Roost height in an 8x4x3 henhouse?

Korzak

Songster
7 Years
Oct 25, 2014
73
28
132
Hamden, CT
Hi all!

So we are getting ready to finalize our coop, and we have a henhouse that is 8' wide by 4' long by 3' high.

We are going to use deep litter, so 6" of the height of the henhouse will be taken up by litter.

That leaves 30" of vertical space. We have 12" square nesting boxes that will have to be at least 6" above the litter, so they will leave a foot above them.

Does it make sense to put the roost on the opposite end of the coop from the nesting boxes, at 18" high? That makes them a foot off the litter, and 18" from the ceiling. Or should the roost be 24" off the bottom, so 18" above the litter and 12" from the ceiling?

I've read a hundred posts and threads and websites about this, and still don't have a good answer.

Thanks!
 
You have a flat roof?
This is what I was thinking too. Between a probable slant and deep liter your very limited. 6 inches isn't really deep liter. I use 4 inches of pine shavings and the roosts are 16 inches from floor so that's a foot over liter when first put in but it does settle. Large fowl birds walk under the roosts no problem. My roof pitch is only a drop of 6 inches in 4 ft. I did make it 4 ft in total height and surmised by design it could have been shrunk easily by 6 more inches to a foot but that would be pushing it. The roof line should be vented and circulating air will be running 4 to 6 inches from the roof line over their heads. The roosts need to be low enough that when squatted roosting at night heads are not in that cold air stream circulating with coop air. In saying all this I'd not put slant more than 6 inches in the 4 ft and not go higher than my roosts are and that's 16 inches from floor. This will keep birds out of the venting that should be along both top and bottom of slanted roof. Your litter depth is what ever is left of space that they still can easily walk under. I'm thinking 4 inches that settles to 3.
 

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