Roosting Poles...new to this!

[jenniescholl]

Hi,
I'm a soon-to-be first time chick owner, and we're building our coop right now. I wanted to know how high do we set the roosting pole(s) and what should the diameter be? Our coop is about 8' tall inside. We plan to have both standard size hens as well as bantams. Thanks so much!
Jennie in CA

 

[silkiechicken]

I personally would put one pole 2 feet high and the other at 4. You could put one at 6 too if you like. Use the flat side of a 2x4.

 

[mhoward92]

I second Silkiechicken's response.

 

[countrygirl4513]

I use landscaping timbers for mine. They work great. I've got mine tiered like Silkie suggested.

 

[patandchickens]

make sure the roosts are higher than the nest boxes, otherwise they will quite likely roost in the nest boxes instead, and you'll have pooey eggs.


Pat

 

[homefarm]

My roosts are around 2 foot high..i use tree saplings as roost polls around 2 in in dia their rounded off already also i slant the top of my nest boxes so the can't roost on them around 45 degres .... homefarm....

 

[twigg]

Yeah .... I suspect most slant the tops.

Roosting IN them is the problem

 

[adante]

hi guys, another complete newbie here, I don't mean to hijack the thread but was hoping someone could answer some other questions about the roosts

I have a 2' x 5' x 2'6 roost box (that is width, length, height) which is 4' off the ground. I know this is not exactly optimal but I was hoping to fit at least 2 perches in there. Could someone advise me as to the best configuration for the perches? I am wondering about:

1. how high do the perches need to be relative to the floor of the roost? I have read that chickens like to sleep on high perches but I'm not sure if means relative to the floor of the roost, or the perch, or both.
At the moment I am thinking of mounting them 3.5" off the roost floor, which doubles as a poop tray (so 4'3.5 from the ground). Will they be happy with this?

2. what sort of horizontal spacing should I use? with 24" I was just going to space them 8" apart.

3. I was also thinking of a staggered roost, but I really have no idea how far a chicken can jump or what height I should be looking at.. another 8" higher than the lower?

And finally regarding the perches, I am using a 19mm x 43mm (~= .75" x 1.7") wood.

4. Is this ok, dimension wise? (the 43mm would be the flat side)

5. How round do I have to make the corners? Do I need a full 19mm radius or is it adequate to simply shave the sharpness from the edges?

A picture of my roost is attached. Please feel free to suggest different suggestions for the a/b/c/d/e dimensions or inclusion of x/y/z perches (at the moment only planning on x and y perch)

 

[silkiechicken]

hi guys, another complete newbie here, I don't mean to hijack the thread but was hoping someone could answer some other questions about the roosts

I have a 2' x 5' x 2'6 roost box (that is width, length, height) which is 4' off the ground. I know this is not exactly optimal but I was hoping to fit at least 2 perches in there. Could someone advise me as to the best configuration for the perches? I am wondering about:

1. how high do the perches need to be relative to the floor of the roost? I have read that chickens like to sleep on high perches but I'm not sure if means relative to the floor of the roost, or the perch, or both.
At the moment I am thinking of mounting them 3.5" off the roost floor, which doubles as a poop tray (so 4'3.5 from the ground). Will they be happy with this?

There is no min or max height from the ground. My lowest perches are about 6 inches from the ground. My highest are 2 feet because I have heavy breeds and don't want to risk leg injuries.



2. what sort of horizontal spacing should I use? with 24" I was just going to space them 8" apart.

8 inches apart, except for the smallest banties will probably leave some chickens to be pooped on at night if they don't sit on the highest roost. A rule is about 12 inches in spacing. Too close to walls and they can damage their tail feathers too.


3. I was also thinking of a staggered roost, but I really have no idea how far a chicken can jump or what height I should be looking at.. another 8" higher than the lower?

A rule I hear for this is 12" by 12" min spacing.


And finally regarding the perches, I am using a 19mm x 43mm (~= .75" x 1.7") wood.

4. Is this ok, dimension wise? (the 43mm would be the flat side)

Those would be some small perches from my experience. Unless you are roosting seramas, their feet would not fit well. They don't "grab" perches like other birds but rather sit and lean on it with their keel. I recommend 4 inches on the flat side, although, for smaller breeds, 2 may be able to work ok. I would also worry about sagging roosts if the span is greater than about 2 feet if that is regular wood.

5. How round do I have to make the corners? Do I need a full 19mm radius or is it adequate to simply shave the sharpness from the edges?

I have never rounded my corners on the roosts... they have worn round over time though...

A picture of my roost is attached. Please feel free to suggest different suggestions for the a/b/c/d/e dimensions or inclusion of x/y/z perches (at the moment only planning on x and y perch)



[URL]http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/2763/roostrj2.th.jpg[/URL]

 

[adante]

Quote:
Hi silkie, I guess based on your advice I may have to go wit ha single 4" perch as my roost box simply does not seem to be big enough for 2

some more questions though..

1. is it okay to just make the floor of the roost a poop tray? I have seen some people put plastic netting down as a floor but I'm curious as to whether this is absolutely necessary?

2. is generally it more desireable to have an open air roost or closed (walled-in) roost? I originally designed for a walled in roost but as I have the option of removing the walls, I wasn't sure if this was desireable with regards to making the chickens feel safe etc.

3. what's the maximum angle at which I can make a ladder to the roost at? is 45 degrees too much?