Coop building hints

[Calabogie chicken lady]

i am new at this a first time for me. I am building a coop 5 x5 inside with nesting boxes on the outside.i will have 6 layers.i have read so many things about the how to build the roost on which they will sleep. I thought the higher the better but on this site i saw that is not true. How high off the ground should they be, my boxes are on one side and was hoping to put 2x4 on other side. At what height and is a 5 foot long one long enough for 6 hens. I have already made a ladder as i was going to put them maybe 5 feet off the floor. And then another 2x4 about 3 feet from floor. But if i can get away with just one roost that would be better. I am also going to put a,board underneath the roost to catch the droppings. That is a first i have heard of that but it makes sense. I had already put lanoleum on the floor. I have 2 weeks left before my 3 month old hens come and i am not near finished my coup. Pretty hard to finish when we have 3 feet of snow on the ground and temperature is 15 below. Thanks for any info you can give me

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! That's miserable weather to be building a coop!
Your six pullets will want way more than five ft. of roost bar, so add another. The pecking order will work out who roosts where; higher is best.
It's probably too late to enlarge it now, but bigger will be better when you can, and a safe run will also be needed.
When 'chicken math' hits, you will be building much bigger!
Mary

 

[Calabogie chicken lady]

Thank you, i was told 5 x 5 was plenty big for 6 hens with a 8 x5 run, anyways not much i can do about it now, they will be mostly free range, i will put another bar 5 feet long up. Am i best to put them both at the same height on either side of coop or put them in same height on side and bqck of coop with ladder in the join. I was going to put a poop board about a foot underneath each bar. Thanks again, any ifo is apprecieated.

 

[Folly's place]

They need enough space overhead and room to fly up and down from those roosts. Next to each other will work if they are spaced far enough apart. It gets tricky in a smaller coop!
Mary