Top of coop sleepers

[katiegoodrow]

We have this coop. Which is an awful design. We moved it under our deck and fully enclosed the space for their run. The chickens will not sleep inside because the roosting area is so low. any ideas on how we could retro fit a sleeping area for them that's easier to clean than having to scrape poo from the roof?!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

How many birds are you housing with this unit? That may be factoring in with the overall poor design of the internal area to further discourage them to use it for roosting.
In short, by putting it under the deck you created a new "ceiling" and the top of the coop now makes the most desirable area to roost. If you wish to prevent it you will need to make the top of it inaccessible to them and/or create a steeper angle with no traction. Alternatively, since the area is now fully enclosed you could simply install some roost places in the area under the porch (but outside of the coop) and let them roost there. Unfortunatley there is not much to be done to the insides of these little coops to make them at all attractive to adult birds.

 

[katiegoodrow]

We just have two. I can't believe these coops are marketed for 4 birds. But that makes perfect sense, because the floor of the deck is so close to the top of the coop it's acting as their roof and I have to admit it looks pretty cozy up there. Adding a separate roosting area sounds like the best solution. They are at least smart enough to sleep in there when it rains but stayed out most of the freezing winter!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

We just have two. I can't believe these coops are marketed for 4 birds. But that makes perfect sense, because the floor of the deck is so close to the top of the coop it's acting as their roof and I have to admit it looks pretty cozy up there. Adding a separate roosting area sounds like the best solution. They are at least smart enough to sleep in there when it rains but stayed out most of the freezing winter!

The issue with the number of birds quoted as being able to be housed in a given pre-fab unit is that they base the spacial needs of birds on those used for commercial production - conditions which are beyond overcrowded. It's really unfortunate because those who don't already have the knowledge regarding space per bird, etc are going to rely on what is quoted on a package. You would think that something that is marketed as being "for chickens" would be designed with at least one factor that is actually appropriate for chickens, right -- but in the case of these things there isn't a single part that is.

ETA - as for the freezing winter -- as long as they are up out of the wind (ie under the porch) there is no difference between them being inside the coop or outside of it on a roost.....in fact, the outside is actually better in some ways as these units are very poorly ventilated and would quickly gather humidity which, in winter temps, lends itself to higher risk of frost bite, etc. The fact that they were sleeping outside of it shows they are smart--chickens are nearly as fragile as we sometimes think they are.