Roosts, pop door, laying boxes

[Witchychickens]

Hi all…

We are trying to solidify details for the coop interior. I want to have detailed specs written out for my husband when he is ready to finish the specifics.

Roosts: someone once recommended 2x4s because of our cold climate and the chickens ability to basically cover their feet with their feathers. Everything I’m seeing is saying round, like a wooden closet pole. I’m in zone 5a central MA. Thoughts?

Best coating for the roosts for easy daily wiping?

How far down from the soffit vents should the first roost be? We are doing 3 roosting bars, 28 inches each in a graduated stair step fashion. We have 6 average sized birds and 1 silkie.

Pop door: we are planning a 12x12 door. How do I ensure it is predator proof? We will have 2, one opens out to the back portion of our fenced in yard for free ranging and the other is in the protected, covered run. I do not want an automatic door. I am home and will be here to let chickens in and out. Is guillotine best? Hinged? Is 6 inches off the floor sufficient? Does it need a shelf or perch?

Nesting boxes: planning 3 boxes, 12x12 each. In Storey’s guide, it says to put it on the floor first and then raise it 18 - 20 inches. Does it need a shelf or perch? Should we have this available to our chicks to get used to from the beginning? Im assuming yes for optimal instinctual chicken behavior.

 

[aart]

There are many options for each of these items.
Here's some tips about general heights:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/

I have used 2x4's for 12 years, they work fine.
Doesn't mean other options will not work too.
They are bare wood, with sharp spots sanded down.
I have a single level of roosts, with poop boards underneath.
See it all here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-coop-page.65912/

 

[Ridgerunner]

Roosts: someone once recommended 2x4s because of our cold climate and the chickens ability to basically cover their feet with their feathers. Everything I’m seeing is saying round, like a wooden closet pole. I’m in zone 5a central MA. Thoughts?

People have different opinions on what makes a good roost. Some of those opinions can be pretty strong. Some argue that chickens evolved to sleep on tree limbs so round roosts are best. Others feel that it is best for them to sleep on something flat, anything from the flat side of a 2x4 to a shelf. Both sides will argue that something about the way their feet are shaped requires a certain type of roost. Each side can come up with all kinds of "reasons" their way is best and any other way is cruel.

One very common claim is the one you heard, that they need a flat surface so their feathers can cover their feet and keep them warm. I use tree limbs for my main roosts and a 2x4 on edge for a juvenile roost. When in colder weather my chickens squat down when on the roost and their feet are covered. One member I haven't seen on here for a while lives in Alaska where it does get truly cold. He said he sees a change when the temperature hits -20 Fahrenheit (-29 C). Until then his birds do OK on regular round or thinner roosts but once it gets that cold they need something flat. The coldest I've kept chickens was in Arkansas where it got to -8 F one winter. Mine had no problems on tree limbs or the narrow side of a 2x4.

How big of a diameter is that closet rod? I don't use anything less than 1-1/2" diameter or thickness for a roost, like the thin side of a 2x4. You want the roost to be strong enough to support their weight without excess bending and to give their feet something to grip.

If you use sawn lumber I suggest sanding off any sharp corners. That's not for their comfort when gripping the roost but to avoid splinters which could cause bumblefoot.

I've done some experimenting to see what the chickens prefer. They tend to prefer the highest spot they can get to. The location of the window affected that some. The shape of the roost made no difference at all. People seem to care about this much more than the chickens do. Someone else did some experimenting too, more details than mine. The conclusions were the same but he tried some really thin roosts. They did not like them.

Best coating for the roosts for easy daily wiping?

My roosts are tree limbs 4" diameter or smaller and a 2x4 on edge. Mine do not require any wiping. I don't know what will happen with a wide flat surface.

How far down from the soffit vents should the first roost be?

You want the roosts to be far enough below the vents so any breeze blows over the chickens without hitting them. If a breeze strong enough to ruffle their feathers hits them they can lose insulation form their feathers, not good when it is cold. How far below that is will depend to a small degree on how big your chickens are but more about the flow dynamics of your coop. I don't know that about your specific coop so I'm hesitant to give hard numbers. I'd want at least a foot, anything more would be a bonus.

I haven't read Aart's article for a while but there are some similarities to what I do. First I determine the height of the floor, including bedding. I want the pop door high enough above the bedding so the chickens can't scratch the bedding outside. Mine is about a foot up, 6" might be enough.

