silly question

[wannalive]

i just recently got into keeping chickens, and i purchased a coop from a friend. and it has no roost in it but had a shelf about 16 inches wide, running the width of the coop, around 4 foot high.. also has a ladder giving easy acces(although they can make that jump). my question is, is this good enough for them to roost on.. or do they need actual 2x4's or the right sized sticks.. only problem i see with the shelf is, the poo caint fall thru, so you pretty much have to clean it everyday or they will lay in their own waste..

 

[AngelzFyre]

Most people use a 2X4 turned on it's side so that the 4inch side is what they roost on. Chickens sit over their feet and feet are flat on the perch, not curved around it like parrots, wild birds. They usually fluff up feathers and sit on top of feet to keep them warm in winter.

As far as the shelf is concerned, they'd roost on it probably but like you said the poop won't fall through and you'd more than likely have to clean it daily.


And btw:

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yeah, I would ditch the shelf and install perches.

 

[wannalive]

thanks alot for the speedy replies. and for the welcome. yeah i have had the 3 chickens for 2 weeks, and they have been using the shelf, but i have had to clean it ALL the time.. i pretty much knew i needed real pearches not the shelf.. i guess i just needed/wanted to hear it from someone more expeenced.. thanks