How to Build a Chicken Roost or Roosting Rod

The best way to understand a chicken roost or chicken roosting rod, is to remember that most birds roost in trees. This image is a perfect example of a bird naturally roosting in a tree. They do it to protect themselves from preditors while they sleep.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 

   To build a roosting rod for chickens, some people use actual tree limbs in the chicken coop. The important thing to remember is that most chickens prefer something 2 inches around to grasp. Bantam chickens prefer something 1 inch in diameter, because they are smaller. Although chickens prefer roosting on round rods 1 to 2 inches in diameter, some people train their chickens to sit on a wider board, because it forces them to sit on their feet and keeps them warmer in the winter.

2. 
   Step Ladder Roosting

   Step ladder roosting
   
   One of the most preferable ways to build a roosting place for chickens is a "step ladder" method. This allows the chickens to go up and down easily.

3. How high should the roosting rod be?
   
   Roosting rods should be clearly higher than the nesting boxes to prevent the chickens from roosting in the nesting box. Several feet high is typical, in a step ladder system, the first rung starts at one foot, but the chickens will climb to the higher rungs to roost. Make sure the chickens can get down safely. Also, some breeds of chickens do not like to roost at all.