Next I position the nests. Some people put nests on the coop floor. Some have them up high enough that they don't have to bend over much to gather eggs or clean the nests. If you have a bad back you might consider this. Others have them anywhere in between. It makes a difference if you have a walk-in coop where you will be inside gathering eggs and working or a small elevated coop where you do everything by reaching in from outside.

I like the nests high enough off of the coop floor so a chicken can get underneath. That stops Mommy Mouse from raising a family under there. Also, when I'm integrating chicks it gives the chicks a place to hide from the adults. I have a second row of nests above the bottom one.

Then I position the roosts. I want them noticeably higher than the nests or any other place I don't want them to sleep. In a small tight coop that might be 6" but 12" minimum is probably better. Chickens tend to sleep on the highest place they can get to. In a large coop that might be the rafters. You don't want the highest place to be the nests.

When chickens fly down from the roosts they need a clear landing area. The higher the roosts the more clear area they need. You don't want them bumping into walls, nests, feeders, or waterers, they can get hurt. If your coop is small and so tight they can't spread their wings and fly they'll probably hop from one perch to another, the same way they get to the roosts. But if they are flying down I want the roosts to be as close to the floor as I can get them and still be higher than anywhere I don't want them sleeping.

One of the easiest way to catch a chicken to inspect it or treat it is to take them off of the roosts at night using minimum light. You can just pick them up. So give yourself access to the roosts.

Pop door: we are planning a 12x12 door. How do I ensure it is predator proof?

You can't without restricting your chickens to where they can go. You said you wanted them to free range. That means anything out there can enter the coop through the pop door when it is open. While practically any predator can be around during the day the nighttime is when they are most dangerous. Human activity during the day tends to keep them away but you can still get an attack. Your biggest risk is at night so make sure you have that pop door closed after they go to bed. I like to go into my walk-in coop when I lock them up at night to make sure I collected all of the eggs and check on the chickens. I have found a few snakes in there and a possum once. I consider checking on them at bedtime a good practice.

If you free range they can be attacked out there. It is a risk you take when you free range. Some of us can go years free ranging without an attack, others can be wiped out in a matter of days.

Is guillotine best? Hinged?

It doesn't matter as long as you can secure it.

Is 6 inches off the floor sufficient? Does it need a shelf or perch?

Mine is about 12" up. My adults can easily hop up that far. For baby chicks going in and out with a broody hen I made some steps with pavers inside and outside the coop so they can hop up and down. By two weeks of age the chicks don't need the steps, they can fly in and out. You have a Silkie that cannot fly and is probably a bantam. I's expect it to be able to easily hop up 12" but I don't do bantams or silkies.

Nesting boxes: planning 3 boxes, 12x12 each. In Storey’s guide, it says to put it on the floor first and then raise it 18 - 20 inches. Does it need a shelf or perch?

For 7 hens two nests should be enough but a third nest won't hurt. That gives you some flexibility if you want to add more hens later or let a broody hen hatch chicks.

My full-sized fowl hens jump/fly to my nests that are 4 feet above the coop floor. I do not have perches or shelves for them. The lip on the front of the nests is 3/8" plywood, they land on that and step into the nest. The majority of people on this forum probably believe they need a shelf or perch. There is nothing wrong with providing one. It will not hurt a thing. In your case it is probably a good thing, depending on how high you set your nests. You have a Silkie that cannot fly. Not only may she need a perch or shelf you may need to provide her a ramp or steps so she can get up there.

Should we have this available to our chicks to get used to from the beginning? Im assuming yes for optimal instinctual chicken behavior.

As always you will get different opinions on this. Some people will tell you absolutely, without a doubt, to close the nests off.

I constantly have different aged chickens in my flock. Some mature adults laying eggs and some younger chicks, either broody raised or brooder raised. I need my nests open so my hens can lay eggs in the nests. I find that as long as they have a place to go that is not my nests they usually (not always but usually) do not sleep in my nests. When they are pretty young they tend to sleep on the coop floor. Once they hit a certain age they want to roost. My immature chicks do not roost on the main roost with the adults. To keep them out of my nests I put in a juvenile roost, about a foot lower than the main roosts, separated from the main roosts by a few feet, and higher than my nests. I raise around 45 chicks each year. Maybe once every two or three years one will try sleeping in a nest. I quickly retrain it.

