What do you use for roosting poles?

[ChickPeas]

How odd..Kirsten has a curled outside toe on each foot...perching on something square might help that?

 

[skeeter9]

I use 2x4's, 5" diameter round fence posts, and tree branches of varying thicknesses - that way they don't always roost on the same thing. They love them all!!

Perching on something pretty flat can help with curled toes. Probably won't actually correct it, but chickens aren't made to hold on to their perches with their feet like birds, so it may help a bit.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Tree branches of different sizes.

 

[ChickPeas]

Has anyone ever used bamboo poles? We have a rear-end load of it growing in our woods...I thought that might me nice for them, but would it be too slippery?

Thanks for the ideas you guys!

 

[mamarosa]

How high off the ground do the perch's need to be??
thanks

 

[lovemychicks9]

I don't think that too high is high enough for them. My roosting poles are at 2 feet 4 feet and 6 feet high and the girls all pile on the 6 foot pole and last night I caught 2 of them trying to get in the rafters!

 

[lovemychicks9]

Here is a picture of mine and you can see (kinda ) how high they are now and I have a smaller set for the babies so they can get used to roosting before they move into the big girls section.

 

[1shelby1]

Just wondering about sawdust from bamboo. There is a cabinet shop with FREE mostly bamboo sawdust,does anyone have any experience with sawdust or bamboo?(other than perches-which I've tried and they seem to be too slippery)

 

[DTchickens]

I use pipes.. and poles. and if i dont have any. will find a Thick tree limb and use one of them.



EDIT.. Most of my pens are 4 feet tall. and i put the poles at 2-3 feet off the ground.

 

[ChickPeas]

I didn't even know bamboo made saw dust!! Man, you learn something new every day!

Thanks for letting me know it's too slippery....that knocks that idea out.

From what I gather perches/roosts can be 2ft. high and higher....I think mine will be about 2 and 6 each....I'm not sure my fatties can get up to 6ft. but they may surprise me.