roosting bars?

[jcskowronek]

i have 4 about 1 month old silkies, 2 about 2 week/1 month (today!) old rirs, and 8 nine day old rirs. They are all females.

ok heres my question; when/how should i give them roosting bars? Would pvc be a good material to use (i would get the really thin stuff), or is there some type of wood I should use? how should i make them stand up?

 

[TheMauveDuck]

I gave my silkies roosting bars a few days after we got them. I used a stick in the shape of a Y so it would rest on the side of their brooder. They don't care to much for them but they do like to sleep under it. My advice would be just to make it close to the ground (mine have tried to launch themselves off) so they don't injure themselves. Good luck with your chickens!

 

[chickens really]

Use 2x4s flat side up.
Thats what I use. That way they can sleep on their feet and keep them warm.

 

[donrae]

PVC isn't the best for roosting, it's very slick and can be hard for the chicks to grasp.

I use regular old tree branches or sticks. Some have bark on still, some don't. I cut or break them to length and wedge them in the corners of the coop or grow-out pen at the height I want. I don't put roosts in my brooder, but that's cause mine is a stock tank and I don't have a good way to attach them.

 

[TheMauveDuck]

My chicks have more interest in knocking them over then roosting lol

 

[BruceAZ]

I would say the best material would be wood..round is preferred.

PVC is too slippery and metal can be too cold or hot.


i heard chickens like to roost on tree branches in the wild.. so if you can find some tree branches that are rounded and big enough. then it would be perfect!


originally, i used 1x2 rods ( i rounded the edges with the sander).. but they are bit too small

so i switched to those wooden mops i have lying around the house. They like them better.. I still have some around the house so i'm thinking of making a swing out of them for them as well.



closet rods will also work

or you can go to home depot and get those 2x2 rods (rounded the edges first) to use as perches. If you have large breeds then maybe get rods with larger diameter

lastly, it will be easy to clean if you can make them removable

the floor of my coop is also removable (if needed)

 

[BruceAZ]

these are shrubs actually but they like to roost on the branches.

I'm growing some semi-dwarf citrus tree in the backyard.. i'll leave the branches that are close to ground be so they can roost there in the future

If you have a tree that provide shade and high enough branches. i think they would rather roost on the tree branches instead of the coop.

 

[TheMauveDuck]

Wow, great idea! Our chickens would probably love to climb around in our flower bushes, we also have many small trees along our fence line. To bad the fence line is littered with predators, maybe with supervision?

 

[Jensownzoo]

In the brooder I just use plain square 2x2s set on bricks. They don't really need a lot of height when they're that small, but it gets them out of the bedding.

 

[BruceAZ]

Wow, great idea! Our chickens would probably love to climb around in our flower bushes, we also have many small trees along our fence line. To bad the fence line is littered with predators, maybe with supervision?

make your roost bars/ perches removable would be ideal

since when i found some good tree branches i'll replace them with the wood rods i'm using now

if you have no natural tree branches.. rounded rods is preferred.