What shape of roosts do you use in your chicken coop?

[Builder Dan]

I aftually use old branches of a tree, it gives them a rougher surface to hold on to and personally I think it looks cool.

 

[MrsPeterTHooper]

Before putting a roost in the coop, for a day, I put a round roost and a 2x4 flat roost in the pen. All the chickens preferred the flat one for hanging out on so that's what I mounted in the coop.

 

[Beth S]

I have a 2x4 flat on the wide side. It’s about a foot off of the floor of the coop. The only time my 2 chickens use it is when I place them on it, and they jump off a few minutes later.

 

[ReliezFarm]

I also did an experiment with round and rectangle perches, same height next to each other. They didn't seem to care much. It's not freezing here so no worries about their feet freezing. They would also fly up into the tree and prefer to go out on the skinny branches. All of my chickens can definitely grip and wrap their long toes around what they perch on. I often carry them around perched on my arm and they have a firm grasp. For round I use the wooden closet rods and cut the ends square so they lock into my slotted bracket and don't spin. I can remove them easily for cleaning and access.

 

[Vicker]

Wide board for bigger butts. They seem to settle down with more stability and can nestle down to cover their feet in the cold weather.

 

[PicketFarmer]

I use 2x4s screwed into the wall of the coop, one 24" off the ground, the other 12" higher. They seem to like it well enough, but I notice that they when they're outside, they prefer to perch on the sides and back of the metal chair, which has slimmer armrests, as opposed to the plastic chair with armrests that are about as wide as their regular roosts. They also like to perch on the thin side of my wrist and arm, and on my fingers as opposed to my palm. So I'm looking into screwing a few thick branches into the wall of their yard (picket fence, same as their coop) to give them some options when they just want to chill outside.

 

[RoseHawke]

2x2's. Just what I had at the time!

 

[centrarchid]

If you read this experiment you'll see that they don't care if the roosts are flat, round, narrow, or wide. People do but chickens don't.

Perch Experiment

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-perch-experiment.74272/

If you look at this photo you'll see that the can actually grip.
View attachment 2273107

This photo is my main roosts, made from tree branches. I used them because an ice storm the previous winter made them available when I needed something.
View attachment 2273111

This photo shows my juvenile roost, a 2x4 on edge. I used it because it was available when I needed something.
View attachment 2273112

I did some experimenting myself before the guy that did the experiment documented above. I used tree branches, 2x4's flat, 2x4's on edge and reached the same conclusion he did. People care about this but chickens don't.

In my experience, roost location over rides dimensions of roost most of the time. Exception to that is when roost too small, too large, or too flimsy. Letting the chickens roost in trees helps understand that. I like my fabricated roosts to mimic what they are more likely to use in a tree setting.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

In my experience, roost location over rides dimensions of roost most of the time. Exception to that is when roost too small, too large, or too flimsy. Letting the chickens roost in trees helps understand that. I like my fabricated roosts to mimic what they are more likely to use in a tree setting.

Your chickens mostly (all?) bantam/ game, @centrarchid?

 

[centrarchid]

Your chickens mostly (all?) bantam/ game, @centrarchid?

Roughly equal numbers of American Game and American Dominique. Former prone to rooster higher, although have similar roosting habits otherwise. Even the dominiques will roost 30 feet up if they can.