Chicken (and Turkey) Ladders

One of the first things we made when we got birds, was a little entertainment for them. They like to roost, even as babies. Jessica looked on line and we were both surprised at the costs for these little accessories. I whipped up a few models in my shop to see how they worked and the birds really seemed to go for them.
These were very effective when they were little and we scaled the idea up as the birds grew, from just a couple of inches off the ground, to about 18 inches and now we have birds roosting in the rafters of our barn!
I tried a few ideas as you can see here, from blocking on a 45, to ladder cutting like a stringer for stairs. They all worked well, but the ladder approach seems best for the small applications.
Lessons learned:
- Leave plenty of room for each bird to roost on a level without interfering with the one below it.
- Ensure there is sufficient off set to avoid raining poop
- A poop tray under the roost is a great addition for clean up.
- Ensure the ladder is balanced with a ground extension to prevent tipping, unless it is otherwise fastened down.
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