Roosting poles?

[littlechicks02]

Getting and sort of making a new coop. I've just found out about the Roosting poles, I'm concerned, are they necissary?

 

[Pork Pie]

Indeed they are! Its natural for chickens to roost. Also, it allows you to put a poop board under the roosting bars to make keeping your coop clean a lot easier.

Good luck with the build!

CT

 

[henless]

Chickens will roost on the highest spot they can reach. If you don't have roosts for them, they can and will roost in the nest boxes. They poop a lot at night. This means your nest boxes will be really poopy, and that will result in poopy eggs.

 

[123RedBeard]

Since chickens can't see very well in the dark, they feel much safer sleeping up off the ground ... Less likely for a ground preditor to get them that way ... Even in a coop, they prefer to be up off the ground/floor ...

Roosting allows them a place to perch and poop ... They stay cleaner by not having to sleep in a dirty bed!

As mentioned a poop board/tray keeps the rest of the coop cleaner, but they still will poop wherever they are when they gotta go! It's just that they stay in one place all night!

Roosting allows them to sleep in a better ventilated air environment, much healthier than sitting in the corner on the floor ...