The 10 Best Chicken Roosting Bars
- May 27, 2023
- By Dr. Deborah Fletcher
Your hens value a little height as a status indicator. Their fondness of high locations and lording it over the farmyard is why cockerels appear on weathervanes and is where the phrase "to rule the roost" comes from.
There are a number of additional reasons why hens like to roost high above the earth. First, they sleep better at night when they have some elevation because it makes them feel safer from predators.
Second, roosting bars of varying heights aid in the reinforcement of the flock's pecking order. Finally, perching on a chicken roosting bar keeps your feathery companions off the ground and away from germs and insects that live in the soil.
Check out BestForPets' (bestforpets.org) best chicken roosting bars with all the roosting bar characteristics you need if you want to grasp the greatest solutions available for your poultry.
Reviews
30in Backyard Barnyard Stretch Roosting Bar
This roosting bar is our top recommendation for any poultry keeper. The extra-long perch enables numerous birds to sleep together, giving them a sense of security.
This perch is handcrafted from solid American hardwood and is made to endure. It is also quite simple to construct. Most individuals can assemble this in less than five minutes.
This is one of the few roosting bars on the market that can accommodate many adult birds of any breed and size. The Backyard Barnyard 30-inch Stretch Roosting Bar will easily accommodate two mature hens.
Although it lacks several levels, this may be a boon in terms of lessening your flock’s anxiety and competition in obtaining the highest-level perch. Because of the low height of the bar, it is also excellent for chicks.
You can transfer this unit from the brooder to the yard or the coop and get more usage out of it than many of the other versions we looked at.
Pros
- Simple to construct
- Enough space for four mature birds
- Sturdy
- Works nicely in a brooder or coop.
- American hardwood is a long-lasting material.
Cons
- None!
Backyard Barnyard Strong Wooden Roosting Bar 2 Pack
Roosting is vital for your flock’s comfort and safety. This two-pack of roosting bars will help you provide alternatives for your birds. This bar is just as simple to put together as the 30 inch version.
Due to its ease of assembly, very few individuals have difficulty putting this together. It is also composed of tough materials and handmade in the United States.
You may teach your hatchlings to roost by putting it in the brooder with them, and then transfer the bar to the barnyard. This model offers a bit longer lifespan than many of the other models we looked at.
When the time comes, the familiarity of the roosting bar may even assist your birds acclimate to the shift to their coop. This is our recommendation for the greatest fowl roosting bar for the money.
Pros
- This roosting bar set comes in a two-pack.
- Simple to construct
- American hardwood is a long-lasting material.
- Each bar can sustain two adult chickens.
Cons
- None!
Thermo-Chicken Perch by K&H PET PRODUCTS
If you’re wondering how to securely winter hens and other poultry, look into the K&H Thermo-Chicken Perch . This heated chicken roosting bar is a simple and safe solution to keep your birds warm while keeping them healthy.
It warms up but never becomes hot, and the heat is naturally transported from the bird’s feet to the rest of their body through their circulatory system. Other ways to keep chicks warm in cold weather have downsides.
For example, when the temperatures drop in the dead of winter, people often over-insulate their chicken coops, but this may elevate the humidity in the henhouse and cause frostbite.
Furthermore, without ventilation, the lungs of chickens might be injured by a buildup of ammonia gas from their excrement. The consistent heat from this MET-listed roosting bar allows you to keep air circulating through the coop keeping your chicks warm.
A consistent and pleasant temperature for your backyard flock is maintained by an integrated thermostat, and two suitably sized sizes are offered.
The only minor disadvantage is that the metal finish may be difficult for certain birds to hold and cause them to slide about, while most chickens do not have this problem. This is our top selection because a heated roosting bar really is the pinnacle of chicken luxury.
Pros
- System for temperature regulation
- Warms the whole body of the chicken by distributing heat via their own circulation.
- There are two sizes available.
- MET Safety is a registered trademark.
Cons
- Some birds may find it a touch slick.
Barnyard Jungle Gym in the Backyard Perch (Roosting)
This style is better suited to newborn chicks and junior chickens rather than fully matured hens. Regardless, this roosting bar is an excellent brooder attachment.
While you introduce a roosting bar to your chicks when they are young, they learn the value of roosting, feel protected from predators, and are socialized and amused.
The seven robust perch bars are precisely sized for chicks’ small feet to grab, and the varying perch heights let your young fluff balls to bounce up and down easily.
Large, wide spaces let your chicks to safely and freely wander, scratch, play, and investigate around the roosting bar. For ease of construction, this perch comes with pre-drilled dowel rods and screws.
Pros
- Excellent for chicks
- There are seven perching bars.
- Small birds will not get caught underneath due to the large apertures.
Cons
- Suitable for juvenile birds
Bamboo Chicken Perch with Mirror by Ensayeer
Chickens will soon dirty and foul whatever roosting bar you give them, so keep in mind that this roosting bar is constructed of bamboo, which is much simpler to wipe clean than wood.
This is due to the denser grain and smoother surface of bamboo. Chicks may love the little mirrors underneath while they are young, but they will shortly outgrow their ability to fit beneath the top perch.
Because of the abundance of bars, even the tiniest of birds will be able to get off the ground and acquire confidence in climbing to higher heights.
Assembly is straightforward and solid, as well as eco-friendly and non-toxic. Remember to remove the protective film from the mirror before using it, since this plastic is hazardous to your flock if consumed.
Pros
- The simplest to clean
- There are two mirrors supplied.
- There are several bars to select from.
Cons
- More suitable for young birds
Chicken Perch in the Backyard
Roosting is essential for a chicken’s maturity and growth throughout its life. You must teach your flock to roost while they are young in order for them to continue doing so throughout their lives.
