Hello, new here and new to chickens.

[beany_bot]

Hi, I am new to chickens and have spent some time building a large run and converting a shed to a coop over winter but I have some questions.

For info we plan to (initially) get 3 buff orpington pullets in a few weeks.

My questions are...

How would you layout this coop? the roosts and nesting boxes are free to move around but I'm not sure what the birds will prefer? What would you suggest?
Can / should the nesting boxes be on the ground? (I know they should be lower than the roost bars).
Should I put an angled top on the nesting box to stop them roosting on top of it?
Is 2 nesting boxes enough for 3 Orpingtons?

any thoughts really appriciated!

 

[Ridgerunner]

How would you layout this coop? the roosts and nesting boxes are free to move around but I'm not sure what the birds will prefer? What would you suggest?

My main suggestion is to make it convenient to you. The birds can adapt.

Can / should the nesting boxes be on the ground? (I know they should be lower than the roost bars).

First I determine the floor height, including any bedding. Then I make sure the pop door is high enough above that so they do not scratch out the bedding.

Then I position the nests. Some people put them on the floor but with a lip so the chickens cannot scratch poopy floor bedding into the nests. Some people put them up a lot higher so they don't have to bend over to gather the eggs. Or some height in between. People tend to care much more than the chickens. Wherever you put them you need a lip to stop the hens from scratching out the nest bedding, fake eggs, and real eggs. Then I put the roosts noticeably higher than the nests as you mentioned. But in that coop I'd want the roosts fairly low as they need clear distance to land as they fly down from the roosts. The higher the roosts the more clear distance they need. I want the ventilation above their heads when they are on the roosts in winter so they are not hit by cold cross winds.

I'd put the roosts on the back wall so you can get in there without bumping into them and the nests on a side wall so you can easily reach.

Should I put an angled top on the nesting box to stop them roosting on top of it?

Some people on this forum will be horrified if you don't. I use the top of my nests as a dropping board with my juvenile roosts above so them sleeping up there or getting up there would not bother me.

Is 2 nesting boxes enough for 3 Orpingtons?

Yes.

 

[beany_bot]

My main suggestion is to make it convenient to you. The birds can adapt.


First I determine the floor height, including any bedding. Then I make sure the pop door is high enough above that so they do not scratch out the bedding.

Then I position the nests. Some people put them on the floor but with a lip so the chickens cannot scratch poopy floor bedding into the nests. Some people put them up a lot higher so they don't have to bend over to gather the eggs. Or some height in between. People tend to care much more than the chickens. Wherever you put them you need a lip to stop the hens from scratching out the nest bedding, fake eggs, and real eggs. Then I put the roosts noticeably higher than the nests as you mentioned. But in that coop I'd want the roosts fairly low as they need clear distance to land as they fly down from the roosts. The higher the roosts the more clear distance they need. I want the ventilation above their heads when they are on the roosts in winter so they are not hit by cold cross winds.

I'd put the roosts on the back wall so you can get in there without bumping into them and the nests on a side wall so you can easily reach.


Some people on this forum will be horrified if you don't. I use the top of my nests as a dropping board with my juvenile roosts above so them sleeping up there or getting up there would not bother me.

Yes.

thank you so much for the time taken replying. Seems a catch 22 with Orpingtons in as much as people generally say lift your nesting boxes at least a bit. Many say 6 inch high roost bar for Orpingtons really all they want - yet your roost bar should be higher than the nesting boxes. lol

 

[Ridgerunner]

Many say 6 inch high roost bar for Orpingtons really all they want - yet your roost bar should be higher than the nesting boxes. lol

Do you have a link to where you read that? I'd like to read it in context to see if it makes sense. Are you sure they are not saying that the roosts need to be at least 6" higher than the nests?

My Orpington had no problems flying up to and down from my original 4 feet high roosts. But mine were not show quality Orpington that can be so big they can hurt their legs getting down from a roost.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I, personally, would place the roosts at the back and have the nesting boxes near the door where they are easily accessed. That would also give the chickens more space to fly down from the roosts.

However, the most efficient use of this space would be to do what @Ridgerunner does and have the roosts over the nesting boxes with a poop board on top of the nesting boxes.

 

[beany_bot]

Ok, so this is what I'm going with. The roosts are 8 and 16 inches. If I find them all on the top roost I'll put an oven higher one on the right side. To give them options. The top bar there only has 9 inches clearance to the wall though.

Do you think the boxes would benefit from curtains?

 

[KyCoop]

Your layout and angled lid looks great. Now let's talk about ventilation. I don't see any windows or vents.

 

[beany_bot]

Your layout and angled lid looks great. Now let's talk about ventilation. I don't see any windows or vents.

There is a vent above the door and the bottom of the door (chicken hole) will never be closed as their run is very secure. I live in Scotland where typical summer daytime temps are 15C / 60F. It would be unusual to have a day with a high of 25C /75F. Just one or two days a year. Plus the coop and run are under a big sycamore tree so are shaded.

equally in winter days below freezing are not typical.

 

[ChaosMom]

There is a vent above the door and the bottom of the door (chicken hole) will never be closed as their run is very secure. I live in Scotland where typical summer daytime temps are 15C / 60F. It would be unusual to have a day with a high of 25C /75F. Just one or two days a year. Plus the coop and run are under a big sycamore tree so are shaded.

equally in winter days below freezing are not typical.

Ventilation in chicken coops is critical for keeping the inside air as dry and ammonia-free as possible, even in lovely cool weather. It’s really important for chicken health, with temperature moderation being an “and also” reason.

 

[KyCoop]

Ventilation is not just for heat. It's also for airflow and smell. If you don't have good airflow the ammonia from their poop is going to build up and it's not good for them.
You can add a 6 inch vent covered in hardware cloth all around very top.