Roosting rod necessary?

[goodeggsforyou]

Hello all. Some years ago I was very active here when I first had my 10 chickens. We had a very large coop and good success which was a joy. Now that I'm wanting to have chickens again I'm just looking at one of these small ready-made coops for two chickens. The Builder tells me however that there is no roost inside. Must chickens actually have a roosting rod; is it harmful to them if they don't?
Thanks for any thoughts!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome back to active life on BYC. I seem to recall that Eglu coops do not (all) have roosts and they go for serious money (I am assuming they know their stuff). Maybe from a hygiene point of view a roost is preferable to messy feathers however and it fits with natural behaviour

ETA: the Eglu coops include plastic grills / bars to aid hygiene
https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/chicken_keeping/eglu_cube/

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Hello! Welcome to BYC!! I agree w/ Pork Pie. Roosting is an instinctive and natural behavior for chickens. And they poop a lot at night

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Roosting is something chickens want to do. If you don't give them a place to roost, that goes against normal chicken behavior. They don't have roosts on an egg farm. 4 or 5 hens get their beaks trimmed and packed into each cage. That isn't the life a chicken would choose given a choice.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to active posting on BYC! Nice to meet you.
Chickens want to roost. And as @Pork Pie pointed out, their fluff is likely to get dirty as it will be difficult for them clean their feathers when they poop at night.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal community! Best wishes and have lots of fun!
Like already mentioned,roosting is a must!

 

[drumstick diva]

Thank you for joining us at Backyard Chickens, the pulse beat of the chicken community.

Chickens instinctively roost above ground(on a roost) where they feel they will be safe from ground predators. They also like to sleep with feet out in front of them, so in cold weather they can cover them with their head.

 

[Leahs Coop]

Hello and welcome back to Backyard Chickens! So glad you decided to join us.

Great advice given

 

[Cyprus]

Yes, chickens need a roost.
Do you like your bed?

 

[fldiver97]

Welcome back!