So, if you are a pet chicken owner or breeder your utmost concern is to give your chicks a good climate so that they would stay happy and healthy. One very crucial element for a good chicken coop design is the rooster. The rooster is a stylish feature to your coop which not only keeps your chickens happy and safe but is a desired place for hens to sit in and a perfect place to rest, sleep,and rooster on after the day’s work. In this extensively written article, let us look at 13 best chicken roost ideas your chickens will buzz around.
1. Ladder Roost
Possibly the very best option is a ladder-style chicken roost, an easy to make chicken roost that’s both practical and versatile. To make a chicken roost ladder, gather some pieces of wood slats, make a few cuts, and assemble them in the shape of the ladder. This roost option is especially well-suited to flocks consisting of different breeds, as the varying levels on the ladder serves to accommodate chickens of different sizes and temperaments.
Materials Needed:
Wood slats
Nails or screws
Saw
Hammer or drill
Instructions:
Cut the wood slats to your desired length.
Assemble the slats into a ladder shape, ensuring that the rungs are evenly spaced.
Secure the rungs with nails or screws.
Place the ladder roost inside your coop, leaning it against a wall for stability.
2. Fence Roost
If you already have fencing in the chicken run, the tops of those fences make great roosts for chickens. Simply rivet 2 x 8-inch framing lumber to the tops of the fences so that your chickens can enjoy roosting in the higher perches. If your fencing consists of a wide wire weave, use the fence posts for roosting spaces.
Materials Needed:
Existing fence
Optional: additional wood or metal posts for extra stability
Instructions:
Ensure that the top of the fence is smooth and free of sharp edges.
If needed, add additional posts to provide more roosting spots.
Put food or treats on the fence to encourage them to use the roost line.
3. Swing Roost
Add a swing roost to your chicken coop for a fun, moving addition, and a quirky place for your flock to roost. Swinging motions give the chickens something appealing to keep up with, and provide a different roosting experience. Swing roosts can be made by stringing a sturdy branch or a piece of wood with a knotted piece of rope.
Materials Needed:
Sturdy branch or piece of wood
Strong rope
Drill
Instructions:
Drill holes at both ends of the branch or piece of wood.
Thread the rope through the holes and tie secure knots.
Suspend the chicken’s swing roost from the ceiling of the coop so that it hangs at the height of your chickens.
4. Rustic Tree Branch Roost
Roosting in a piece of rough branch is a natural option that they can use, and one to which they are obviously drawn: tree branches have variable diameters, and bark that offers grip, making them natural options that are easy to implement.
Materials Needed:
Sturdy tree branch
Saw (if needed)
Sandpaper (optional)
Instructions:
Select a sturdy tree branch that is free of sharp edges and splinters.
If needed, cut the branch to the desired length.
Sand any rough spots to prevent injuries.
Fasten it securely, either against the sides of the coop, or supported under it.
5. PVC Pipe Roost
PVC pipes make a good, inexpensive option for roosts. They are easy to sanitise, can be most any length, and will fit into any permanently-constructed coop.
Materials Needed:
PVC pipes (2-3 inches in diameter)
PVC pipe connectors
Saw
Sandpaper
Instructions:
Cut the PVC pipes to your desired length.
Use PVC pipe connectors to assemble the pipes into a roosting structure.
Sand any rough edges to prevent injuries.
Secure the PVC pipe roost inside your coop.
6. Roosting Tree
A roosting tree is a beautiful and inspiring option for your chicken coop, wherein you place a large branch or small tree inside the coop that provides several places for your chickens to roost in.
Materials Needed:
Large branch or small tree
Saw (if needed)
Sandpaper (optional)
Supports or brackets
Instructions:
Take a stout branch or small tree of one’s choice, not blunt, but sharpened on the outside, with its lower parts cut off and those on top shaved smooth.
If needed, cut the branch or tree to the desired height.
Sand any rough spots to prevent injuries.
Secure the branch or tree inside your coop using supports or brackets.
7. Nesting Box Roost
These chicken nesting boxes will encourage your chickens to use the nest boxes if you install perches above or surrounding the ones you add.
Materials Needed:
Existing nesting boxes
Wood slats or dowels
Nails or screws
Saw
Hammer or drill
Instructions:
Cut the wood slats or dowels to your desired length.
Fasten them to the hole above or around the nesting boxes with nails or screws.
Ensure that the perches are stable and secure.
8. Drying Rack Roost
Another option that I sometimes see is to use an old drying rack or clothes horse that you might have lying around. The advantage of this option is that it is very easy to implement, and it will allow for multiple levels – which your flock should appreciate. Hopefully this helps some of you get started on checking off your list of items to buy!
Materials Needed:
Old drying rack or clothes horse
Instructions:
Make sure the airer or clothes horse is steady and not sharp-edged.
Hang the drying rack inside your coop, positioning it at the right height for your chickens.
If your chooks keep pooping on it (and they will) offer bribes like treats or chicken feed, to get your flock to use the rack as a roost.
9. Window Frame Roost
Window frames make excellent perches – firm, enclosed, rewarding perch space, and many can be found together in the form of a window. Assemble your own out of scrap lumber or use broken window panes discarded from a construction site.
Materials Needed:
Old window frame or wood scraps
Nails or screws
Saw
Hammer or drill
Instructions:
If using wood scraps, assemble them into a window frame shape.
