roosts

[cravenchx]

Still learning here....
Poop board?

 

[gale65]

Quote:
Some people put a flat board under the roost to catch poop before it falls to the bedding. Then they can just scrape it off periodically into a bucket or whatever. Since I am poopaphobic I'm going to do this so I have more control over at least some of the poop.

 

[cravenchx]

and some use, like dish pans and empty
occasionally? Thanks for answers.
We are just getting ready to build the
nest boxes, still trying to decide what the
best options are.

 

[gale65]

Quote:
the poop board goes under the roost but some people do use dish pans in the nest boxes also. We're planning to.

 

[Chirpy]

It gets pretty cold here in the winter so I use 2x4s (4"side up) so that they can comfortably roost with their feathers covering their feet.

I have three roosts.. two of them are stacked like a ladder that is leaning against the wall and the third is all the way up at the ceiling (7 feet up) across the top of the coop. My chickens fight for the higher roost. Whoever gets inside first gets to be up there.. the others have to accept the lower roosts. There is a poop board under the two lower roosts... the chickens all use it to 'fly' up to the highest roost. I have a ramp going up to the poop board and some of the chickens use it to get up to the lower roosts... but most of them just fly on up. I believe (I've not actually sat and watched at 5:00 a.m.

) that most of the chickens jump from the roosts down to the poop board and then to the floor. I have seen a couple of them just fly down from the highest roost and the lower roosts.

Here's the high roost (you can see the top roost of the lower two in the background):

Here's the two lower roosts - being checked out by my Nigierian Dwarf goats (the chicken feeder is hanging in the air so they can't get to it while helping us build the roosts

):

 

[philja]

Thanks for the pics and ideas, everyone. I have the coop and run area built but am struggling to figure out the roost part. In the run area I'll have no problem getting a roost or two up, but inside the actual house area, which is about 4Wx6Lx4W (feet), with the nesting boxes it seems really cramped and awkward sticking a roost in there.
I would love some more pictures of your 'small' house solutions.
James

 

[citychickx6]

My tiny 4x6 coop...

The roost is a 2x4 with the 4 side up. Held up by shelf brackets 14 inches off the back wall.

Hanging feeder set up.

Nest box is external. I am needing to lower it so they don't continue to try to roost on top of it.
I think it is to high.

Closer up. The big door is open to show pics. I use it for clean out and feed refilling.

Not shown is the waterer. It hangs on the right side of the big door.
4 chickens call this home.

 

[renegade_hens]

I found a short piece of wood handrail in the scrape bin at home depot that works really well

 

[turbodog]

Quote:
I went with milk crates. I can remove them for cleaning, etc.

 

[Farmer Mike]

My top roost is about 4' high from the bedding floor made from a 1x3 with the 3" side flat. I did this so they keep their feet warm when the winter comes. It is plenty strong for the 8 hens.

I used two cedar branches, about 2-3 inches wide, in the corner of the coop about 16" high each to help them get up to the top. The hens who turn in early get the best spot on the top roost as the cedar branches are only on one side of the high roost. So once birds are up there the path gets congested. Sometimes one or two birds stay down lower.

They all like being up high and there is a hardware clothed window there for them to either look out, catch a breeze, whatever. My only concern is them getting down. Most of the time I see them just wait for a clear opportunity and drop down, trying not to crash into anything. Some seem reluctant to come down, either because of the height or because they don't want to lose their favorite spot. I originally had a ladder going to a lower roost but this gave them less room to plop down.

Some try to fly up to the top roost, but since the coop is only 4' wide it is tricky. I might put a larger ceder branch as the top roost (about 4" in diameter). I just figure it might be more ergonomically designed for their feet and easier to maneuver.

I don't use a poop board mainly because the width of the coop and this would restrict their movement (somewhat). Plus I figured the deep-litter method would work just fine. I just stir up the bedding in the morning and toss in some scratch so they turn over the bedding themselves. I will see how this method works for a while.

I have 8 hens in a 4x8 coop, so that should be about right.