Windows , roost bar & nest box placement

[Bruins]

My coop will be 4 x 8 . I was planning on putting the windows on one east facing side which will be 8 ft long and and having an 8 ft long roost bar . I see many people put the roost bar near windows so that the chickens can see out the windows . Would having the roost bar near the windows make it too cold in the winter ( I live in MD and we can have some very cold spells ) or will it be fine as long as there are no drafts coming from the window area ?

Does it matter where the nest boxes are placed ? Do the chickens like a darker area for the nesting area or would brighter area be better ? I plan to have the nest boxes extend out of the coop so the coop floor will be 4 x 8 and the nest boxes will not take up any floor space. I currently have 7 chicks and realize the coop size can only hold 8 at the most . Will 2 nest boxes be enough or should I make 3 ?

I was thinking that if I place the roost in front of the windows then the nest boxes would be across the coop on the other 8 ft wall facing the windows and towards the light . Does that seem good ? Or would it be better to place the nest boxes under the windows .

I also planned on putting ventilation in the eaves under the roof overhang on the 2 8 ft long sides of the coop . Does this seem ok or will I need more ? I have 2 windows that I will also be able to open in the warm months .

I just want to do it right the first time .

 

[klohman]

We have our roosts right next to our windows. We cover the windows with plexiglass in the winter, then take the screws out and leave them open when it warms up - It works great!! We are in IL so we hit the negatives quite often. With a heat lamp and the plexiglass it stays toasty warm.

We have always had our next boxes about 3 feet high, with a few little ladder steps to get there, and they seem to like that just fine. They do like it darker in the nest boxes and that will keep down a lot of your egg eating problems, etc. I've considered adding some curtains to mine. We have 13 laying hens and they lay in an average of 4 boxes a day (out of 6). So figure 1 nest box = 3/4 birds. Our prime laying time is 10:00AM. At that time we have 4 girls in boxes (2 empty) and 3 that "wait in line" on the roost. Ha!

Hope this helps some!