square or round perches

[Butterflygirl50]

Most chicken owners on this site use 2x4's wide side up for roost myself included. I live in Canada where winter is harsh. I find they rest better in cups for easy removal to clean my poop boards which are only 3½" inches away. My poop boards work as a safe guard for eggs laid through the night.

There is a large minority that use branches or round roost with excellent results. The round roost are beneficial in the wild while the birds sleeps and certain smaller heritage breeds would prefer them. The chicken has an automatic locking mechanism in its foot that prevents it from being blown off a round roost in strong winds.
Not a problem in most coops.

Experienced chicken owners who raise chickens bred for egg production would agree that positioning or the highest roost in a coop are the most desired regardless if it were round or flat.

Something a kin to their favourite nest box.

I ended up buying 2x4's at Lowe's. They seem happy with them.
Thank you.

 

[Bz1]

I use 2X4's and cut the top two corners off. They seldom get any poop on the boards.
I did make the spacing wider after this picture was taken.

Where did you get brackets rounded like that to hold the rounded 2x4? What are they called?

 

[ChickEngineer]

Where did you get brackets rounded like that to hold the rounded 2x4? What are they called?

I got them at Home Depot, I believe they are called joyce? brackets, I bent them to the shape of the trimmed perches.

 

[Howard E]

If you really want to do it right.......roost bars are 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" and all the same level. NO ladders!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/proper-design-of-roost-bars.1197058/

 

[Egghead_Jr]

That's how I do it. Works well. Love 2x2 sticks of lumber as long as you cull through the pile for straight ones.

 

[starryhen]

If you use sawed lumber, I suggest you sand off the edges. That is not so much for the comfort of them wrapping their toes around the edges but to avoid splinters that can lead to bumblefoot.

For what it's worth, here is a shot of my roosts. I know it does not get that cold here. My lowest overnight lows have only been a little below 0* Fahrenhiet. I have not had any issues with them roosting on these tree branches.

Hey, I know you posted a long time ago but what breed of rooster is that? A wonderful rooster adopted us and I have never been able to find out what he was. Looked exactly like your rooster, here.