You don't have a mixed age flock so you should be OK without blocking off the nests. You do have a Silkie though, I'm not sure how she will work out with all of this.

Looking through this I probably said one definite thing, make the roosts higher than anywhere you don't want them to sleep. Other than that you'll find that we do these things all kinds of different ways. We all have different flock make-ups, goals, and set-ups. What works for one of us may not be the best thing for someone else. But there are all kinds of different things that can work. Good luck with what you decide.

 

[Witchychickens]

This is really helpful and I appreciate the detail in your response.

I think this is why I find the specs hard to decide… too many choices and different schools of thought. I know there will be trial and error but I want to do the best for my little velociraptors that I can.

My coop is shaped a little odd. It’s 2.5 feet x 11 ft and walk in. We may actually rehome 1-2 chickens if I find they seem to not have enough room to be happy inside the coop. Im hoping they can still use the run in the winter if we use plastic to protect from the elements. I made my run 9x11 because they will spend the most time in there. It is covered. I do want to give them some free range space out back when we are outside in nicer weather.

Stories guide mentions a 2 inch round closet pole so that was what I was considering vs a 2x4. Both 2” but different shapes. Nothing too small.

Our ventilation is in the northeast and southwest eaves. They span the entire length of the coop (11 ft) We also have the window right in the middle of the back wall. Our coop is mainly in the shade so it won’t get overly hot.

The plan was to secure the exterior pop door to the back part of my yard with a carabiner, the window will be the same. I plan to check vents, feet, and wings daily and have been trying to get into that habit, (my Easter egger and my Leghorn are NOT fans of this practice and my black copper Marans likes to try to peck me). I’m hoping by being in the coop daily to do this I will see any really big issues with the coop as we go.

I’m going to have to consider where to put the feeder and waterer in the coop since space is at a premium and I have to consider flying and landing and such.

The eggs will be collected from inside the run (the run is in front of the coop). The egg box will basically hang out into the run space. I’m going to mark and measure where 18-20 inches is and see and then see where that will make the roosts fall.

Thank you for giving me so much to consider. It will help me make the best decisions.

People have different opinions on what makes a good roost. Some of those opinions can be pretty strong. Some argue that chickens evolved to sleep on tree limbs so round roosts are best. Others feel that it is best for them to sleep on something flat, anything from the flat side of a 2x4 to a shelf. Both sides will argue that something about the way their feet are shaped requires a certain type of roost. Each side can come up with all kinds of "reasons" their way is best and any other way is cruel.

One very common claim is the one you heard, that they need a flat surface so their feathers can cover their feet and keep them warm. I use tree limbs for my main roosts and a 2x4 on edge for a juvenile roost. When in colder weather my chickens squat down when on the roost and their feet are covered. One member I haven't seen on here for a while lives in Alaska where it does get truly cold. He said he sees a change when the temperature hits -20 Fahrenheit (-29 C). Until then his birds do OK on regular round or thinner roosts but once it gets that cold they need something flat. The coldest I've kept chickens was in Arkansas where it got to -8 F one winter. Mine had no problems on tree limbs or the narrow side of a 2x4.

How big of a diameter is that closet rod? I don't use anything less than 1-1/2" diameter or thickness for a roost, like the thin side of a 2x4. You want the roost to be strong enough to support their weight without excess bending and to give their feet something to grip.

If you use sawn lumber I suggest sanding off any sharp corners. That's not for their comfort when gripping the roost but to avoid splinters which could cause bumblefoot.

I've done some experimenting to see what the chickens prefer. They tend to prefer the highest spot they can get to. The location of the window affected that some. The shape of the roost made no difference at all. People seem to care about this much more than the chickens do. Someone else did some experimenting too, more details than mine. The conclusions were the same but he tried some really thin roosts. They did not like them.


My roosts are tree limbs 4" diameter or smaller and a 2x4 on edge. Mine do not require any wiping. I don't know what will happen with a wide flat surface.


You want the roosts to be far enough below the vents so any breeze blows over the chickens without hitting them. If a breeze strong enough to ruffle their feathers hits them they can lose insulation form their feathers, not good when it is cold. How far below that is will depend to a small degree on how big your chickens are but more about the flow dynamics of your coop. I don't know that about your specific coop so I'm hesitant to give hard numbers. I'd want at least a foot, anything more would be a bonus.

