My chicks come in next Monday, and my dad and I are finishing our coop. We are wanting to get some thoughts on roosts.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Roosts
- Thread starter ear019
- Start date
I'm not sure what you are after exactly? There are a lot of different ways you could go with this question. I'll try a few different directions.
In Huntsville, cold is not a problem at all. In your climate you can use 2x4's, 2x2's or tree limbs. If you use a board, I recommend rounding off the edges. I use sandpaper. The purpose is to make it a little more comfortable on their feet but my main purpose is to remove splinters.
You need to make the roosts higher than anything else they might roost on. Chickens instinctively want to roost as high as they can. The dominant one will normally roost in the highest spot, but that can vary. The main thing is to have them higher than the nest boxes. They poop a lot while on the roosts. You don't want them sleeping and pooping in the nest boxes.
As a minimum you need to give them 8" each of roost space but I recommend you go for more, maybe around a foot. When they are on the roosts they don't take up that much space, but they need some additional space to be able to get up on the roosts. Also, sometimes chickens, almost always hens, can be fairly mean to chickens lower in the pecking order. I find it beneficial to give them a little room to get away.
I don't know what your coop looks like. If it is a walk-in, it is sometimes beneficial to be able to move the roosts out of your way or make them totally removeable. Some people come up with complicated hinges and such so they can swing them up out of the way. I drilled holes in the ends and put nails through so I can easily remove mine.
In Huntsville, cold is not a problem at all. In your climate you can use 2x4's, 2x2's or tree limbs. If you use a board, I recommend rounding off the edges. I use sandpaper. The purpose is to make it a little more comfortable on their feet but my main purpose is to remove splinters.
You need to make the roosts higher than anything else they might roost on. Chickens instinctively want to roost as high as they can. The dominant one will normally roost in the highest spot, but that can vary. The main thing is to have them higher than the nest boxes. They poop a lot while on the roosts. You don't want them sleeping and pooping in the nest boxes.
As a minimum you need to give them 8" each of roost space but I recommend you go for more, maybe around a foot. When they are on the roosts they don't take up that much space, but they need some additional space to be able to get up on the roosts. Also, sometimes chickens, almost always hens, can be fairly mean to chickens lower in the pecking order. I find it beneficial to give them a little room to get away.
I don't know what your coop looks like. If it is a walk-in, it is sometimes beneficial to be able to move the roosts out of your way or make them totally removeable. Some people come up with complicated hinges and such so they can swing them up out of the way. I drilled holes in the ends and put nails through so I can easily remove mine.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks! And sorry about not being more specific...
I have read of some people putting 2X4s wide side up, and others narrow side up. I like the tree branch idea, too. My dad I and were almost thinking of having the roosts at different heights like a ladder.
I have read of some people putting 2X4s wide side up, and others narrow side up. I like the tree branch idea, too. My dad I and were almost thinking of having the roosts at different heights like a ladder.
There are some people that think you have to use a 2x4 with the wide side up so the chicken can cover its feet when it is roosting in cold weather. In Huntsville, you are not going to have weather cold enough to make a difference. Besides, on my tree branches, their feet are covered in their feathers when they squat down.
You will also get posts where people say their toes don't bend or they can't grip a round roost. I strongly disagree with those comments.
Lots of people have ladder style roosts. It's a traditional way to do it. They will all want to sleep on the top one but the more dominant will wind up there if there is not enough room for all. The key is to have enough room on the roosts for all of them that are higher than the nest boxes. The lower ones can be used as steps to get to the higher ones.
A standard rule of thumb is to have a minimum one foot separation horizontally and one foot vertically for ladder-style roosts. It won't hurt a thing to have more, but that one foot both directions gives them enough separation.
You will also get posts where people say their toes don't bend or they can't grip a round roost. I strongly disagree with those comments.
Lots of people have ladder style roosts. It's a traditional way to do it. They will all want to sleep on the top one but the more dominant will wind up there if there is not enough room for all. The key is to have enough room on the roosts for all of them that are higher than the nest boxes. The lower ones can be used as steps to get to the higher ones.
A standard rule of thumb is to have a minimum one foot separation horizontally and one foot vertically for ladder-style roosts. It won't hurt a thing to have more, but that one foot both directions gives them enough separation.
- Thread starter
- #5
Awesome, thank you!
I cut an 8 foot sapling and did like Ridgerunner did. They like it.
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