CockADoodleDoo Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 These are my new improved eglu roosting bars. This roosting bar allows the girls to perch properly at night and they look very happy on it. YOU NEED A Saw A Hammer A Few Small Nails A Spare Set Of Roosting Bars HOW TO MAKE THEM 1) On your set of roosting bars tap one of the bars off with a hammmer 2) Take the small roosting bars from your spare set and tap off one of the bars 3) Cut two pieces of wood from your small bar. Each piece 10cm long 4) Secure them to the big set like the picture above 5) Take your big bar and secure it to the two small pieces of wood as shown in the Picture And there you have it a proper place for your beloved girls to roost on at night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 That looks brilliant!! Although I think that the Eglu is a great design what with it being fox proof, easy to clean etc I do wonder sometimes about certain aspects of it. Like yourself I have read about hens roosting and it just seems that the Eglu doesn't provide all that hens really want. I am already annoyed with the fact that I am having to pay out for a big run because my girls are really not as happy as they could be in the Eglu run. I watch my hens jumping around the garden trying to get flies and things and they can jump pretty high-I look at the Eglu run and there just isn't enough head room in my opinion. I watch them hopping up onto things in the garden-and once again, other than the perch I added to the Eglu run myself-there is no room for perches/shelves. The Eglu maybe 100% fox proof which is fantastic and it may also be easy to clean and maintain which again-I think is brilliant but is it really ideal in every other way??? And I would say that the run certainly isn't the best it could be. Sorry to be negative -I think it all has more good points than bad points but the bad points could do with working on surely? Just out of interest-when they are on the new mproved perch-have they got enough room abouve their heads? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I'm going to do that in the cube and see if I can't persuade some of the nesting box sleepers to move over. The cube run is plenty big enough for perching. I've popped in a shoe rack for them to leap on, and when my extension comes (I can't be bothered to unclip twice) I'm going to turn more shoe racks into suspended shelves for jumping onto, providing a sort of mezzanine level for the girls to frolic on. Will take pics when done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 This is such a good idea, I am also going to do this and see if they like it. I was thinking that as chickens in their 'natural' environment would roost in trees, do you think an added refinement might be to have something like a section of broomstick as the roosting bar, whenever I have seen parrots or budgies roosting on perches they are always round and not square. Just wondering Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Ooo that's brill! I'm going to have to get my little pink tool box out and see how they like it or get hubby to make me some!!! Well done!!! Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Very good idea - I like it a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Looks a good idea. Is there enough head room though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CockADoodleDoo Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 Yes there is plenty of head room! i dont think my omlet girls know how to roost properly because only my new chook who has always roosted was on it tonight will have to teach them how! yes the man did say that they are meant to perch on 2inch round bars but a broom stick would work a treat!! Good idea will be modifying mine tomorow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madchook Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I think I might do this to my cube. Tonight was their first night in it and when I went out after dark to check that they had actually mastered the ladder (after popping J and F up in the cube at dusk and them coming straight back out again I told them they were more than welcome to freeze...but I didn't mean it : ). Anyway, Jelly and Toffee were both very happy snuggled up in the nest box (grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!) and poor fraggle was trying to sleep in front of the door and she certainly wasn't 'roosting' but kind of wobbling sideways . I can honestly say I had never checked how they were sleeping when in the eglu as I assumed it was ideal....feel a bit guilty that I kept a flower pot in the nestbox before they came into lay now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktdot Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I thought the roosting bars had to be 2" square with rounded corners. I don't think they can perch well on a round bar without slipping. You may find them hanging upside down in the morning!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I thought the roosting bars had to be 2" square with rounded corners. I don't think they can perch well on a round bar without slipping. You may find them hanging upside down in the morning!! Just picturing chickens in a bat pose!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I can see why you've added that refinement but I would have thought that the roosting bars are just the same - whatever their height? Their feet are in the right position - albeit that the roosting bars are at ground level rather than up in a tree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I went out late last night to satisfy my curiosity and see if my girls were roosting on the bog standard bars.....and they were...all in a row.....snoring! ...in both Eglus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CockADoodleDoo Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 Egluntine did you get your girls from omlet or elsewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 I can see why you've added that refinement but I would have thought that the roosting bars are just the same - whatever their height? Their feet are in the right position - albeit that the roosting bars are at ground level rather than up in a tree I agree Lesley and I have 2 who choose to sleep in the nestbox and 1 balanced on the entrance part to the nest. I've sat them down and explained but they do just what they want. The run of the eglu isn't very high but compared to arcs is fantastic BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Egluntine did you get your girls from omlet or elsewhere All Omlet girls originally ....although 4 of them were "second hand" to me..... or should that be "pre-loved". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
