised insulated floor, thus I can't have the dirt flooring. In the pics above, it looks like the upper rung hens are close enough to be pooping on the lower rung hens.