Roosts

[tarajane]

Am I being dumb or OCD but aren't chickens supposed to have round dowel-like roosts so their toes can wrap around it and be more comfortable ? I have heard of using everything including an old ladder but that is not round...DUH... just checking before I get my chicks....

 

[Ridgerunner]

This can be a controversial subject, many people have strong opinions about this and many disagree. They all want what is best for their chickens but there are certainly different opinions as to what is “best”.

I’ve put up tree limbs and 2x4’s flat and on edge, mixing them up to try to get away from their established habits, to see what happens. Based on what I saw, in my opinion it doesn’t matter. Use whatever you want, that will be “best” for you.

When my chickens hunch down on my tree limb roosts or the 2x4 on edge roost, their feet disappear under their feathers when they fluff up on cold nights. One of the big selling points for flat roosts is that it helps keep their toes warm on cold nights because their feathers cover their feet. From what I’ve seen chickens can handle that on round roosts much like the wild birds do.

On the other hand chickens will often choose to sleep on flat shelves much wider than a 2x4 if that is in an optimum spot. They don’t have to curl their toes to be comfortable. Location is much more important than type of roost from what I’ve seen.

 

[Mahlzeit]

I go with 2 x 2's I have for years and haven't ever had any issues with it.

 

[Old Philosopher]

Guess you'll just have to stand there all night.

 

[donrae]

My main coop has shelves, a lodgepole trunk and 2x4 rafters. They all get used

The rafters are pretty close to the roof, so the rooster really can't fit. Younger birds seem to roost there most often.

The lodgepole trunk runs kitty corner across the back of the coop. It's about 18 inches higher than the shelves that run around the interior. That's where the head rooster and his favorite ladies sleep.

The rest of the flock sleep on the shelves. They never seem to lose the instinct to try to burrow under each other like when they're babies under momma. Or maybe my birds are just weird. But doing a head count of the ones on the shelves is a challenge cause they're always tucked under each other.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Dani, most of my brooder raised chicks tend to start roosting somewhere around 10 to 12 weeks of age. I’ve had some start just after 5 weeks and some wait longer than 12 weeks, but 10 to 12 is a good average. You can expect yours to start sleeping on roosts soon. Even very young ones will often play on them during the day, but that is perching. Roosting is when they sleep up there.

Chickens instinctively often like to roost on the highest thing available and where they sleep depends on the pecking order. The higher ones in the pecking order get to choose where they sleep. That’s usually at the highest spot but not always. The layout of the coop, position of windows, or maybe something else can alter that a little. But in any case, you want your roosts higher than any place you don’t want them to sleep, like the nests. Chickens poop a lot all the time, but at night when they are not moving around it gets concentrated. Who wants poopy eggs?

I’ve tried 2x4’s flat and on edge and tree limbs of various thicknesses. From my observations the chickens don’t really care about that. It’s height and location that counts a lot more.

I don’t know how big your cop is, floor space or vertical height, and I don’t know your layout, floor print or vertical. I can’t make specific recommendations, just general comments. Make your roosts higher than the nests and give them a way to get up and down. That may mean enough clear space to flap their wings and fly up and down or maybe ramps or a ladder of some type. I find if they have enough room to fly down instead of just jump, they don’t land as hard. If you have Silkies, well Silkies can’t fly so they become a special case.

Sometimes chickens can be bullies, especially when you integrate. But even with a flock all the same age and well-integrated some can be pretty brutal, especially on the roosts. Remember the ones higher in the pecking order get to sleep wherever they want to? They can be pretty brutal in getting the lower ranked ones to move out of the way. So give hem adequate roost space so the weaker can get away from the stronger. That’s not so much a specific number of inches per bird but more of a physical layout so they can get a horizontal separation.

When I integrate younger chickens, I often find the young ones on the roosts with the older chickens on the floor when I let them out in the morning. The younger weaker birds are afraid of the older ones, usually with a good reason. They might get pecked if they invade the personal space of an older bird so they are up there avoiding the stronger birds. And sometimes the older birds go up there just because they like to perch.

 

[AlphaRooster]

I would but the other girls would get jealous

 

[Mahlzeit]

I'm wondering if you put sand and scoop under these roosts?. I like the perpendicular to walls layout. Do the birds get along well since they are all same height?

No sand I just use dead leaves. And the birds tend to all huddle together as tight as they can. They have plenty of space to spread out but don't.

 

[shortgrass]

Ridgerunner makes good points.

It's all up to you

My birds hate round ones as soon as they get big enough to roost on 2x4s, with the 4" side flat. Their little chick feet loved the round small branches (dowel sized), but as soon as they start noticing that the big girls get a big board higher up, they start climbing up the "ladder" per se, and they tend to stop using the branches and prefer the boards, just because my roost is set up that way; they will almost always go for the top of whatever roost there is.

Here's a snapshot of one if my houses, the roost is angled almost like a big ladder leaned up against the wall. The boards are 18" apart going up, and 8" apart on the lateral going in. I found one that also shows the area I separate to brood chicks, and it has the smaller branches. I also turned the 2x4s on the roost after they had outgrown the 2" side, so now they look like this...

This was when it was first built, with the brooder.

But then again, I have free rangers that prefer the trees, and those are most definitely round branches

Try a little of both and see what they like; but if you're in an area that sees cold winters, they would appreciate wider roosts so they can tuck their feet under their bodies at night to keep them warm, no toesies getting frostbit hanging over onto a roost

 

[Hokum Coco]

Am I being dumb or OCD but aren't chickens supposed to have round dowel-like roosts so their toes can wrap around it and be more comfortable ? Chickens do have a tendon locking mechanism to accommodate round roost while sleeping (not a priority for sleep). I have heard of using everything including an old ladder but that is not round...DUH... just checking before I get my chicks....

I am subject to cold winter (Canada) and use 2x4 flat side up mounted in cups for easy removal and convenience works fine. Chickens roost on them with no problems or complaints. Location seem to be the important factor (chickens like high roost). I will guess the majority of chicken people use 2x4 on this site. Then again a minority of people still use round or tree branches. Some people say "6" some say "½ a dozen" your choice.