How one can Construct a Rooster Roost Out of Tree Branches

A chicken roosting in a tree. — Assemble your birds a roost they may choose exterior the coop too.

The roost is a necessity for the hen run and coop, nevertheless it doesn’t must worth an arm and a leg.

You might make a hen roost totally free using tree branches as a substitute of lumber. You may even uncover that your chickens want roosting on tree branches as they’re further true to a hen’s pure environment.

What’s a ladder-style hen roost?

Roosts can be found in all sizes and kinds, nevertheless certainly one of many greatest roosts to make, and the one we’ll be displaying proper right here proper this second, is the ladder trend hen roost.

This roost appears exactly like a ladder, it has two facet rails with rungs in between for the chickens to sit down down on. This type of roost doesn’t needs to be secured to one thing throughout the coop or run, it merely leans in opposition to the wall.

A chicken roost made from tree branches inside a chicken coop. — That’s really an excellent setup for any hen keeper, and the chickens adore it.

One of the best ways to Make a Rooster Roost Out of Tree Branches

Step 1: Accumulate your provides

Roost provides:

2 prolonged and straight tree branches for the facet rails
4-8 smaller tree branches for the rungs
Seen for decreasing to dimension – handheld or vitality

Developing provides (use any of the following, not all):

Rope and scissors
Screws and a drill
Zip ties

Branches laying in the grass and a handheld saw resting on a tree stump.

Step 2: Decrease all the branches to dimension

First, you’ll wish to organize the two larger branches that may turn into the facet rails of your ladder roost.

Be sure you choose two branches which is perhaps largely straight, good and thick, and highly effective. Small saplings or huge branches which have been freshly scale back are good as they’ll be at their strongest.

Strip these two giant gadgets of any off-shoots like small twigs or leaves, nevertheless you can go away the bark on.

Chickens sit on a tree set up in the coop as a roost. — As you can see proper right here, you don’t even must make a ladder, you would possibly put a small, trimmed tree in your coop if it’s huge ample.

Measure the home in your coop or run the place these will sit, and scale back them every to that dimension. Keep in mind they’ll be leaning in opposition to a wall, not standing straight up, so measure accordingly. The facet rails in our occasion have been roughly 8 toes prolonged.

Subsequent, lay the two facet rail branches facet by facet, spaced exactly the way you want to them to be throughout the coop.

Accumulate your smaller tree branches for the rungs and place them on excessive of the facet rails, giving them 1-2 toes of home in between each rung. If needed, scale back these rungs in order that they’ll match on the facet rails.

Though it’s maybe tempting, don’t start assembling them however.

I extraordinarily counsel you assemble this development contained within the coop or run.

Not solely is it onerous to gauge dimension and kind for the roost do you have to’re establishing it off-site, nevertheless it moreover is probably not doable to get it throughout the doorway and maneuver throughout the coop as quickly because it’s completely assembled. We constructed our division roost correct throughout the hen run, and I’m so glad we did on account of there’s no means it would have match by the door completely assembled.

Step 3: Start establishing

As quickly as your facet rails are in place contained within the coop or run, you’re ready to start out out securing the rungs to the rails.

You can each lay the rails down and assemble the whole thing on the underside or if it’s comfortable, assemble it whereas the rails are organize, leaning in opposition to a wall. We did it this fashion on account of there wasn’t home throughout the hen run to place your complete factor down.

There are a selection of choices for securing the rungs to the facet rails, and all have their deserves. Probably the most appropriate alternative is generally the one you’re most comfortable with, or already have the supplies available for.

Whereas assembling your roost, you will wish to go away ample home between rungs for the chickens to sit down down comfortably, 1-2 toes must do it.

A chicken sits on a tree branch roost in a coop. — A successfully “used” tree division roost.

Selection 1: Assembly with String/rope

Advantages:

No vitality devices needed
Completely biodegradable
Pretty rustic look
Easy to control if needed

First, scale back about 4 toes of rope for all sides of each rung.

Holding the rung tightly to the facet rail, wrap the rope throughout the 2 branches at a diagonal and tie tightly with a sq. knot, leaving a two-inch tail.

Wrap the remaining rope spherical every branches in a decide 8 pattern, pulling tightly on each cross. When the branches actually really feel tightly secured, tie one different sq. knot using the tail you left earlier.

Rungs of a chicken roost held together by rope. — Rope is an excellent alternative if you need a rustic look.

Selection 2: Assembly with Screws

Advantages:

Sooner to assemble than rope
Easy to put collectively
Strong, will closing a really very long time

Using screws and an affect drill is means faster than rope wrapping, nevertheless clearly, you’ll must have these provides available and know your means spherical vitality devices.

First, preserve the rung and rail tightly collectively and drill a data hole by every branches. Subsequent, using 2 or 3-inch screws (whichever dimension matches your rungs) and the ability drill, screw the rung tightly to the facet rail. Proceed this course of for all sides of each rung.

Someone's hand holding a power drill, driving a screw into the rungs of a chicken roost. — Don’t overlook to drill a pilot hole first.

Selection 3: Assembly with zip ties

Advantages:

Large fast to assemble
Can merely dis-assemble

We love using zip ties throughout the homestead for quite a few duties. They’re simple, fast, super secure, and higher of all, with a simple snip of scissors, you can dis-assemble points merely as merely.

Zip ties is probably a wide variety for this mission in the event you already know you’ll wish to maneuver it in some unspecified time sooner or later otherwise you would possibly wish to get the mission executed quickly.

To connect the rungs to the rails using zip ties, merely preserve the two branches collectively tightly, cross the zip tie diagonally spherical every, and pull tightly. Do the similar issue on the other facet of the rung for an honest match.

Now that your hen roost is full, it’s time to let the chickens have a go at it. While you haven’t already, lean the roost in opposition to the wall and watch your chickens enjoyment of leaping from rung to rung.

Several chickens sitting on the rungs of a homemade chicken roost in a chicken coop. — I really feel they like it!

Along with Sunday musings from our editor, Tracey, along with “What’s Up Wednesday” our roundup of what’s in season and new article updates and alerts.