My coop's roost bar was a 2x4 for years until I saw a hen slip off.
I always thought the flat side gave them more room to perch. A video from a poultry science group showed their feet need to wrap around a narrower, rounded surface to grip properly and stay warm. Anyone else make this simple design mistake that took forever to notice?
Funny how we try to make things better and end up making them worse. That flat bar probably made their feet colder in winter since they couldn't tuck them up. Sometimes the simple, natural way is just right.
That's such a good point about the grip. Makes total sense when you think about how they perch on branches in the wild. Guess we over-engineered it for them.