Questions about roost reconfiguration

[vantain]

I have a 6x8 coop. I currently have a single roost bar across the back 8' length of the coop. Actually, with studding, the roost is more like 7' 4". There is a poop board beneath the roost that is 20" off the floor, and the roost bar itself is 8" above that. From roost height, the eve vents are 33" above.

I have 2 full grown hens, plus another 8 10 week old pullets. Well..one of those is a cockerel. The two full grown hens are ISA Browns. Of the youngsters, 2 are Buff Orpington, 2 RIR, 4 Barred Rocks, one of which is the cockerel. He found his voice this morning...really startled me as I was refilling their waterer.

I know the current roost is not big enough for 9 full grown hens and one rooster, which is why I need some help on reconfiguration.

1) I live in Minnesota, so winters are COLD. What would be the minimum distance from roost height to the eve vents? I'm concerned about the cold air coming down on them when on the roost during the subzero nights. If I raise the current roost, they will be closer to those vents.

2) I was considering raising the roost up about 6 more inches, and adding a second one 12" out from that one, but lower by 10-12". So a two tiered roost, giving the 10 birds more option on where to be in relation to each other. In other words, more room to distance if necessary, and for pecking order issues that may arise when they near the point of lay.

3) I could add some roost at the same plane as the existing roost, but continue around on the 6' sides of the coop..so a U shaped roost.

4) I still would like space beneath the poop boards for hospital/jail configurations.

Something to note, nesting boxes are off the side of the coop, so they don't take up any existing floor space. The only issue is that I have a door on one side of the coop, so I can't extend the roost on that side the full 6'. Need to leave room for entering from that door.

I am just struggling with the best configuration to best suit my needs. I don't plan to have more than 10 birds....and I know about the chicken math...ha ha..as I just went to 10 birds after starting with 4. But..I'm sticking to my limits here, and I know I will lose some birds eventually, so the count now will be lower at some point.

Ideas? I'll attach some pictures of the current configuration.

 

[vantain]

Oops..here are the pictures. Two showing the current roost from both sides of the coop, and one of the coop from the outside.

I am working on integrating one older hen that isn’t playing well with the others, hence the temporary walls in the coop to contain her.

 

[RobertaD1]

Could you put a smallish section above your nest boxes? It might be a bit of a pain to access from the front, but you could do clean up from the outside.
Maybe a Four foot section of roost and poop board.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Personally I don't believe in magic numbers for roost space per chicken or much else to do with chickens. I've seen recommendations for 7" per full sized fowl chicken and recommendations for 15" per chicken. Did the wizard that recommended the 7" have that much more mojo than the wizard that had to have 15"? I'll pause to ponder that possibility a bit.

Seriously, you might not be that bad off with what you have once they become fully grown. I like to go by what I see instead of what some stranger over the internet like me tells you. If it were me I'd probably be OK with that 7'-4" for 10 mature birds, at least until I wasn't. Don't count on losing any. You might but them you may not. Often you do not.

I don't know where all your winter ventilation is located. What you want to avoid is creating a wind tunnel where winter breezes pass through the roosts. If all your winter ventilation is 33" above the roosts you are in good shape. If you have openings at night that creates a wind path through the roosts you could have issues. During the day they can move out of a breeze. And during the hot summer a cooling breeze would feel good.

But you don't have 10 adults. You have two adults and 8 immature chicks. It's unlikely those juveniles will sleep on the main roosts with the adults until they mature. Where will they sleep until they are mature enough to join the adults on the main roosts? As long as it is not my nests and somewhere predator safe I don't care. But you may need to do something to keep then out of your nests.

You could find a place to put a temporary roost lower than the main roosts for those chicks. As young as they will be 4' is probably enough. You need access in there. That's why I'm reluctant to suggest a specific place. Perhaps lower than and in front of the current roost. Maybe wrap it around a side wall. It could be considered temporary.

Another option would be to put in a small roost for the two adults. 2' long would be plenty. Put it separated from the current roost and higher. You may need to train the two adults to use it but that shouldn't be too hard. If it is temporary you don't have to worry about winter winds but I might make it permanent.

You could wrap it around a side at the same level. Maybe put some vertical dividers so the two adults can't see the chicks as they roost. This might work with an equal-level roost in front of the existing one. But you will need a wide droppings board unless it is temporary. I've never tried that but some people say dividers work. And you have your jail/hospital to work into any of these scenarios.

Good luck.

 

[David61]

LOL, I have three six foot roost bars for my ten girls. 4-ISAs, 4-buff-O's and 2 bar rocks. They all get on the top 6 foot bar in winter. Its hot now so 8 fat bottom girls on a six foot roost bar. I think you're good to go.
Take a look at my birds last week at 9pm and a sleep. That's just less than six foot roost..

 

[aart]

They can roost on the edge of the poop board....if they don't all fit on the roost.
I would leave it as is.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Realistically... your birds will probably all mash themselves onto the bar they're already using. But an L shape might be nice as an addition for more space (so keep what you have and add a second bar at same height along the shorter wall), so you don't have to worry about raising/lowering bars or widening the poop board.

Right now I've got 10 birds (hens and chicks) trying to fit themselves across a 6' span and ignoring the lower roost. At some point someone's going to get forced off and have to sit next to the lone bird on the bottom rung.

 

[vantain]

Could you put a smallish section above your nest boxes? It might be a bit of a pain to access from the front, but you could do clean up from the outside.
Maybe a Four foot section of roost and poop board.

The roost boxes don't have outside access for me to collect eggs. To provide more floor space, I put them outside. In hindsight, I should have put a hinged lid or something on them, but figured it was still just as easy to collect the eggs on the inside, since I'm still in there every day doing the poop board maintenance.

 

[vantain]

It's unlikely those juveniles will sleep on the main roosts with the adults until they mature. Where will they sleep until they are mature enough to join the adults on the main roosts?

Ummm....they already are on the roost with the mature birds. At least one of them is kind enough to be with them. I just thought it was looking a little crowded already. There are nine in this picture on that roost.

 

[vantain]

Realistically... your birds will probably all mash themselves onto the bar they're already using. But an L shape might be nice as an addition for more space (so keep what you have and add a second bar at same height along the shorter wall), so you don't have to worry about raising/lowering bars or widening the poop board.

Right now I've got 10 birds (hens and chicks) trying to fit themselves across a 6' span and ignoring the lower roost. At some point someone's going to get forced off and have to sit next to the lone bird on the bottom rung.

I think I will do this. Just add an extension from the existing bar over on the short wall. That way they have options. With the hot nights now, that particular extension will be right in line with three windows..so will probably become prime space for the remainder of summer. I could also make it removable, so I could take it out in winter, and force them all to snuggle up with other on the longer bar. I may do that, since I do like to keep the front window open a bit during the winter for some added ventilation that is, for now, not near the current roost. That has worked out well for me for the last two winters.