Chicks on nesting bars

[aart]

Quote: I find ladders to take up more room.

Single level roost(s) with poop board frees up floor space, eliminates height wars and keeps the poop off the walls.
'L' shape would fit nicely above nests in that coop.

 

[iam4hymn]

(edited) I could do something similar to the above picture. Maybe even bars?
I could probably do this and take down the ladder style and build 2 bars from the front to the back. Then both bars would be 8 feet long. How far off the ground should 2 even bars be? Might make for easier scooping too since I use sand under the roost. I use a heavy sheet of plastic for wall splatters because I figure I can switch it out a couple times a year for a clean one. They def like that top roost! I have seen 7 of them up there before!

 

[Mutt Farm]

Here is a picture I took in the dark tonight of both the roost and the nesting boxes next to each other. Tonight there was only one on the nesting box bar, but normally there are 2 or 3 of them. This is all of them, there are 11 total.

They don't have enough room. My ladder is what @sunflour suggested, but I put 2 bars on the top. It works well, but as she said, there are still favorite spots. Here's a picture. I have 15 hens.

 

[iam4hymn]

I really like Aart's layout. My roost would also go over their enter/exit door. I like this because of the poop boards and it seems they can pick their roost and divide themselves up by whichever section they want to sleep on.

 

[junebuggena]

The problem with ladder type roosting bars is that you have to be very careful with spacing. The rungs should be placed far enough apart so that the birds on the lower rungs are not going to get pooped on by the birds above them.

 

[donrae]

My Bantam chickens do this too, I think those lower on the pecking order are trying to stay away from the dominant ones.

This. It's not always about the height of the roost, sometimes it's the proximity to a meaner bird.

 

[Mutt Farm]

I like Aarts set up way better than what I have. My younger hens still have trouble finding a pathway to get to (be allowed to) the top when all the fatties are already up there. My EE's get nasty to them. Mine is about 4 ft off the ground, maybe a little less. Bars are each about 8' long. Not fancy, but they like it ok. I used those fat poles you use to steady trees with.

 

[sunflour]

(edited) I could do something similar to the above picture. Maybe even bars?
I could probably do this and take down the ladder style and build 2 bars from the front to the back. Then both bars would be 8 feet long. How far off the ground should 2 even bars be? Might make for easier scooping too since I use sand under the roost. I use a heavy sheet of plastic for wall splatters because I figure I can switch it out a couple times a year for a clean one. They def like that top roost! I have seen 7 of them up there before!

I think even works better, here's pic of mine, but for a much smaller flock and an elevated coop.. If you can space them 18" or more off walls you get very little splatter and make sure they have 2 or more feet between roosts to give them room to access the roosts:

 

[Mutt Farm]

I think even works better, here's pic of mine, but for a much smaller flock and an elevated coop.. If you can space them 18" or more off walls you get very little splatter and make sure they have 2 or more feet between roosts to give them room to access the roosts:

Sunflour...do you have a daily housekeeper for that coop? It's spotless! Are those vent holes at the top?

 

[sunflour]

Sunflour...do you have a daily housekeeper for that coop? It's spotless! Are those vent holes at the top?

@Mutt Farm , why yes there's a daily housekeeper

Actually, only do coop cleaning once a week, except daily in the run during molting.

That pic was taken the day before my gals moved in permanently …2 years ago. Haven't you ever noticed most folks post pics of the new builds and very few after the flock grows up

Those holes are ventilation - they are on the east and west sides. They also have 2 windows, one in the coop front access door that is open and to the right over the nests..Also the gray rectangle is the chicken door closed to keep them out during final coop prep is left open and adds more ventilation ----I'm in GA and we need lots of ventilation in our coops. But both windows have hinged awnings so I can close them some in the winter.