Topic of the Week - Perches for Coop and Run

[sumi]

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Perches are a coop essential, as chickens instinctively fly up to a high place to roost at night, to keep them safe from predators while they sleep. And it's also nice for them to have a place to perch on during the day, should they feel like it.

There are many options, designs, ideas, etc floating around when it comes to perches and what can be used, so this week I would like to hear and see you all's thoughts and practices when it comes to these coop essentials. Specifically:

- What do you use as perches?
- How high and wide do you make your perches?
- What materials are NOT suitable for perches and why?

Pic by @Just4u2c​

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https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

 

[azygous]

Living in a pine forest as I do, I use pine branches for perches. I chose four inch diameter pieces, and I stripped off the rough bark. They make a comfortable surface that accommodates the natural curve of chicken feet.

The perches are 30 inches off the floor. However, I have a special low perch for my two "plus-size" girls, a Cochin and a Brahma. It's also a thick branch but just ten inches off the floor.

I also have perches out in the run that the chickens like to loaf on. Those are about twenty inches off the ground. I also have a swing that is popular with the youngsters. Besides being fun, chicks find it handy to fly up onto to avoid the bigger individuals.

Small diameter perches should be avoided. Broom handles, for example, are much too small to support an average chicken body. This also goes for tree limbs. They should be at minimum, two inches in diameter. Very rough bark should be avoided as it can damage chicken feet, which contrary to what some people may think, are not indestructible.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

In my coop, I have 2x4s, in the run I have one 2x4 that spans a 8' section, and then branches every where else. You can see my biggest branch, with my EE's feet on it.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

My pinion:

NO ROUND PERCHES!

Advice from a very experienced chicken owner:
"During with winter, when I chicken lays down on a roost, like a dowel, or another rounded perch, they can't put there fluff over all of there toes.The result after a while?Frostbitten toes.With 2X4's or another flat perch, they can coverall there toes, the result?Warm feet."

 

[hlhutchinson]

In our coop we have a 2x4

In the run a tree branch

I like the tree branch best, I just think is looks nicer and a bit more natural to what they would have in the wild

 

[knwisdom]

I Have a mix of materials. I also live in a pine forrest and have used large branches to create a jungle gym in the run.

In the coop I used painted 2x4s wide side up for roosts. They are 18" apart vertically, 12" apart horizontally and about 18" up from the poop board which is 3 ft off the ground for easy clean up for me. I also have a ladder going to the first roost which some of the girls use.

From the lowest roost I have a 2x2 that bridges the first roost to the upper nest boxes. I added this because the girls had a hard time accessing the boxes and it is now one of the favorite roosting spots.

About half the girls use the 2x4 and half the 2x2 at night. Though during summer, my barred rock, Sweet Pea, sleeps in the window sill. (The window is cover with hardware cloth.)

 

[shawthorne44]

We have 2x4's as high up as we could place them and still have room for the chickens to not bump their heads. We had 20 chickens and I didn't want staggered heights for the roosts. The chickens can have all the rankings they want, but the lowest rank chicken will get equal access to the good things in life. So all the roosts are at the same height.
Although the roost spots nearest the door opening does seem to be the cool kids lunch table. I can't do anything about that, but at least they are all the same height.

There are two ramps to the roosts. DH had thought that one would be fine and the chickens would just move over. But two is barely enough.

 

[aart]

Key for roosts IMO is to have them at least 12" away from wall and about a foot higher than nests.
Height of roost is determined by landing area, that's why I have ramps in my 6' wide coop tho not all birds use them.

I use 2x4's wide side up, 2x2's, and a bench and branch out in run.

Some roost on 2x2 edge of board....some like the board itself:

 

[bruceha2000]

If you use 2 by 4 lumber, do you round the edges, and if so , what is the quickest way to do it?

Shouldn't be necessary, they aren't usually a crisp, sharp 90° edge. If you did want to do it the quickest way is with a roundover bit in a router. But if you don't already have a router, you can just use a wood rasp or coarse sandpaper.

If one does have parallel roosts, they should be at least 18" apart to keep birds from running into each other or picking on each other.

 

[FlyWheel]

And the flat vs round debate goes on. I figure the modern chicken is basically a domesticated jungle fowl, which have evolved/were designed to roost in trees, and trees rarely have flat limbs. Makes sense to me.

I used a wooden stair rail. I roughened the top a bit with a course sandpaper so it's not super smooth and too slippery for the birds

The width is about two and a half inches and their feet fit perfectly across the flatter top, their talons just curling around the rounded sides. When they sit down their feathers cover their feet completely so they stay warm.

The downside is it isn't as cheap as a 2x4, definitely not as much as a tree branch gathered from the forest.