What’s your (or your chickens) favorite type of roost bar?

[CityslickerHomestead]

I’ve had chickens for six years now and am going to revamp their coop (again!) and wanted to see if any one had more insight on roost bars.

They’ve always used a 2x4 with the wide side up. Temporarily my chickens are also using some 2x6 with the wider side facing up. They don’t seem to have a preference and the lumber is just your standard cheap wood, nothing fancy. I sand down rough spots to prevent splinters but that’s it.

Do you do anything different with your roost bars? Are they narrower? Wider? Rounder? Covered in something?

Let me know!

 

[Sic]

My chickens, being of different breeds and body types, prefer branches that are naturally variable in size with the largest end at about 4" in diameter and the smallest about 2" in diameter. I have branch roosts in their coop and standard 2x4 lumber roosts 4" side up in the runs. The branches seem to be preferred, the run roosts are rarely used.

 

[Penpal]

I also use 2 x4 with wide side up. I also sand.

 

[Ted Brown]

I used 2'x3' rough cut wood, wide side up. I did, of course, sand smooth and then rounded the edges with a small round over router bit. Dimensions did not change much so 1/2 smaller than 2x4 on the wide side, 1/2 bigger on the narrow side. I have easy access to rough cut lumber, less expensive than big box stores.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I've also gone to branches. The only one of my chickens that has bumblefoot is my rooster, who roosts on the only length of roost that is still 2x4, 4" side up.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I've also gone to branches. The only one of my chickens that has bumblefoot is my rooster, who roosts on the only length of roost that is still 2x4, 4" side up.

How high is your 2x4 roost? I would think the bumblefoot has more to do with his weight and him jumping off than the roosting bar type.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How high is your 2x4 roost? I would think the bumblefoot has more to do with his weight and him jumping off than the roosting bar type.

I would say about 3 or 3.5 feet high. I'd have to measure to be sure. We use shredded paper for bedding in the hen house, so he should have a pretty soft landing. He only has the b'foot on one foot, so maybe it started as an injury.

 

[perkolator]

Inside my coop I was using 2x3's wide side (2.5") up and they seemed fine. Now I use natural branches ~3" diameter in the secure run where they prefer to roost; some have bark, some are stripped smooth. My bars are ~5.5' high, with about 12" of arborist mulch bedding below them. Some of my chickens will jump straight up/down from the floor, others will use the ladder system to get up/down, the rungs are spaced 10-12" vertically. Have not noticed bumble foot on any chicken