What's a Roosting Bar?

A roost is an elevated bar, branch or narrow plank on which chickens perch to sleep. ... If space is limited, pecking order will kick in and alpha chickens will usually end up on top. In coops without appropriate roosts, chickens may choose to sleep in nesting boxes.

What is the purpose of roosting?

There are many benefits associated with communal roosting including: increased foraging ability, decreased thermoregulatory demands, decreased predation, and increased conspecific interactions.

What shape should roosting bars be?

An artificial perch for chickens needs, ideally, to be square with rounded off corners in section, so their feet can wrap around it comfortably. Sharp edges and 90 degree corners are not acceptable. And it needs to be the right diameter for the size of bird - 30 to 40mm is ideal for the average-sized laying chicken.