Best type of roost? Weigh in with your design opinion.

[Michelle K]

Thank you for taking time to explain =)

 

[mainechicklet]

Sure! There's 119 pages to that forum, but a wealth of pics and interior design info. I'm back to reading it myself right now!

 

[Varglet]

I never got around to building a roost in my converted shed "coop". But the chickens figured out they can get up to the rafters, so I don't need to build one now. A roost on the floor would just take up space anyway. I just have to watch where I stand when I check on them at night...

 

[mainechicklet]

That's another reason for a poop board! It increases floor space (underneath the boards) and chickens can stroll around without being pooped on from above.

 

[Varglet]

The only time they're in the rafters is at night, so no chance of them pooping on each other. I only go in at night to make sure they're all inside and to candle the eggs my Silkies are sitting on, so I don't need a poop board.

 

[topdog24]

I have a 16 x 28 ft permanent yard made from used cyclone fence pipe and 1" poultry mesh which i can easily expand as my flock grows, I will be starting a permanent house 8'x 12' which will have a dirt floor, I will have a single poop board made of flat metal, which by the way is a discarded swimming pool liner wall, 48" wide and will cover the whole area under the roosts which will be against the back 12' wall, I will be able to pull the full length of metal sheet outside, use a straight edge shovel to remove poop and put in compost or garden, wash it down with a water hose and pull it back inside with a small cable attached to the opposite end. The nests will be on the front wall, there will be about 2.5 ft of open walkway between roosts and nests, the walk way will be covered with sand so it can be cleaned with a common garden rake, 90% of the poop will be under the roosts. Roosts will be made of 2.5 " dia. hardwood saplings mounted on 2x4 diagonal's, will have 4 rungs, that amounts to 48 linear ft of roost for 39 birds.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

TA~~DA~~~~ THEY ALL LOVE IT !!!!!! We will take the 1X4 ramp away when the 4week old Buffs can jump up.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Got them done 2 weeks ago and they all love it~~~ Thanks

 

[NikSmith]

Hey Anira, how high up are your rafters? My coop is 8x8x8 so the rafters would be 8ft up...i'm hoping they don't reach that!

 

[Varglet]

The rafters are probably 8 feet up (point of the roof would be about 10 feet up), but the coop used to be a shed, so there are shelves built in to two of the walls that they use to get up there. Let me see if I have a pic somewhere... I think they highest I've ever seen one of my birds jump/fly is 5+ feet, and that was my d'Uccle hen.