I haven't read Aart's article for a while but there are some similarities to what I do. First I determine the height of the floor, including bedding. I want the pop door high enough above the bedding so the chickens can't scratch the bedding outside. Mine is about a foot up, 6" might be enough.

Next I position the nests. Some people put nests on the coop floor. Some have them up high enough that they don't have to bend over much to gather eggs or clean the nests. If you have a bad back you might consider this. Others have them anywhere in between. It makes a difference if you have a walk-in coop where you will be inside gathering eggs and working or a small elevated coop where you do everything by reaching in from outside.

I like the nests high enough off of the coop floor so a chicken can get underneath. That stops Mommy Mouse from raising a family under there. Also, when I'm integrating chicks it gives the chicks a place to hide from the adults. I have a second row of nests above the bottom one.

Then I position the roosts. I want them noticeably higher than the nests or any other place I don't want them to sleep. In a small tight coop that might be 6" but 12" minimum is probably better. Chickens tend to sleep on the highest place they can get to. In a large coop that might be the rafters. You don't want the highest place to be the nests.

When chickens fly down from the roosts they need a clear landing area. The higher the roosts the more clear area they need. You don't want them bumping into walls, nests, feeders, or waterers, they can get hurt. If your coop is small and so tight they can't spread their wings and fly they'll probably hop from one perch to another, the same way they get to the roosts. But if they are flying down I want the roosts to be as close to the floor as I can get them and still be higher than anywhere I don't want them sleeping.

One of the easiest way to catch a chicken to inspect it or treat it is to take them off of the roosts at night using minimum light. You can just pick them up. So give yourself access to the roosts.


You can't without restricting your chickens to where they can go. You said you wanted them to free range. That means anything out there can enter the coop through the pop door when it is open. While practically any predator can be around during the day the nighttime is when they are most dangerous. Human activity during the day tends to keep them away but you can still get an attack. Your biggest risk is at night so make sure you have that pop door closed after they go to bed. I like to go into my walk-in coop when I lock them up at night to make sure I collected all of the eggs and check on the chickens. I have found a few snakes in there and a possum once. I consider checking on them at bedtime a good practice.

If you free range they can be attacked out there. It is a risk you take when you free range. Some of us can go years free ranging without an attack, others can be wiped out in a matter of days.


It doesn't matter as long as you can secure it.


Mine is about 12" up. My adults can easily hop up that far. For baby chicks going in and out with a broody hen I made some steps with pavers inside and outside the coop so they can hop up and down. By two weeks of age the chicks don't need the steps, they can fly in and out. You have a Silkie that cannot fly and is probably a bantam. I's expect it to be able to easily hop up 12" but I don't do bantams or silkies.


For 7 hens two nests should be enough but a third nest won't hurt. That gives you some flexibility if you want to add more hens later or let a broody hen hatch chicks.

My full-sized fowl hens jump/fly to my nests that are 4 feet above the coop floor. I do not have perches or shelves for them. The lip on the front of the nests is 3/8" plywood, they land on that and step into the nest. The majority of people on this forum probably believe they need a shelf or perch. There is nothing wrong with providing one. It will not hurt a thing. In your case it is probably a good thing, depending on how high you set your nests. You have a Silkie that cannot fly. Not only may she need a perch or shelf you may need to provide her a ramp or steps so she can get up there.


As always you will get different opinions on this. Some people will tell you absolutely, without a doubt, to close the nests off.

I constantly have different aged chickens in my flock. Some mature adults laying eggs and some younger chicks, either broody raised or brooder raised. I need my nests open so my hens can lay eggs in the nests. I find that as long as they have a place to go that is not my nests they usually (not always but usually) do not sleep in my nests. When they are pretty young they tend to sleep on the coop floor. Once they hit a certain age they want to roost. My immature chicks do not roost on the main roost with the adults. To keep them out of my nests I put in a juvenile roost, about a foot lower than the main roosts, separated from the main roosts by a few feet, and higher than my nests. I raise around 45 chicks each year. Maybe once every two or three years one will try sleeping in a nest. I quickly retrain it.

You don't have a mixed age flock so you should be OK without blocking off the nests. You do have a Silkie though, I'm not sure how she will work out with all of this.

