What do you make your roosts out of?

[UnlabeledMama]

Great suggestions everyone! Thank you!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

2X2's are cheap and easy, heck that's what I framed the small coop with.

If you've a large coop you can stand up in I'd not put a roost any higher than it's easy for you to collect the birds from if ever a need.

 

[karlamaria]

2x4 , they got plenty of room to roost and sit on there feet in the deep winter. We tried a few different roosts, they preferred the 2x4's .

 

[UnlabeledMama]

2X2's are cheap and easy, heck that's what I framed the small coop with.

If you've a large coop you can stand up in I'd not put a roost any higher than it's easy for you to collect the birds from if ever a need.

Good point on the height! Our coop has a slanting roof from 8' to 6' tall so I don't need them that high up!

 

[ll]

plastic textured decking material - doesn't absorb and they get a fine grip too.

 

[mickey328]

That's an excellent idea! And since it's not organic, it won't harbor mites or other pesties.

 

[Yardfarm Family]

Also if you're in a colder climate make sure you don't place them right in line with your vents. You don't want cold air blowing directly on them. Instead make sure they are below so they don't feel a draft. I also went with ladder style 2x4's with the 4 side up so my girls can tuck their feet under their feathers. They all try to squeeze on the top one but at least 2 get bumped one down.

 

[bruceha2000]

I have several styles, though only 2 are intentional

The short gray ones on the left are plastic steps from a swimming pool ladder given to me by a friend. They are clearly marked "No jumping or diving" but the girls can't read so they do jump off of them. I put these in so they could get up when they were little (went into the coop at 4 weeks) . They still use them occasionally. Mostly they flap to the 2 foot rail then to the front 4' rail. Except the Cubalayas, often as not, they will fly straight to the front 4' roost..

The one on the bottom is a round 8' 3" fence rail. It is 2' off the ground.

The top TWO roosts are at 4'. You can't really see that there are 2 in this picture. The front one is a 2x4 on the flat, 9" back of the 2' high pole. Behind the 2x4 is another 3" fence rail. 18" behind the front one and 12" in front of the wall.

The ends of the top roosts are connected to a 32" long 2x4 (narrow side up) which is screwed to the back wall and supported by the vertical and angled legs you see on the left.

When they were little, they all hung out on the left side, most along the short 2x4 and the "leftovers" on the left ends of both 4' roosts. Now they mostly sleep on the right side near the wall (now covered with clear plastic on the outside for the winter). The other side of the wall is a storage room. GENERALLY speaking, about half of them are on the front 2x4 and half on the back fence rail. Even though there is enough space for 16 (based on the 'foot per bird' calculation) at the 4' height, they still fight for whatever means "the best spot" on the two top roosts. I don't think the 12 of them are using even 5' of space total. Lots of squawking and flapping and birds hitting the ground then flying back up before they settle down. Too bad they can't figure out who sits where BEFORE they go up rather than having the pushy birds walk over the others to get where they want to sleep. The Cubalayas are smaller so they get shoved around the most. Sometimes the Easter Eggers, about the biggest birds I have, say "heck with you all" and sleep on the left side of the rear rail. At least that is where I last see them, who knows if they move around at night.

None sleep on the 2' roost and never have though they do sometimes sit there during the day.

Why did I choose these roosts? I am CHEEP, CHEEP, CHEAP

The fence rails were in the small barn that used to be a coop in years past but the whole structure is questionable. Roof leaks and any number of predators could wander in through the rubble stone foundation with no effort. The 2'x4' were laying around or supporting something that SHOULD have been fixed a decade ago but the prior owners didn't make the time. Some of the stuff they left is pure trash, some is useful if, like me, you figure anything longer than 8" HAS to be of use EVENTUALLY.

Bruce

 

[bruceha2000]

What do you use to make your roosts? And how far up do you place them? I wanted to do a leaning roost against one wall of the coop - how far apart would you put them?

Thank you!

I don't know that they would want a leaning roost. Has to be uncomfortable sleeping on a angle. They might use it as a perch during the day though.

Bruce

 

[debid]

I don't know that they would want a leaning roost. Has to be uncomfortable sleeping on a angle. They might use it as a perch during the day though.

Bruce

I think she meant a ladder style roost. You know, where the supports are at an angle and there are perches mounted at varying heights... I was going to do that but after reading several times about how they'll all sleep as high as they can get, I put up a single roost with a place to hop halfway. A couple of them can go 3' straight up/down but most of them use the two-hop method.