coop design questions

[chickens_rock]

Hi there! Inquiring minds want to know...

We are planning to have our coop raised aprox. 3'. Will chickens climb a ramp that high if it is at a gradual grade?

Also, as far floor of the coop... It is my understanding that when in the coop chickens are primarily sleeping on a roost of some sort, laying eggs, or eating/drinking. Do they sleep on the floor at all? Is there any reason to have any bedding material on the floor? Is the primary purpose of any litter material that you may put on the floor to catch droppings, not used as bedding? The floor of our coop is 6' square. I'm considering putting a removable tray on the floor that I could pull out every day and hose down - would have to do something differnt in the winter, but for the warmer months that would be very doable unless they "need" some type of litter material on the floor.

Thanks for your imput!

 

[CityChook]

Quote:

from MN

It's called "bedding" and I suppose some folks have chickens that like to sleep on the floor, but generally, chickens like to sleep as high as they can manage, so they need a roost for bedtime. Most recommend a 2x4 turned on the wide side so that the chicken's feet rest on the 4 inch side.

The bedding material on the floor (some use sand, some use pine shavings, leaves, grass, straw, I've heard of those using peat, and then there are the naked floors too) is to dry out the poo and keep it from sticking to the floor. I use pine shavings and change them out every 6 months or so. They offer pretty good insulation in the winter, too. Cleaning out your entire coop every day is going to get tiresome, but to each his own. Some folks use a "droppings board" underneath the roost - it's basically a platform that catches most of the poo before it hits the shavings. This keeps the shavings much cleaner, so they will last longer. A droppings board would need to be scraped daily.

BTW, you can always go to the blue bar above and search for specific key words in the different (or all) forums. There is a TON of information on this site and lots of people eager to assist!
Hope this helps. And Welcome!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Oh absolutely, in fact it needn't be a *ramp* as such, it can be 1 or 2 "stepstool" type thingies if you prefer.

Is there any reason to have any bedding material on the floor? Is the primary purpose of any litter material that you may put on the floor to catch droppings, not used as bedding? The floor of our coop is 6' square. I'm considering putting a removable tray on the floor that I could pull out every day and hose down - would have to do something differnt in the winter, but for the warmer months that would be very doable unless they "need" some type of litter material on the floor.

It's just called "bedding" in the general livestock-management sense of the term -- you are right, chickens do not literally bed down in it. But I would suggest you have it there anyhow. You really really do need it to catch the poo. A smooth floor will be WORK to clean off -- you will be wasting a lot of time and water every day, since the poo will get really *stomped* onto it -- and is not as good for the chickens, because you don't want them slipping when they jump down off the roost. Honest, the cost of a thin layer of shavings is negligable if you manage it sensibly. Of course if a person *wants* to blow thru huge quantities they can, but it is not *necessary* <g>. Especially if you have few chickens in relation to the size of the coop, and use a droppings board.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​