Chickens instinctively seek a high place to sleep at night. Without such a place to roost inside their coop, they may roost outdoors. Chickens that roost outdoors at night are vulnerable to both predators and adverse weather. Providing them with a comfortable place to roost inside the coop at night keeps them safer.
What is a roost?
A roost is a bar where chickens perch to sleep off the ground. For wild chickens in the jungle, the roost would most likely be a stout tree branch. For backyard chickens, the roost is generally constructed of wood and placed inside the coop, where the chickens are safe while they sleep at night.
A flock that is not provided with a roost inside the coop may find their own place to spend the night. It might be the top of a fence or gate, in a nearby tree, or even on the coop roof. Or they may simply hunker down on the coop floor.
Why do chickens need a roost in their coop?
Chickens prefer a roost for several reasons:
- They instinctively roost high to evade predators while sleeping.
- A roost is more healthful than sleeping on a dirty coop floor.
- On the floor chickens may pile and smother in cold weather.
- In winter, roosting over their feet helps keep chickens warm.
- In summer, roosting off the ground provides better air circulation.
- During the day, hopping on and off the perch is good exercise.
Further, providing roosts inside the coop increases available living space. That’s because some chickens will rest on the roost during the day, providing those on the floor with more room to move around.
How to start with a training roost?
Providing practice roosts while chickens are still young ensures you won’t have to convince them to sleep on a roost when they move to adult quarters. By the time light breeds reach 4 weeks of age and heavy breeds about 6 weeks, they’re ready to roost on a low perch. When chicks in a brooder start roosting on top of the feeder and drinker, you know they are are looking for a practice roost.
Ready-made practice perches from Cackle Hatchery®:
Or you could make a practice perch from ¾-inch diameter wooden dowels or 1-by-2 lumber with the edges rounded off and sanded smooth. Allow 4 inches of roosting space per chick. But make the total length of each perch no more than about 3 feet so it won’t sag under the weight of multiple birds.
Where brooder space allows, provide a variety of perch heights, such as 3 inches, 6 inches, and 12 inches. Periodically increase roost height as the chicks grow.
How to transition to roosts for mature chickens?
Unless you provide practice roosts while the chickens are young, you will later need to show them where to sleep at night. This job can get tedious, as you may have to move them to the roost several time before they catch on.
Even if they are used to roosting at night, provide more than one roosting bar in the coop. Younger chickens may get pecked by older ones if they try to roost side by side. Or the younger chickens may simply not want to sleep next to older ones.
What kind of perch for mature chickens?
A chicken’s feet are designed more for walking than from perching. Unlike many wild birds, they don’t grip a perch by wrapping their toes all the way around it. Rather, they rest more flat-footed, with their toes hanging over the edge for stability.
Most chicken keepers use untreated 2-by-4 lumber with rounded-off edges and the wide side facing up. If you prefer, you could use tree limbs or branches, but make sure they are sturdy enough to hold several chickens and have no sharp points. You could even repurpose an old wooden ladder, anchored to the wall so it won’t slip under the weight of roosting chickens.
Do chickens prefer a round or flat roost?
Chickens like a roost that is wide enough to accommodate their feet. Most chicken keepers make a flat roost from 2-by-4 untreated lumber.
But a round roost works fine as long as it is large enough in diameter and neither rough enough to injure feet and breasts or smooth enough to cause loss of balance. After all, chickens will roost on a round tree branch if you let them.
How high should a roost be?
Most light breeds, game breeds, and bantams like to roost higher than heavier breeds. Also your more dominant chickens prefer to roost at higher levels than their subordinates. To make sure all your birds find their comfort zone, provide a variety of perch heights, arranged at a slant so no roost is directly below another.
Offsetting the roosts from one another has two advantages:
- Birds that roost lower won’t get pooped on during the night by those roosting higher.
- Birds that don’t fly well can start at the lower level and hop to their preferred height.
Start at 18 inches. If the lowest roost is too high, old or heavy birds might have trouble getting up there. And a chicken can injure its feet and legs jumping down.
Make the highest roosts higher than the nesting boxes. Otherwise hens, in seeking the highest place to roost, may decide to sleep in a nest, where they’ll deposit poop all night.
