What type of roost?

[lablover]

I have a dog kennel coop, and the easiest roost to put up were branches/small limbs. I just moved my chickens in to this coop, and they seemed to have a hard time adjusting to the new roost. They are used to roosting on a 2x4 ripped in half. So, should I just stick out with the branches? They're pine, but they're good and round. Or should I try to get a full 2x4 so that they have a good flat base?

 

[shmccarthy]

I also have a chain link dog fence for my run and I have both round branches and 2x4s for roosting. I found that they like whichever one I put up the highest.

 

[blondiebee181]

They defs like to roost high....if I were to re-do my coop, I would have made a few higher ones, I have a hen that thinks roosting up high means trying to sleep on the roof lol. I use 2 inch dowels, but I know a lot of peeps use 2X4s mainly because in the cold it alows the chickens to cover their toes completely with their feathers....how long have you had em? It always takes a bit of adjusting to new environments and routines for them. I have an older second-hand hen from a neighbor that laid her egg on the ground for a while because it took her about a week to get used to my nest box system...

 

[lablover]

Yes, they definitely chose the highest one. Last night was their first night in the new coop with the new roosts. I even had to put a light up for them until they found a good spot to stay.