Chicken Roosts Raise Up Out Of The Way

Chicken Roosts Raise Up Out Of The Way LIVESTOCK Poultry 33-4-33 Ron McCoy, Hotchkiss, Colo., raises about 75 chickens in a 12 by 20-ft. chicken house. Cleaning the manure out from under the roosts was a difficult job until he built new hinged roosts that lift up out of the way. McCoy used 2 by 2's to build the two roost sections that attach to wall-mounted 2 by 4's fitted with metal hinges. Once the roosts are lifted up they're held in place by bungee cords. A wooden leg supports each roost when it's down. The leg is swiveled up out of the way and held in place with baler twine. When lowered, each roost rests on top of a 2 by 4 that's bolted to the side of the building. "It's a real blessing, being able to get the roost up out of the way," says McCoy. "I had been using a roost that I had to take apart every time I wanted to clean out the manure. If I didn't take the roost apart, I had to crawl under or around it, which was a real hassle. After I clean out the manure I put sawdust down on the floor to absorb moisture. I left a 1 1/2-ft. gap between the two roost sections to make room for a ladder, which the chickens use to climb up onto the roosts." McCoy raises the chickens mostly for his family but also sells some of the eggs. "It gets cold here during the winter, so when I built the chicken house I insulated it and paneled it. Most of the time I don't even need a heater." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ronald McCoy, 32711 Hwy. 92, Hotchkiss, Colo. 81419 (ph 970 872-4422).

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