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Chicken perches: What is a perch and why do your chickens need one?
As chicken keepers, breeders and farmers, we have seemingly simple questions that newcomers ask – but they keep asking them, and sometimes the answers offered by the community don’t offer all the information and logic you want to be conveyed. So, here’s some light on the subject of perches.
We take things for granted that we’ve observed or developed, that may be second nature to us, but it’s important to share the good knowledge because often the bad knowledge gets shared faster than the good! And just because your chickens seem happy with their behavior doesn’t mean you should let them.
In this article, I’m putting together some tips on roosting, and more specifically:
Why does a hen need to roost?
How much space does a chicken need to roost?
Common problems with roosts.
How to build your own chicken perch.
Types of perches.
A night roost and a day roost do not have the same functions.
A night roost is a place where the bird will spend the entire night with its mates, especially during the winter months.
The subtle difference between roosts and night roosts is the amount of time the bird spends on the roost. A general perch is a place to sit, take a nap, watch what’s going on, stay out of the way, etc. Examples include the top of a gate, a fence, etc.
Caution: The more daytime perches you provide in the run, the more likely your chickens will roost there overnight, which is not desirable. So, offer them shelves or perches lower down, and less inviting than the night perch!
Why do they need it?
Chickens, in the wild, sleep in high places (survival instinct). Since the begnning of time, this species has taken refuge in the trees at night to protect itself from predators.
Hierarchy ( Pecking order). Chickens take their hierarchy very seriously and those at the top of the ladder take the highest perches, leaving the lower (and therefore more vulnerable) places to those at the bottom.
- Hens higher up the ladder will have the highest places on the perches.
- Providing perches for laying hens is a way to relieve stress and reduce some injury and cannibalism.
- The top hens will be in the middle of the line, with the bottom ones on the outside.
- The two end hens will sleep with one eye open – they are the danger watchers.
- They will periodically turn to rest on the other side of their brains.
The subordinate hens will also have the lower (less desirable) perches for the night. - Perching strengthens your hens’ bones and joints.
- The use of perches can also affect egg laying. A higher level of eggs laid on the ground has been reported for flocks without access to adequate perches.
- This also helps to prevent frostbitten toes in the coldest days of winter
Chickens do not wrap their legs around a branch as wild birds do.
Chickens are more prone to ectoparasites if they sleep on the floor. Sleeping on the floor of the coop also makes them more vulnerable to pathogens, bacteria and external parasites such as mites and lice, which is why you want your hens to roost on perches at night. Chickens should be roosting rather than crowding on the floor. The floor of the coop is not a particularly hygienic place, and any small parasites can annoy your chickens.
Location in the chicken house
Chickens relieve themselves while they sleep. Therefore, you should place your perches where droppings and soiled litter can be easily picked up, shoveled or raked out of the coop. Similarly, feeders and drinkers should not be placed under roosts, nor should nesting boxes. Droppings should be deposited away from them, to avoid the risk of injury to the eyes, skin and respiratory system from the ammonia released from their droppings.
Width 6 to 10 cm or 3-4 inches for standard chickens
Chicken perches should be at least 3 inches wide and preferably 4 inches. Chickens do not wrap their legs around a perch as wild birds do. They actually prefer to sleep with their feet flat. This has the added benefit of protecting their feet from frostbite in the winter, using the perch as protection from below and their body as protection from above. It also protects their feet from mice or rats that often nibble on the hens’ toes while they sleep.
Height 45 cm or 18 inches from the ground
Chicken roosting bars can be as low as a foot off the ground or as high as a foot or two from the ceiling. However, if you plan to build a perch higher than a foot, it is best to install several perches at different heights, such as stairs, so that the chickens can climb up and down the perch without injury. Pododermatitis ( bumblefoot) a staphylococcal infection of the foot and leg) is often caused by hard landings from a perch. Leave about 15″ of clearance between perches to prevent those on the highest perches from relieving themselves on those perched below.