The top roosting bar should be below the coop ceiling by 18 to 24 inches. Chickens need be able to stand and walk on the top roost.
To take the guesswork out of comfort roost height, Cackle Hatchery® includes preferred heights by breed in the “Breed Facts” descriptions for each breed.
How much roosting space do chickens need?
Provide enough roosting space so all your chickens have no trouble finding a place to sleep. Allow a minimum of 8 inches for each chicken, or 10 inches for the larger breeds.
On cold nights the chickens are likely to crowd together to conserve heat. But on warm nights they will spread apart to more readily dissipate heat.
Place roosts at least 18 inches from the nearest parallel wall, and space them 12 inches apart both vertically and horizontally.
Are roost problems common?
Yes. Several problems are common for roosts that are constructed inside a chicken coop. Here are some things to avoid:
- Too thin — roost can’t hold chickens’ weight; chickens can’t balance properly
- Too rough — causing irritation to points of contact, i.e. feet and keel
- Splinters —irritating feet and breast, causing bumblefoot and breast sores
- Made of metal — cold in winter, hot in summer; too smooth, causing slipping
- Made of plastic — too smooth; warps in heat, splits in cold; eventually gets brittle
- Not strong enough — the weight of multiple roosting chickens can bend or break the roost
- Not enough space — too little roosting space to accommodate the entire flock
- Too high — some birds may not able to access; jumping down can cause injuries
- Lower than nests — hens may sleep, and poop, in nest boxes at night
- Not well secured — can fall and dump sleeping chickens, causing injuries
- Not removable for cleaning — a roost that can’t easily be cleaned will stay dirty
- Dirty roost — caked poop is unsanitary and uncomfortable, can harbor parasites
FAQs
What is the difference between a perch and a roost?
Both words — perch and roost — represent both the place (noun) and the act (verb) of resting up high. Roost, however, refers to where and how chickens sleep at night. Perch generally refers to where and how chickens temporarily rest during the daytime.
What time do chickens start roosting?
Chickens instinctively start roosting when natural light diminishes at the approach of sunset. The exact time changes with the seasons.
Should roosting bars be inside or outside the coop?
Roosting bars should be inside a coop that can secured at night against predators. A few additional perches may be placed in the yard or run for the daytime entertainment of chickens and their people.
How far off the floor should a chicken roost be?
The lowest roost should be about 18 inches off the floor for easy access. From there, different breeds will seek differing heights to suit their varying comfort zones.
Do all chickens sleep on a roost?
No. Some chickens won’t sleep on a roost. Chickens that grow up without a perch may not learn to roost after they mature. And some breeds, notably Silkie, may prefer not to fly or hop onto a roosting bar. Other chickens just simply insist on hunkering down on the floor to sleep at night.
Can chickens sleep without a roost?
Yes, chickens can sleep without a roost. But roosting on a proper bar is safer, more sanitary, more comfortable, and therefore more restful.
Is it okay for chickens to roost on the ground?
Sleeping on the ground outdoors is dangerous for chickens at night. Sleeping on the coop floor, even when the coop is secure, is also not great for chickens. But some birds just simply refuse to roost on a bar and will sleep on the floor regardless of what is best for them.
Do ducks need a roost?
Most ducks nap on the ground, so they would not use a roost. Muscovy ducks[LINK] are an exception. Muscovies do roost at night.
Their roost should be 1½- feet to 3-feet off the floor and at least 2 feet below the coop ceiling. The wide side of 2-by-4 untreated lumber will accommodate their heavy weight and large feet.
Do geese need a roost?
No, geese do not need a roost. They sleep on the ground.
Do chickens need a roost?
The question “Do chickens need a roost?” is rather moot, since chickens will sleep on the floor if they have to, and some will sleep on the floor no matter what. But most chickens instinctively roost at night. And they are much better off when provided with proper roosting bars where they can get a good night’s worth of restful sleep.
Helpful Links
Convincing a Chicken to Roost in Its Coop
Getting Guinea Fowl to Roost Indoors at Night
And that’s today’s news from the Cackle Coop.
Gail Damerow has raised chickens and various other poultry for more than 5 decades and has written numerous books about them, man of which are available from the Cackle Bookstore.
