CntryBoy777 - The Lazy A** Acres Adventures

CntryBoy777

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With regard to the roosts: 2x2s are a bit narrow for the chicken's feet. 2x4 on the flat or 3" round fence poles are better because while the sit on their feet, they also pt weight on their keel. Hard to do on a 1.5" wide surface. That said, I find my chickens seem to prefer 2 types of location:
  • against a wall or HC covered opening
  • the flat junction of a single 2x perpendicular (support) to the wall and the 2x4 on the flat (or doubled vertical 2x4)
I originally started with
View attachment 23513

But later added 2x4s on the flat between the wall from where I took the picture and the open end of the original setup and found some birds liked to sit against the wall on the 1.5" wide perpendicular and the junction of the new boards and the perpendicular.

If it makes any difference, the round fence rail gets less poop on it and can be rotated. If you go with flat roosts, make some sort of "hanger" on the wall ends to drop them into so you can pick them up and take them out for cleaning or flipping over.

What you see are 8' long and I have seen no sag. But then I have only 12 birds and a year ago made a 24" x 48" long open "shelf" for the broody buster on the wall to the right of where I took the picture from. It has one central perpendicular support and the 2 on the outside obviously. No broodies in the winter so I took the box off for even more roost space last winter when I had 16 (not that the 24' they already had wasn't enough) and they show a preference for that even though there is NO wall on either side. I doubled up on the "on edge" 2x4s so they would have more body support.
....Thanks for the info!!....what is the 'Spacing' you use between the roosts?....we only have 11 and thought 2, 65" poles would do just fine...would put more but Space is at a premium for that....and if ya use 2 screws or nails on either side of the roost in the brace...it will hold the pole in place, but will allow ya to just lift them up to clean, flip, or replace...this is the system she used for raising chickens for the 50 or so yrs she raised chickens...always using 2x2s.
 

NH homesteader

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My chickens have always had probably 2" or so roosts. Never heard it was supposed to be more than that. My turkeys have slightly wider roosts but since they would prefer to roost in trees I'm not that picky about width I guess.
 

CntryBoy777

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My chickens have always had probably 2" or so roosts. Never heard it was supposed to be more than that. My turkeys have slightly wider roosts but since they would prefer to roost in trees I'm not that picky about width I guess.
...well, I didn't know if it was a northern 'Thing' or not...LOL...because of the cold and the chickens staying on the roosts for longer periods of time....2x2s was all we have ever used...and my Mom raised plenty of all kinds of Fowl in the 50+ yrs she dealt with them...she had them til the day she 'Passed' at 86 just 4 yrs ago....LOL
 

Bruce

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They will roost as high as they can get, they feel safer. Doesn't mean their feet are happy ;) Last fall after the seven 2015 chicks had been up on the 4' high roosts for months, I guess the 2 White Rocks were getting bullied by the older girls. I found them roosting on the 1/2" plywood dividers in the nest. So yes they CAN roost on narrow objects. Not needing poop in the nests, I added a steeply sloped "roof" and they figured out a way to sleep on the roosts.

It is pretty ridiculous really. There is a total of 30' of roost at 4' high (not including the perpendiculars) and another 8' long 3" round rail at 2' which they have only ever used as a jumping off point for the 4' roosts. You would THINK they could all figure out how to find a place to sleep with 3X the accepted minimum of 12" per bird. But no, they have to squabble about it every night.
 

CntryBoy777

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They will roost as high as they can get, they feel safer. Doesn't mean their feet are happy ;) Last fall after the seven 2015 chicks had been up on the 4' high roosts for months, I guess the 2 White Rocks were getting bullied by the older girls. I found them roosting on the 1/2" plywood dividers in the nest. So yes they CAN roost on narrow objects. Not needing poop in the nests, I added a steeply sloped "roof" and they figured out a way to sleep on the roosts.

