Am I wrong?

[rkapfen]

So I’m new to chickens. I have 5 baby chicks right now in a brooder. My boyfriends dad had chickens growing up and he was very sweet and wanted to build me a chicken coop. He didn’t tell me how he was making it but I gave him some idea as to what I wanted. We have a whole area enclosed so I didn’t need a traditional coop all enclosed I just wanted something they could walk into to roost and had nesting boxes. I’m not trying to sound ungrateful here but he built a more traditional coop with no roosting bars and the only inside are is for the nesting box. He’s trying to tell me they sleep in the nesting boxes but I was pretty sure they roost. Am I wrong? If I put some roosting bars in the outside area do you think it would be too open or cold? I do live in the Bay Area so the summers are hot but it does get fairly cold. Not cold like in the Midwest though I am sure. I just don’t know what to do here.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

No it's a beautiful coop... but you ARE correct!

Maybe some simple mods and it can work really well.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

That is a beautiful coop but chickens like to roost.

 

[cholland]

Yes they definitely want roosting bars. They don't sleep in the nests. Or shouldn't, you don't want them to.
I would add roosting bars in the larger section. Your area isn't too cold, so you could probably get away with just enclosing it a bit more. Keeping them out of the wind and drafts being the goal.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Put some roost outside. But looks like you have room for a roost in front of the lay boxes. I would try to figure something out like that.

Looks like it needs more ventilation int he lay box area too.

Way to go Pops!

Now let's make it functional!

 

[sylviethecochin]

The reason you don't want them in the nesting boxes is because they poop when they sleep. You don't want to haul an egg out of the muck. I currently have a pullet sleeping in one of my nesting boxes and I'm trying really hard to break her of it.

 

[rkapfen]

Exactly what I was thinking. No one wants poopy eggs. Maybe if I put some nesting bars across the outside in front of the ramp? The inside doesn’t look big enough for any roosting areas. Especially not for 5 chickens in my opinion. And you’re completely right about the ventilation holes! I will drill some and put some wire over them!

 

[Ducksandchickens]

Chickens sleep on roosts. And besides, you don’t want poop In the nesting boxes because you’ll get poop on the eggs

 

[bruceha2000]

Chickens will sleep as high as they can get. If the nest boxes are higher than the roosts they will sleep in the nests. As noted, you don't want that. You could put a roost bar a foot inside and parallel to the wall the pop door is on. Try to have it 18" below the roof in that area.

Good luck keeping peace in the family if BF's dad gets sensitive about his coop design. It does look like it is well made but, again as noted, it needs a lot more ventilation.

 

[rkapfen]

So when I got home it seems my boyfriend had talked him into putting some roosting bars Do you guys think this will work? I’m worried it’s lower than the nesting boxes but I could always close that sliding door