Roosts

Hens prefer to roost on raised perches and will often seek out the highest location possible in their environment to keep themselves safe from predators.  In this section, we will learn how to design roosts for your coop to keep your birds the most comfortable.

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Roost Configuration

The roosting bars can be set-up as either a vertical ladder with the roost bars all at different heights or a horizontal grid where the roost bars are all on a single level.

Roost Dimensions

While roosts come in many different shapes and sizes, there are a few fundamental principles to stick to with the design:

Vertical Ladder

The lowest roost bar should be:

  • At least 40 cm above the coop floor so the chickens feel like they are above predators
  • Higher than the nest boxes to prevent chickens from roosting in the nest boxes
  • No more than 60 cm above the coop floor to prevent injuries jumping on and off the roost

The highest roost bar should be:

  • Less than 90 cm above the coop floor to prevent injuries if chickens fall
  • At least 45 cm away from the back wall
  • At least 45 to 60 cm below the coop ceiling

The vertical spacing between bars should be about 30 to 45 cm.  The total roosting space (length of all roosting bars added together) should be > 25 cm per bird to ensure they have adequate space and don’t feel crowded.

Horizontal Grid

The bar height should be 40 to 60 cm above the coop floor and located above the level of the nest boxes to prevent birds from roosting in the nest boxes.

The back bar should have at least 45 cm distance from the wall.

The horizontal spacing between bars should be about 30 to 45 cm.

The total roosting space (length of all roosting bars added together) should be > 45 cm per bird to ensure they have adequate space. The horizontal grid configuration requires more space per bird because they don’t have the extra vertical separation that helps them not feel so crowded.

Roost Bars

The bars of the roost should be made of wood with a slightly rounded top surface/corners and smooth with no sharp edges that can scratch their feet.  The ideal bar width is about 8 cm (range: 5 to 10cm) to keep the birds’ feet flatter rather than curled.  In winter, this helps keep their toes under their bodies rather than curled around the bars, which help to prevent frostbite.

Although you can use tree branches, the bark is a good hiding place for mites and these will need to be replaced regularly. The rough surface of tree branches can also damage the skin on the bottom of your chickens’ feet putting them at risk of getting bumblefoot.   Do not use plastic or metal pipes for roost since these can be too slippery. Wrapping the bars in rope will make them difficult to clean and can again provide a home to unwanted pathogens and parasites.

You also need to make that sure the bars are securely fitted in the coop so that the chickens feel secure when they are perched.