When it comes to customizing your chicken coop, there are always a few necessities that are a must when it comes to creating the perfect home for your flock. At Roost & Root, the details taken into consideration mean a great deal for your bird’s comfort and overall satisfaction. Although style and size may vary with each coop, there are always two features that are always a must for any coop we build.
Roost Bars
Chickens, just like smaller bird species, are naturally inclined to perch when it comes time to rest. Creating a similar ability for your birds to do the same in their coop is a necessity when it comes to housing your flock. When it comes to roost bars, it was important for us to construct a semi-flat/rounded surface that brought natural comfort. Every roost bar that comes with our coop models is sanded and rounded slightly to allow for a comfortable and natural grip, similar to that offered in nature.
Material:
Not only does a wooden roost bar best mimic nature and match our all cedar construction, but it’s also a much-preferred material than that of metal and plastic. Unlike plastic and metal, wooden roost bars are not affected during drastic temperature changes and are not slippery.
Height & Space:
When it comes to the height of your roost bar placement, your birds will always prefer the highest bar. This is partly because of your flock’s pecking hierarchy as well as safety preference.
Spacing each bar is an equally important factor as well. Not only does spacing your roost bars allow for adequate comfort and room for each of your flock members, but it also prevents any droppings from falling on another resting bird! Staggering roost bars not only prevent the prior situation from happening but also provides your flock with a way to hop to their preferred roost bar. Additionally, our Backyard Coop even allows for roost bar adjustment!
Ramps
For a few of our models, ramps are sometimes necessary to access roost space or bars. This is particularly true for bantam-sized birds as well as larger/heavier breeds. More often than not, regular-sized birds do just fine jumping on and off roost bars without a ramp.
Round-top models that have amps include the Round-Top Walk-In Coop, Backyard Coop, and Mobile Coop. Although necessary for the Walk-In and Backyard due to higher placed roost bars and roost/nest box entry, many of our other models don’t require ramps at all!
Models such as the Stand-Up and Loft don’t require ramps due to their short distance (Ft? For both?) between the ground surface and bars. If birds are of 6-8 weeks of age, chances are they are old enough to reach the bars with ease.
Cleaning Roost Bars & Ramps
Roost bars and ramp are bound to collect droppings, however, it’s not like your chickens do this on purpose! Chickens actually drop the most waste during hours of sleep. To help clean off droppings, we always recommend using an all-natural cleaning solution, scrapper, and an optional bristled brush. For more tips on how to clean your coop, make sure to visit our blog post “How to Clean Your Round-Top Coop” for more great tips!
Construction Insight
Ventilation:
It is equally important to ensure that the area your flock rests in would be ventilated during warm and cold months. All coops come with ventilation holes to allow for adequate airflow to reach both roost bars and nest boxes.
Nest Box Height:
Although it may initially seem like a more comfortable sleeping arrangement, it’s important to not allow your birds to sleep in their nest boxes. This is why all Roost bars are placed higher than your flock’s nest box to naturally attract them to sleep at the highest spot.
Fun Fact:
Did you know that chickens can, on average, jump/fly at a height of over 5 feet?! Depending on whether or not your flock’s wings are clipped, this may be a shorter height. Your flock’s physical capability allows for ease of movement to and from roost bars.
We hope you enjoyed learning more about the design of some of the most essential features in our Round-Top Coops. Have questions or comments regarding anything mentioned in this article, please feel free to email us at support@roostandroot.com