The wishbone or breast bone can suffer a bedsore or skin breakdown from rubbing against the uneven perch, leading to infection.
Spacing per hen
12 to 15 cm per hen
Tip: If you keep or raise chickens for eggs, your perches must be higher than your nesting boxes or your chickens will be tempted to perch in or on the nesting boxes.
Chicken roosting suggestions and plans
Most people who build their own chicken coop tend to use a 2×4 inch piece of untreated wood placed with the “wide side” on top. By using it this way, the bird has a larger surface area to roost on and in cold weather, it can sit on top of its legs, thus avoiding frostbite.
Another type of perch is the ladder type. More common with larger flocks of more than 12 hens. You can make one yourself. If you use an old ladder, make sure the rungs are wide enough, long enough and smooth enough. They like to stick together in cold weather. If there are rough areas, smooth them out with sandpaper until they are smooth.
Why? A splinter can cause pododermatitis, which takes time to treat and heal.
To make your ladder, you will need two stiles and several rungs, depending on the size you want to achieve. The rungs will be leveled horizontally while the stiles will be supported in place. You can use the bars on either the wide side for large birds or the narrow side for bantams. If you decide to use a ladder or staircase, make sure that the “steps” are far enough apart (about 30-40 cm) so that the birds underneath don’t poop on top of each other.
If you want to be more naturalistic, you can use tree branches but have a flat surface of 4 inches flat. You’ll want to make sure the wood is sturdy, without splinters or sharp points, and strong enough to support several chickens.
For example, a standard 6-bird perch weighs about 13-16 kg (30- 36 pounds) – so the perch must be strong!
Unsuitable materials
Metal is limited for two reasons:
The first being the temperature. In winter it gets so cold that the birds’ feet can literally “stick” to it, and in summer it can get hot enough to cause discomfort.
The second thing is that it is smooth and can be difficult for a bird to cling to, especially if it is round.
Plastic is quite commonly used in some of the cheaper store-bought coops. Do yourself and your birds a favor and remove it. Replace it with wooden perches.
Plastic can warp if it’s too hot and can even break if it’s too cold. Chickens may eat the plastic pieces or walk on them, which is not desirable. Also, birds cannot grip smooth plastic very well.
Most suitable material: Wood
Wood is probably the best material for making perches. It is durable, so you can make it to your own specifications.
What type of wood should you use? If you buy your wood, it should be untreated wood. The edges of the wood should be smooth and free of splinters. The edges should be sanded down so that the paws don’t get hurt. Although chickens are domesticated birds, they still have many instincts.
A sleeping hen is a vulnerable hen. And since our chickens are at the bottom of the food chain, sleeping on the ground could be fatal. If you’ve ever picked up a sleeping hen, you’ve probably noticed how lethargic and sleepy she is. If a predator were to catch her in this state, she would be an easy meal.
Besides the fact that chickens don’t want to sleep in their own feces, they also sleep on perches to protect themselves from ground predators. In the wild, a hen may perch in trees, as high as she can, to hide from any impending danger.
A wild dog would easily catch a sleeping hen on the ground, but it would not be able to reach her among the branches. So even if your hens are in no immediate danger, they instinctively prefer to sleep off the ground.
Common problems with chicken perches
When a hen roosts at night, she sits with her wishbone resting on the perch between her legs. This way, the pressure of the bird’s weight is concentrated in three small areas – the two legs and the wishbone. As you can see, a sharp, bumpy perch can cause problems in these areas.
A poorly located or too high perch can cause joint problems in the legs. It is recommended that you place your perches higher than the nesting boxes. Otherwise, the chickens may look for the nest box instead. If sleeping in the nesting box is not a big problem for the birds, it is more work for you – you will have to “clean” the box every morning.
Caution: A hen that suddenly refuses to roost may have a health problem that you cannot see. Remember that chickens hide their ailments so as not to attract the attention of others. It is almost impossible for us humans to detect a sick hen in time.
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