Secure the window frame inside your coop using nails or screws.
Ensure that the frame is stable and free of sharp edges.
10. Wooden Pallet Roost
A wooden pallet is also a cheap and easy chicken roost idea. Look around online to find someone selling them locally.
Materials Needed:
Wooden pallets
Saw (if needed)
Sandpaper (optional)
Supports or brackets
Instructions:
Select a wooden pallet that is free of sharp edges and splinters.
If needed, cut the pallet to the desired size.
Sand any rough spots to prevent injuries.
Secure the pallet inside your coop using supports or brackets.
11. Old Furniture Roost
Have some old furniture you don’t use any more? Perhaps now is the time to turn it into a chicken roost. Take old cabinets, chairs and tables to repurpose them in a unique and useful roost.
Materials Needed:
Old furniture (e.g., cabinet, chair, table)
Saw (if needed)
Sandpaper (optional)
Supports or brackets
Instructions:
Select a piece of old furniture that is sturdy and free of sharp edges.
If needed, cut the furniture to the desired size.
Sand any rough spots to prevent injuries.
Secure the furniture inside your coop using supports or brackets.
12. Wicker Furniture Roost
Wicker can be repurposed as chicken roosts. Chicken roosts may be made of wicker furniture. Wicker furniture is made of very light and resistant branchy materials. That’s why I chose those chairs and table for my chickens.
Materials Needed:
Old wicker furniture (e.g., chair, table)
Saw (if needed)
Sandpaper (optional)
Supports or brackets
Instructions:
Select a piece of wicker furniture that is sturdy and free of sharp edges.
If needed, cut the furniture to the desired size.
Sand any rough spots to prevent injuries.
Secure the wicker furniture inside your coop using supports or brackets.
13. Garden Trellis Roost
If you are a gardener, dust off those unused garden trellises and string them up around your chicken roosts, making for a pleasant, plant-adorned and fancy-looking roosting option for your flock.
Materials Needed:
Garden trellis
Supports or brackets
Instructions:
Select a garden trellis that is sturdy and free of sharp edges.
Secure the trellis inside your coop using supports or brackets.
Ensure that the trellis is stable and at a comfortable height for your chickens.
Additional Tips for Building Chicken Roosts
Roost Height
The height of the roost is important for proper placement. In larger coops, it is nice to have several roosts at different heights which gives the chickens choice and the most amount of roosting space. A roost needs to be a minimum of 2 feet off the ground or coop floor. Some chickens will roost as high as the roof rafters while others will chose the lowest tier, sometimes it is by individual preference and other times it’s based on comfort/convenience. Temperature varies the height at which a chicken may decide to roost.
Roost Width
Chicken roosting bars must be 2 inches wide or more and usually 4 inches wide – chickens do not twine their feet round a perch, like wild birds do. Sleeping flat-footed is the natural position for chickens, so this helps keep their feet from frostbite in the winter or mice or rats chewing on their toes as they sleep.
Roost Spacing
Plan on 10 inches of roosting space for each chicken, plus several more inches to reduce feuding and pecking in extra-large breeds and mature birds. Roughly 15 inches from the front and back walls should be left open to account for the roost.
Roost Material
When it comes time to build your chicken coop roosting bars, you need something that will stay put and that won’t be easily shared by other birds. Some excellent options include wooden boards, tree branches, or wooden dowels. Plastic and metal pipes would make great options until you see these chickens walk across them. They are slimy and cold, and the chickens can’t get enough traction.
Roost Placement
The best place for a roosting perch is immediately outside your chickens’ nesting boxes. If they don’t sleep on it, they’re probably sleeping in your nesting boxes. Once they wake up, they’re going to want to jump off to something, and they’re probably going to want that something to be a roosting perch. Make sure your roosts are level inside and either level or sloping on the outside.
FAQ
What is the ideal height for a chicken roost?
A roost is suitable if it is at least 2 feet above the ground and sufficiently away from the coop’s floor so that a chicken can flap its wings without hitting the ceiling. For larger coops, multiple roosts at various heights makes chickens feel comfortable and provides them with more roosting space.
How much roosting space should each chicken have?
Each chicken needs at least 8-10 inches of roosting space so that they are able to balance without touching a neighbour when they sleep in winter, huddling together on a cold night.
What materials are best for chicken roosts?
Wooden curves are still the best materials for chicken roosts, as chickens love to grip the surface, but avoid plastic or metal pipes, which can be too slippery and cold and may result in frostbite.
Where should roosts be placed in the coop?
If you have roost bars, place them higher than nest boxes; otherwise, chickens will sleep in the boxes and crap in them. Also, make sure not to set the roost bars closer than 15 inches to a wall.
Conclusion
If you are looking for chicken roost ideas to provide a comfortable and safe place for your roosting flock, search no further: Here are my favourite chicken roost ideas for wooden ladder roosts, tree roosts alternative, decorative and delicious minimalist roosts, as well as saintly repurposed pieces of furniture to make the roosting happy birds before Easter season! The height and the width of the roost is the key, if you want to keep your chickens safe from predators and such. You should pay attention to the spacing and the material that is safe for your chickens, too. You should also avoid symmetrical roosts, so your chickens can have healthy posture and digestion. Here’s how:
