Advice on Poop Proofing Nesting Boxes. Photos Attached

[jthornton]

Can you move the roost to the middle?

JT

 

[aart]

Can you move the roost to the middle?

JT

My thoughts exactly...but...
There are 2 roosts and 2 nest banks, why I asked how long is roost and how many birds.

 

[MrsAuberry00]

That would probably be the simplest solution.

Is coop a walk in?
How many birds do you have?
How long are roosts?
I love the roost hanger brackets

The coop is not a walk in. The floor of the coop is waist high.
I currently have 4 birds, started with 6.
The roosts are the length of the coop... About 4 feet maybe? 5?
I've pulled some old photos and took a few screenshots to try and give a better idea of the set up.

 

[MrsAuberry00]

Also, @aart, you can see my ventilation with these pictures. Haha! All there is are the two windows and chicken door

 

[jthornton]

With only 4 birds just take out one roost and block off the nest boxes on the side with the roost. Not much ventilation and not any draft free for winter...

JT

 

[aart]

With only 4 birds just take out one roost and block off the nest boxes on the side with the roost. Not much ventilation and not any draft free for winter...

JT

Ditto Dat^^^

 

[MrsAuberry00]

Ditto Dat^^^

That would be great but I'm planning on adding more birds. It is set up for 8 but due to predator issues, I'm down on numbers and with three hens and only one egg every second or third day, I need to get some layers. (I have no idea why the 2 year olds aren't laying and the 4 year old is, but that's another topic in another forum.) It is something I can do temporarily until I add more birds and figure out a solution for when both roosts are up.

So suggestions for improving ventilation in my particular coop? I've read some of the articles but I'm worried I'll do it wrong because I've read it wrong. Specific instructions, (in crayon if necessary,) are helpful to me. I have diagnosed OCD and if I don't get things just right, it drives me crazy. HAHA, no pun intended.

Edited to add a photo.

 

[jthornton]

Replace the board under the red circle on both ends with HC.

You don't need that many nest boxes for 8 hens. I have 8 RIR hens and one nest box that is 36" wide and I've see up to 4 hens at a time sitting in there. Some like the right side, some like the left and some just take whatever space is left when their favorite space is occupied. You can remove one side of nest boxes and position the roosts if you have room 12-14" from the wall and the second one about the same distance away. You could also have them in a C shape if the coop permits.

This is the inside of my coop turned into a roosting area as there was no room or height for anything else. I ended up moving my nest box to the run as well as the feed and water as there was not any room for that and keep the chickens below the draft. Rooky mistake building a coop design from the internet.


The sliding panel is great in the summer and should be left open until it starts to get cold. You don't want a cold draft on the birds in the winter but you do want ventilation for the moist air to rise up and get out.

JT

 

[MrsAuberry00]

Replace the board under the red circle on both ends with HC.

You don't need that many nest boxes for 8 hens. I have 8 RIR hens and one nest box that is 36" wide and I've see up to 4 hens at a time sitting in there. Some like the right side, some like the left and some just take whatever space is left when their favorite space is occupied. You can remove one side of nest boxes and position the roosts if you have room 12-14" from the wall and the second one about the same distance away. You could also have them in a C shape if the coop permits.

This is the inside of my coop turned into a roosting area as there was no room or height for anything else. I ended up moving my nest box to the run as well as the feed and water as there was not any room for that and keep the chickens below the draft. Rooky mistake building a coop design from the internet.
View attachment 1789169

The sliding panel is great in the summer and should be left open until it starts to get cold. You don't want a cold draft on the birds in the winter but you do want ventilation for the moist air to rise up and get out.

JT

Great! Thank you SO much.

 

[MrsAuberry00]

We removed one roost and I put the nesting boxes on the side without the roost. One of my hens died this morning so I scrubbed the entire coop and nesting boxes with hot, soapy water liberally dosed with white vinegar. (I had sand on the coop floor but removed it all before scrubbing everything from top to bottom... there was too many diarrhea and poop germs in it for me to feel comfortable leaving it in.) I applied a spray I bought at TSC to help prevent creepie crawlies, (I've had zero trouble with mites, lice, etc. and I think this is why. I sprinkled DE and coop compost granules then topped it all of with several inches of pine shavings. I'm hoping it was something limited to just her and that the other three don't contract whatever she had. I'll be watching them very closely. I also wormed them today.
I only need to get some material to block off the boxes on the side they roost on, probably cardboard temporarily until I can get some plexiglass or lexan. I'll use those nesting boxes to store coop cleaning materials, latex gloves, treats, etc...anything I use regularly that isn't temperature sensitive.

I began drilling ventilation holes under the front and back eaves but my drill ran out of juice. Eventually when I figure out the logistics, I may remove the entire area and cover it with the same material covering the windows. I believe it's hardware cloth.

Thank you for all the suggestions and keep them coming if anyone has any more of them. I'm eager to learn any tricks I can to keep my little flock healthy and happy.