How to Build a Freestanding Chicken Perch

Chickens are common domestic fowl, and are bred primarily for eggs and meat. Believed to have originated in Asia, the chicken's ancestor is a subspecies of the red junglefowl. With feet adapted to perch off the ground, chickens need coops with perches -- so when kept in any sort of enclosure, ensure proper perches are available. A coop perch usually takes the form of a ladder shape that leans against the rear wall, while free-standing perches, also ladder-shaped, support themselves.

Things You'll Need

  • 4 pieces of whitewood lumber, 2 inches by 4 inches by 12 feet
  • Ruler or straight edge
  • Pencil
  • Saw
  • Hammer
  • Nails
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find the vertical center point on two 2 x 4s. Draw a 45-degree-angle line across the 4-inch wide side of each board, across this center point.

    • 2

      Cut each board in half along the diagonal lines. You'll now have four boards approximately 6 feet long, with angled edges.

    • 3

      Place two 45-degree edges together to form a V-shaped frame. Nail the pieces together. Trim the feet of these pieces so that the frame stands flat on the floor.

    • 4

      Cut the remaining 2 x 4s into three 4-foot pieces.

    • 5

      Nail three boards, wide side up, to each side of the frame. If the free-standing chicken perch is for large fowl birds, secure the lowest perch 2 feet from the floor of the coop. The frame will now look like a step ladder.