Last week, straight line winds blew over an aspen tree in our yard. As my husband, Bill was cleaning up the brush he found some nice sized branches and was inspired to build a new roost for our flock of laying hens.
Chicken instinctively seek shelter at dusk and roost together high off the ground. This instinct protects them from predators and also keeps them warm as they huddle together in cold weather. Chicken coops should be equipped with a structure for chickens to use as their "roost" or "perch".
Click Read More (below) to see the complete post.
When we (and when I say "we", I mean Bill) built our chicken coop there was so much work to do, that the we just "winged it" for the roost. An old wooden ladder was jerry-rigged together and has worked, although less then perfectly, for quite a few years.
The lucky hens would perch on the top rung and those less fortunate were directly below them. As nature and gravity would have it, the hens on the lower rungs were in right in the "line of fire" when nature (or you could say "poop") took its course.
Our new perch has graduated heights in a stair step pattern, so no bird is directly below another. Bill built a free standing base with 2 x 4 inch pine boards, placed tree branches across the frame and secured the ends with screws. The branches vary in diameter, creating options for individual chickens who may like small or larger branches.
According to one source I found, chickens differ from other birds as they do not wrap their feet around the entire diameter of a branch or perch. Instead they balance with their feet and hunker down resting most of their weight on their keel bone.
I did some internet research and found different opinions of what constitutes a "perfect perch". Some say flat surfaces with rounded edges are best. I tend to go with the "closer to nature, the better" principle and am happy with our choice of tree branches.
Most sources agree that the perch should be wood as opposed to metal. Winter weather in the north, means freezing metal, and the cold can injure a chicken's feet while they roost from dusk to dawn.
The size of your perch is important and should be determined by the number of chickens in your flock. Plan about 6 - 8 inches of perching space for each bird when you design your roost.
Taking the time to create a functional roost will lead to happy hens and lots of fresh and flavorful eggs.
Want to learn more about laying hens or building a coop? Check out these posts;
Laying Hens 101
Designing a Chicken Coop
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| Our 23 hens settling in for the night. |
Chicken instinctively seek shelter at dusk and roost together high off the ground. This instinct protects them from predators and also keeps them warm as they huddle together in cold weather. Chicken coops should be equipped with a structure for chickens to use as their "roost" or "perch".
Click Read More (below) to see the complete post.
 |
| Cut up branches ready for re-purposing. |
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| Storm damage creates new opportunities. |
When we (and when I say "we", I mean Bill) built our chicken coop there was so much work to do, that the we just "winged it" for the roost. An old wooden ladder was jerry-rigged together and has worked, although less then perfectly, for quite a few years.
 |
| The old perch - back when the walls were still clean. |
The lucky hens would perch on the top rung and those less fortunate were directly below them. As nature and gravity would have it, the hens on the lower rungs were in right in the "line of fire" when nature (or you could say "poop") took its course.
 |
| The perch is free standing. |
Our new perch has graduated heights in a stair step pattern, so no bird is directly below another. Bill built a free standing base with 2 x 4 inch pine boards, placed tree branches across the frame and secured the ends with screws. The branches vary in diameter, creating options for individual chickens who may like small or larger branches.
According to one source I found, chickens differ from other birds as they do not wrap their feet around the entire diameter of a branch or perch. Instead they balance with their feet and hunker down resting most of their weight on their keel bone.
 |
| Branches were screwed securely on to the frame. |
I did some internet research and found different opinions of what constitutes a "perfect perch". Some say flat surfaces with rounded edges are best. I tend to go with the "closer to nature, the better" principle and am happy with our choice of tree branches.
Most sources agree that the perch should be wood as opposed to metal. Winter weather in the north, means freezing metal, and the cold can injure a chicken's feet while they roost from dusk to dawn.
The size of your perch is important and should be determined by the number of chickens in your flock. Plan about 6 - 8 inches of perching space for each bird when you design your roost.
Taking the time to create a functional roost will lead to happy hens and lots of fresh and flavorful eggs.
Want to learn more about laying hens or building a coop? Check out these posts;
Laying Hens 101
Designing a Chicken Coop
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