If you want your adult birds to be well socialized and healthy, this roosting bar is a must-have among brooder supplies. The three-bar perch is a handmade, natural wood product that is strong and easy to build.
According to the manufacturer, this device may be enjoyed by a single adult chicken. However, many people seem to believe that fully grown birds can easily knock this over.
This might be due to the fact that the perch weighs significantly less than an adult hen. Furthermore, an adult bird may find the tiny bar size difficult to grip after a period of time.
Pros
- Genuine wood
- Simple to construct
Cons
- An mature chicken should not be this light.
- Long-term usage may cause foot damage in your adult chicken.
Chicken Roosting Bar Vehomy
The Vehomy Chicken Roosting Bar is designed for chicks rather than fully fledged adult chickens. Depending on the breed of your chicken, this bar is ideal for poults as young as 10 weeks old.
It’s an ideal perch for training hens to roost because of its lower height and smaller size. As your daughters get older and gain weight, you’ll need to replace it with a larger one.
This bar’s design works well for young birds, but it has to be considerably broader and taller for older birds.
Overall, this roosting bar seems to be pretty strong and simple to assemble. Despite its popularity, some individuals have complained about the wood splitting and warping during building, while others have not. We have placed it a bit lower on our list because to the varied ratings.
Pros
- Simple to construct
- Excellent for chicks
Cons
- Larger birds should not be used.
- A broader bar is required for older birds.
- According to others, the wood cracks, warps, and splinters.
Holes in the Vehomy Chicken Roosting Bar
Because the firm specialized in poultry toys, we have evaluated Vehomy goods multiple times on this list. The goal of their goods, according to them, is to make farm animals’ otherwise uninteresting existence a bit more enjoyable.
We all believe that this roosting bar is more suited to giving chicks with a unique experience than to providing adult hens with a long-term area to rest.
However, this roosting bar will serve as a focal point for interaction among your flock members and will promote your chicken’s natural climbing inclination.
The birds’ legs will get a workout leaping on and off this chicken perch, which has six solid bars. Chicks may jump on the bar, hide behind it, and peer through holes in the sideboards to find out what’s going on.
Although the building is simple, be warned that some users have purchased their own bolts to install this item since the wing nuts did not work.
Pros
- Construction of natural pine wood
- Six different bars are available.
Cons
- Some folks are unable to make the wing nut construction function.
- This product is not suitable for adult chickens.
Popetpop Bird Stand Holder
The Popetpop Bird Stand Rack is an excellent technique to help your chicks improve their balance and coordination while also having fun. This toy will keep your small feathery friends entertained for hours.
Climbing and playing are also safe since the natural timbers utilized in the product’s design are non-toxic and ecologically friendly. There is little question that once put up, this roosting perch will become the focus of attention.
You can count on your flock sleeping on it, hopping about on it, and pushing each other off of it. Some have questioned the product’s quality-to-price ratio, while others claim it is too little and can only be used for a short time.
However, if you’re looking for a roosting perch for early hatchlings, we recommend this one for extremely little birds.
Pros
- Non-toxic, environmentally friendly wood
Cons
- Only for newborn hatchlings
- Poorer quality than the majority of those reviewed
Roosting Bar Rocking Pig
There is no question that this Rocking Pig Roosting Bar has a one-of-a-kind design. A roosting bar is located between two pig-shaped boards, both of which are curled along their bottom borders.
This means that when your chicken jumps onboard, the whole device will bounce back and forth. Some chickens are a little more daring than others. There is little question that this is a novelty item, one that is more entertaining than helpful.
Regardless, if you want to keep your girls happy and engaged, it could be worth a go. This handcrafted wooden chicken perch is manufactured from American pine and has a hardwood structure. It would be a perfect addition to any chicken brooder, coop, or enclosure.
Pros
- Unique design
- Made in the United States of America of American hardwood
Cons
- Adult birds should not use it.
- Most chickens may be reluctant to utilize it.
Buyer's Guide
What Size Should My Roosting Bar Have?
Roosting bars for chickens should be at least 2 inches wide and ideally 4 inches wide. Chickens, unlike wild birds, do not wrap their feet around a perch. In fact, they prefer to sleep on their backs.
This gives additional protection from frostbite in the winter by using their roost as foot protection and their body to shield themselves from above. This also prevents mice and rats from chewing on chicken toes as they sleep.
What is the ideal height for my Roosting Bar?
The height of chicken roosting bars may range from a foot from the ground to a foot or two from the ceiling. If the roost is significantly higher than two feet, staggered roosts, such as steps, will make it simpler for the hens to climb up and down without being wounded.
Bumblefoot is often caused by a hard fall from a roost (a staph infection of the foot and leg). It is advisable to allow approximately 15 inches between roosts to avoid birds on upper roosts pooping on those below.
Raising chickens for eggs necessitates the construction of roosts that are higher than the nesting boxes; otherwise, your hens will roost in or on the nesting boxes, seeking the highest perch possible.
What should the length of my Roosting Bars be?
Each hen should have a roosting bar that is at least 8 inches long. All of your hens will huddle close for comfort, particularly in the winter. They like to spread out in the heat during the summer, so you will seldom see them roosting in a row.
Conclusion
You should be able to train your chicks to roost or construct a pleasant roosting place for your hens to sleep happily at night if you use these evaluations for the best chicken roosting bars. The Barnyard extends 30 inches in backyard Barnyard is our top recommendation since it is the largest and most durable product available.
The Barnyard Backyard 2 Packs Solid Wood Rods is BestorPets‘ (bestforpets.org) second favorite; we enjoy the freedom that the different perches provide in determining how to build up your coop. Whichever perch you like, we wish you and your hens a restful night’s sleep!
Veterinarian (DVM)
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