Best use of space? 5x6.6 coop

[Harmoni]

I had just posted about a ramp issue but now I am thinking our layout is all wrong. The coop is 5x6.6 and 8ft tall. We plan to store chicken stuff up top. Right now we have a 3 level roosting ladder. The top rung being 3ft up. The nest boxes are 32 inches up and above the pop door. After sering my 2 hens lay eggs on the ground and refuse to use the ramp, I am thinking we need to change things around. I'm attaching pictures for reference

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

My chickens prefer to lay lower down and roost higher up. We have nesting boxes about a foot off the ground and roosting poles about 3 ft and 5 ft. But if you have chunky chicken breeds or a hard/pokey landing surface, that's probably too high for roosting bars. Ours always use the 3ft perch anyway.

Are they nesting under the roosting bars? Or elsewhere? Maybe they feel the nesting boxes are too exposed. You could try making them a bit darker/recessed by adding an overhang to the openings or something? Our "favored" nesting box is in the most cave-like corner.

 

[Harmoni]

My chickens prefer to lay lower down and roost higher up. We have nesting boxes about a foot off the ground and roosting poles about 3 ft and 5 ft. But if you have chunky chicken breeds or a hard/pokey landing surface, that's probably too high for roosting bars. Ours always use the 3ft perch anyway.

Are they nesting under the roosting bars? Or elsewhere? Maybe they feel the nesting boxes are too exposed. You could try making them a bit darker/recessed by adding an overhang to the openings or something? Our "favored" nesting box is in the most cave-like corner.

The top roost bar is level with the nest box platform. The highest roost bar is at 32 inches. They currently are sleeping on the floor for some reason and not using any of the roost bars, low or high. They have been in this coop for 2 night now. Their old coop was a tiny prefab from chewy where the roost bars were about 3 inches off the ground and one of them was always sleeping in the nest box.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's just the 2 hens right now, correct?

Here's how I'd consider laying it out (note that this may or may not work depending on the construction and way things are attached, but I'm working from more of a blank space perspective).

I'd run a single roost across where the nests currently sit - basically that shelf there currently in front of the nest box (assuming it goes as far in as depth of nest box), I'd use as a poop board under the roost.

Nest boxes on the floor/close to floor level across from human door. If bending down to check them isn't your thing, make the kids do it.

 

[aart]

It's just the 2 hens right now, correct?

Here's how I'd consider laying it out (note that this may or may not work depending on the construction and way things are attached, but I'm working from more of a blank space perspective).

I'd run a single roost across where the nests currently sit - basically that shelf there currently in front of the nest box (assuming it goes as far in as depth of nest box), I'd use as a poop board under the roost.

Nest boxes on the floor/close to floor level across from human door. If bending down to check them isn't your thing, make the kids do it.

This is about what I was thinking too...
except put the nests up on the wall just below the new 'poop board/roost'.
Perch 8" in front of nests will serve both nests and roost.

 

[Harmoni]

It's just the 2 hens right now, correct?

Here's how I'd consider laying it out (note that this may or may not work depending on the construction and way things are attached, but I'm working from more of a blank space perspective).

I'd run a single roost across where the nests currently sit - basically that shelf there currently in front of the nest box (assuming it goes as far in as depth of nest box), I'd use as a poop board under the roost.

Nest boxes on the floor/close to floor level across from human door. If bending down to check them isn't your thing, make the kids do it.

2 rir hens and once integrated, 2 golen buffs.
So far, no sleeping in the nest boxes and after I put them up on the roost, they slept there last night. They seem to be weird about heights. We redid the ramp with a block at the hottom and more cleats and they have no issue now. We have had 3 eggs laid so far in the boxes.

 

[Harmoni]

This is about what I was thinking too...
except put the nests up on the wall just below the new 'poop board/roost'.
Perch 8" in front of nests will serve both nests and roost.

The pop door is under there so we can only go 18 inches from the floor. I don't know if there would be enough wing clearance for them to fly/jump up 4 plus feet (18inches from the floor, 14 inches for the nest boxes and I'm assuming at least a foot for roosts and poop board).

 

[Harmoni]

Here are pics of the whole layout.
First pic is the crappy prefab coop from chewy that we are using to store the 2 9 week old golden buffs we just got. There pen backs up to thr bigger chickens run. I think if we expand in the future, we will arrange differenly. The current nest boxes are built into the wall so my husband would need to build new ones.
I gave them a bin under the ramp to lay in if they weren't ok with the location of the boxes, but we are now up to 4 eggs in the boxes so I think we are ok.
Thanks for all the advice!

 

[aart]

except put the nests up on the wall just below the height of the new 'poop board/roost'.
Perch 8" in front of nests will serve both nests and roost.

The pop door is under there so we can only go 18 inches from the floor.

Didn't mean under the poop board, but below the height of the board.

 

[Jp617]

I have mine set at 16inches and 48 inches. 7.5 gallon totes from Walmart with the front cut out and some straw. They won't stay out of em lol you can always try setting two together in the higher pole and see if they stay on it or fly off. You might have those mystical ground chickens