Looking through this I probably said one definite thing, make the roosts higher than anywhere you don't want them to sleep. Other than that you'll find that we do these things all kinds of different ways. We all have different flock make-ups, goals, and set-ups. What works for one of us may not be the best thing for someone else. But there are all kinds of different things that can work. Good luck with what you decide.

is

 

[Witchychickens]

Here are some pics. It gives a better picture of what we have for space

 

[rosemarythyme]

Stories guide mentions a 2 inch round closet pole so that was what I was considering vs a 2x4. Both 2” but different shapes. Nothing too small.

Round or flat, as long as it's about 2" (or more) wide, with no sharp edges, and not slippery, the chickens will accept it.

Zero need to be wiping off a roost, especially with water or any other liquid (unless specifically treating for parasites like roost mites). I chip off any poop that happens to get on it.

I plan to check vents, feet, and wings daily and have been trying to get into that habit, (my Easter egger and my Leghorn are NOT fans of this practice and my black copper Marans likes to try to peck me). I’m hoping by being in the coop daily to do this I will see any really big issues with the coop as we go.

That's probably more than needed (once a week is plenty) but if certain birds don't like it, they'll probably never like it. You just need them to accept it. You can also do it off the roost at night if you have trouble nabbing them.

I’m going to have to consider where to put the feeder and waterer in the coop since space is at a premium and I have to consider flying and landing and such.

Put them in the run, your coop is so narrow that there probably isn't a good spot for it.

 

[aart]

Why so narrow?
2.5" is going to be hard for both keeper and birds to navigate.

 

[Witchychickens]

Why so narrow?
2.5" is going to be hard for both keeper and birds to navigate.

There were many reasons to make the coop as efficient as possible while prioritizing run space. I actually didn’t want a huge coop. I wanted to be able to go in and easily clean and access everything, I wanted enough roost space and sq footage. I wanted to prioritize run space. I can attest from the keepers standpoint, It’s actually quite easy to access everything and clean. I really thought through the design because of space premium (less than .25 acres and not all of it usable/accessible at this time) I also planned it into my garden space for ease of using the girls composting and turning/“tilling” and ease of cleaning/servicing. I can walk through it end to end with no issue. My husband can as well and he’s over 6ft tall and not a small guy. We also wanted it to look nice and be a high quality out building for salability later on. This isn’t our forever home and material cost was considered.

It’s designed for me to be able to go in, turn to the left and access the entire left side for cleaning. The nests on the left (box will extend out into the run and open from top for easy cleaning and changing and collecting from the run), the inside can be swept or shoveled out easily, I did this yesterday). I can reach all walls and rafters for cleaning, the window is directly across from the door and easily accessible from inside and outside. The roosts will go to the right, and run across the width of the coop, we are planning 3 at 28 inches each. This gives 28 extra inches of roost space than actually recommended, they’re going to be removable, as will be the “poop deck” below should my husband need to service anything inside on the right and they’re in the way.

I don’t plan more chickens here, this is because of the neighbors, the neighborhood, and my ability to care for a larger flock. I prioritized run space over coop space.

As for the chickens, this does give enough sq ft per chicken to have 4 sq ft. Per bird and more than enough roost space. They won’t be spending a ton of time in the coop, either hence the safe free range space and the large covered and enclosed run. If I do find it cramped, we can cross that bridge then.

I’m hoping they won’t spend much time in the coop.

With that said, I may eat these words. I guess it’ll just be a learning experience.

 

[Witchychickens]

Round or flat, as long as it's about 2" (or more) wide, with no sharp edges, and not slippery, the chickens will accept it.

Zero need to be wiping off a roost, especially with water or any other liquid (unless specifically treating for parasites like roost mites). I chip off any poop that happens to get on it.


That's probably more than needed (once a week is plenty) but if certain birds don't like it, they'll probably never like it. You just need them to accept it. You can also do it off the roost at night if you have trouble nabbing them.

Put them in the run, your coop is so narrow that there probably isn't a good spot for it.

Honestly, they’d probably be better off in the run because of moisture and pests in the coop, anyway. I will probably install hooks for hanging feeders in the rafters of the coop just in case weather is too cold in the dead of winter for them to use the run but otherwise, feeding and watering in the run sounds better.

I think I might do wooden closet poles. I can use the mounting hardware they sell with them and they’ll be easily removed

 

[aart]

I will probably install hooks for hanging feeders in the rafters of the coop just in case weather is too cold in the dead of winter for them to use the run but otherwise, feeding and watering in the run sounds better.

Do you have a plan to keep the water liquid in the cold winters there?