It is pretty ridiculous really. There is a total of 30' of roost at 4' high (not including the perpendiculars) and another 8' long 3" round rail at 2' which they have only ever used as a jumping off point for the 4' roosts. You would THINK they could all figure out how to find a place to sleep with 3X the accepted minimum of 12" per bird. But no, they have to squabble about it every night.
.....all I've ever been around always has...LOL!!....and there is an 'Order' for them to get On the roosts....if one goes Early they have to Start all over again....Mom always used angled roosts...but, I have found that equal height roosts causes less Squabbles....and had the roosting on nests problem til the roosts were Higher than the nests...now it isn't such a problem with the roosts being Higher...am never one to discredit another's info and experience as there has never been 'Claims of Expertise' by me....there is always something to Learn and Improve on....will replace one of the 2x2s with a flat 2x4 and see if there is a Difference....we'll check it out together!!....though ya having so much Space for them to Choose from could be Difficult for them to Choose...that 'Grass is Greener' kinda thing....LOL!!...I know they say 12", but I ususally use a 15" spacing between roost poles...that way the roos aren't so Cramped.
 

CntryBoy777

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Didn't want ya to think we have just 'Ignored' our 'Herd....with all the Other stuff happening around here....they are 'BloodHounds' for those Acorns....LOL!!.... IMAG1006.jpg.....IMAG1008.jpg....we walked them by the Garden....Joyce's 'Playground'.....IMAG1004.jpg...this it right now...the first garden burned Up in the Heat and drought...but, she has some Late tomatoes that has green ones on them....hoping they will Ripen before Frost....LOL!!...always a 'Crap Shoot'!!
....she was getting Weeds out and tossing them to the ducks....ya just can't keep her Still for very long....LOL!!...I am to tell ya to Ignore the Blue Glove...that is covering her Purple cast....ROTF!!!....here's one of the 'Boys' at feedin Time...LOL!!IMAG1013.jpg....just wanted to Prove we are Still 'Herders'....LOL!!!
 

Bruce

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.....all I've ever been around always has...LOL!!....and there is an 'Order' for them to get On the roosts....if one goes Early they have to Start all over again....Mom always used angled roosts...but, I have found that equal height roosts causes less Squabbles....and had the roosting on nests problem til the roosts were Higher than the nests...now it isn't such a problem with the roosts being Higher...am never one to discredit another's info and experience as there has never been 'Claims of Expertise' by me....there is always something to Learn and Improve on....will replace one of the 2x2s with a flat 2x4 and see if there is a Difference....we'll check it out together!!....though ya having so much Space for them to Choose from could be Difficult for them to Choose...that 'Grass is Greener' kinda thing....LOL!!...I know they say 12", but I ususally use a 15" spacing between roost poles...that way the roos aren't so Cramped.
I use 18" between parallel roosts and minimum 12" from a parallel wall. The 12" minimum I mentioned was LINEAR space per bird. though in the winter I bet they use 6". Even in the summer at least half the birds use the broody buster support leaving 24' for the remaining 6.

And yep, it sure does seem like the ones that are higher in the order will intentionally go annoy another bird that is already on the roost, then go over to where they actually want to spend the night.
 

CntryBoy777

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Been wkng on several things around here....'Tying Up Loose Ends' as Mom would say....got Hay in the nest bxs....LOL!!!...IMAG1023.jpg.....IMAG1022.jpg.....got the Latch on the main GateIMAG1027.jpg....got the boards cut for the bldg door...roost poles braced....and the Best thing of all is the fact that my Sowing was not in vain....IMAG1040.jpg....ROTF!!!
 

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That's a real good looking door you built! I am impressed! :clap Mine never look that good! I built a hoop coop for my girls. Here it is, almost completed, it's not fancy, but it works. I sowed a lot of rye grass that is coming up too. It sure is nice for winter pasture.

IMG2403.jpg
 

CntryBoy777

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That's a real good looking door you built! I am impressed! :clap Mine never look that good! I built a hoop coop for my girls. Here it is, almost completed, it's not fancy, but it works. I sowed a lot of rye grass that is coming up too. It sure is nice for winter pasture.

View attachment 23688
...Thanks!!....there certainly isn't anything wrong with yours at All...ya should've seen the one we had in Florida....it was a PU bed topper on 4 posts....with lashed Bamboo roosts...LOL!!!
 
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