Booty Space ~How Much Do Your Chickies Have~

[PineappleMama]

So, I'm perusing all these ideas about coops and taking notes about locations, dimensions, doors, windows, venting, screening, bedding... but one tidbit I didn't notice... Booty Space.

So, figure I would ask. How much room is there between your roost and your wall... in other words how much space for the booties?

Yes, yes I do realize I'm a bit of a nut, but I'm a research nut and tiny details like that drive me bananas.

Appreciate any info, and if anyone is bored there are more random questions/opins wanted on my BYC page that I'm still researching.

 

[Qi Chicken]

I was told 12 inches between booty and wall, then 18 inches between top roost and a lower one if you have it. Also interesting to me was the fact that some may perch one way (booties in) and others on the same roost will perch booties out. Don't these birds realize it is terrible feng shui to have your booty to the door?!?!? The 18 inches will prevent the booty of one being directly over the head of another one if it decides to perch backwards. This is how we built em, hope to avoid poopy heads!

 

[KDbeads]

The roost I have set up right now is 8" from the wall and they fight over who gets to go up first

What I'm planning next with the new coop will be to use 12" shelf brackets with a 2x4 across them. This is for NHR's and a mutt in one coop and EE's in another.

 

[PineappleMama]

Ah, excellent. Thank you so much!

I was guessing about that, but figured it wouldn't hurt to get some real live experience!

 

[chickerdoodle]

You are not a nut--I asked the very same question, LOL

!! I looked around and asked everyone I could and was told anywhere from 10-18 inches for standard hens. The entire standard hen is about 18 inches tail feather to the end of her beak when they are roosting so about 9 inches on either side of the roost is minimal (hence the 18 inches between roosts). Someone told me it depends if you want poop on the wall! I am going to have 14 inches from the wall to prevent that from happening.

 

[PineappleMama]

Ohhh, good call. *scribbles note*

 

[chookchick]

Like chickerdoodles said--too close and those squirty poops will splat on the wall, very attractive!

My roost is 12" out now, and I am going to move it out to 15" for this very reason. The dropping board will go from 24" to 30" wide. Most of mine roost facing the window, but it varies...

 

[ksct]

IN WONDERING THIS EXACT THING, I WAS TOLD THAT THE BIRDS THAT TYPICALLY ROOST WITH THEIR HEAD TO THE WALL ARE THE ONES THAT DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE TO ROOST 'PROPERLY' (IE - BUTT TO THE WALL) I WAS ALSO TOLD, IF YOU ALLOW FOR MORE SPACE, THEY WILL ADJUST. ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME THAT WON'T SWITCH.

 

[ksct]

IN WONDERING THIS EXACT THING, I WAS TOLD THAT THE BIRDS THAT TYPICALLY ROOST WITH THEIR HEAD TO THE WALL ARE THE ONES THAT DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE TO ROOST 'PROPERLY' (IE - BUTT TO THE WALL) I WAS ALSO TOLD, IF YOU ALLOW FOR MORE SPACE, THEY WILL ADJUST. ALTHOUGH I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME THAT WON'T SWITCH.

 

[CityChook]

I have BOs with big booties. I put my roost 18 inches away specifically because I hate the look of poo running down the wall. Every now and then they still hit the wall, but it's pretty infrequent. Mission accomplished.

BTW - you are not a nut - this is an excellent question.