Wood's Coop Roost bars - how many deep?

[arion]

Interesting positions as I just built my coop and right now using 2 wide board perches [composite decking material] and was looking to cut the top perch down narrower because they are pooping on the wide board.

I think I'll try the best of both worlds and go with a narrow perch higher up where so far they prefer to sleep and keep the lower perch wide so in winter if with the upper perch the feet are too cold hopefully they'll know enough to use the lower and wider one.

 

[Howard E]

I think I'll try the best of both worlds and go with a narrow perch higher up where so far they prefer to sleep and keep the lower perch wide so in winter if with the upper perch the feet are too cold hopefully they'll know enough to use the lower and wider one.

arion......don't know if you found or read all the threads, but if not, the advice for most standard layer breeds is a perch / roost bar, 1.5" x 1.5" (square, with edges eased a bit) and all on the same level. That shape allows them to grasp it with their toes and rest upon it on their keel bones.

No high/low roosts. Birds will all make for the top roost, so will be crowding and knocking each other off to get there.

Unless you are in an extreme climate with sub zero temps for months on end, do not worry about cold feet. For the most part, that is us projecting what would be our concerns about cold feet if that were us. That isn't us. The birds are equipped to deal with it.

But if you feel it is best the other way, feel free to do it as you see fit.

 

[arion]

Hi Howard;

I only have 4 pullets and one cockeral and two 4' roosts so crowding isn't a problem and right now they pretty much all choose to sleep together and only use half of one roost anyway. And I live in the U.P. of Michigan and winters can be pretty severe up here so that is why I was thinking of leaving one roost wide and the other narrow. Hopefully if the feet get too cold on the narrow one they'll have enough brains to go to the wide one but who knows.....At least I'm giving them options to choose from. And yes, I read that the roosts should be rounded to mimic a small tree limb so the picture I used in my post is what I'll be picking up next week. Instead of a wide board perhaps that will make them more comfortable/natural. We shall see!

Thanks,

Doug

 

[Howard E]

Doug.....no worries then on the space.

But do read the study again. Despite what people may say here, the proper design is NOT rounded. Not a closet rod.....not a tree branch. It is square...of the right size to fit the length of their foot, with sharp edges eased or rounded over a bit. That shape best allows them to grasp the perch with front and back toes, and the widest surface area to upon which to rest their keel bone when they crouch down.

To circle back to a previous post, a 2 x 4 stud, one with all four edges eased a bit, then ripped into two 1.5" x 1.75" pieces is very close to the ideal roost for most standard layer breeds.

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

I'd put those roosts higher. They need to be higher than the nesting boxes, or the chickens will be tempted to sleep in the nest boxes. The higher the better in my opinion. Also chickens will fight over the best roosting place so the more space they can have the better. Looks like very nice coop!

Yeah, we are going to have the nesting boxes lower than the perches - I'm wondering why Woods didn't have birds sleeping in the boxes? (I read the book but quickly... might have missed something!)

Interesting discussion on the roosting bars! @Howard E thanks for the study. My husband is going to use the short side of the ripped 2x4 - to our understanding the Woods coop will keep things dry so as to minimize the chance of frostbite. We will see what happens this winter.

 

[cholland]

With the roost bars at 30" high they are just about midway of the second row of nest boxes. A little higher than the perch in front of the box.
Depending on your next box design. Mine is a 2 row, 6 pack. 12" off the floor.
Top sloped so they can't get on top of the boxes, leaves the highest roost on the bars.

 

[KSH1]

Reviving an old thread, but if the perch circumference should be slightly greater than the overall length of the birds' feet, does anyone know average chicken toe lengths??
I have standard large fowl and some giants coming, so I will probably want a couple of thickness options for them, but I don't know how much material will take up the giant toes.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Reviving an old thread, but if the perch circumference should be slightly greater than the overall length of the birds' feet, does anyone know average chicken toe lengths??
I have standard large fowl and some giants coming, so I will probably want a couple of thickness options for them, but I don't know how much material will take up the giant toes.

That's an interesting question, one I never thought about. We used 2x2's primarily for our roosting bars and/or 2x4's with the narrow side up. They are stair stepped from 3 feet to 8 feet inside the coop. We have freestanding roosts in the run area as well and they are made primarily from 2x2's. I have Jersey Giants and they have no problem using our roosts. This is Harvey, he's twice as big as most of the hens and he loves the roosts!

 

[imnukensc]

Because chickens can't cover their toes unless they're roosting on the wide side of a 2x4.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Because chickens can't cover their toes unless they're roosting on the wide side of a 2x4.
View attachment 1689534

That yellow wheel is not wide and the chickens seems fine.