What are these people thinking?

[bearcat73]

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I'm confused. Are you saying that only people in the suburbs have backyards? I live on 12 acres out in the country and I have a nice backyard.

 

[bearcat73]

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What should they be using? I need to build a new roost and I was going to use dowels. Is the 1 inch too small, too big or what?

 

[KrisRose]

1 inch dowels are two small. Use 2x4's, flat side up.

 

[jubylives]

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I'm confused. Are you saying that only people in the suburbs have backyards? I live on 12 acres out in the country and I have a nice backyard.

I'm not saying. I was just implying that. When I first I stumbled upon this here place I was googling raising chickens in city limits and looking for ways to raise chickens in a semi concealed way. I live in a town of 13,000 and wanted to have chickens (I last said 16,000 that was a mistake).

But still even with 1 inch dowels, $1000 is a good price for that building.

jeremy

 

[Oblio13]

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Yes. Copernicus postulated that only people in the suburbs could have back yards, and then Einstein proved it mathematically.

Either you live in a suburb and don't realize it, or you actually have a front- or side-yard and are mistaking it for a back yard. Sorry dude.

 

[bearcat73]

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I thought that round was better, since in nature they would roost in trees..... and branches are roundish, not squarish. I read on here that a builder's grade banister would be an inexpensive way to build a good roost. Haven't researched enough yet though.

Thoughts?

(sorry to hijack the post)

 

[BeardedChick]

I started wtih 2x2, put a 1x3 on top of that so they'd have a wider thing to stand on. Now I have a 2x4. I think they like wider perches. They balance better, wobble less.

Any of the 'natural' 1" diameter branches growing on my trees wouldn't hold even 1 fat chicken. If they wanted to go au natural, they'd need a much bigger branch for my 14 tubbies.

It was funny when the turkeys tried to hop on a small tree, and all the branches beeeennnnnt slowly to the ground.

The tree sighed with relief when they hopped down.

 

[QBRanch]

Ok, so maybe I'm just a idiot but I have a question or two. Growing up we never put up 2x4s for them to roost on. I am not sure why and the man I would ask is 6' under ground so he won't be able to help in figuring out why we didn't. Can any of you tell me what the benifits to this would be? (Ok, I already mentioned I'm an idiot) Where would I put it? I mean I build a coop out of an old shed. two sides has the nesting boxes and the other side has nothing so would I put it in there? or would I build kind of like a perch outside? If so how high?
Alright there is my questions please understand my grand dad did things totally different then now days. And I am trying to learn the new way to things instead of those older days. Heck, I'm learning new breeds instead of just "the other breed".

 

[Weasleymum]

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OK now I'm super-new at this, but what I was told is that a flatter, wider perch helps the chickens keep their feet warm on freezing cold nights, because their feet are flat on the board and covered with their feathery bodies, instead of their little toes being wrapped around a smaller, rounder perch. Apparently it's really only a concern in climates in which frostbite is a danger.

That said, I installed the reccommended 2x4 perch, and my girls have chosen to roost by cuddling in the corner of the coop in the litter. Go figure.

-- Sincerely, a sort-of-yuppie, sort-of-hippie, right-down-town chicken keeper in a state that has just gone "blue" for the first time in 44 years...

 

[vickiemontana]

I have both inside my coop. The hens have never sat on the dowled roost but use the 2x4's sideways. Not at all like I would have thought. We had the 2x4's put up to keep our babies from the bigger hens this summer. When the little ones were big enough to we too out the chicken wire and before we had a chance to remove the 2x4's they were roosting on them. I've put a roost outside, used small dowels, and they use it but it bends so bad I'm afraid they will break it by next summer. I used an old shed as well. They will love it.