Double Decker / Minimum Height

[SourRoses]

I've been working for a while on an idea for a breeding setup which would allow easy access to birds on roosts from outside the coop.
One version could have a double decker design, depending on an important question:

What's the minimum height necessary for a coop?
*With the roost above nestboxes
*and some empty air above roosting chickens for heat dispersal in a hot climate (an open-air or partial open-air design)

With the double decker version, they would each have pop doors on opposite sides leading to different runs. The purpose is really just to reduce the footprint under the roof for affordability, and make sure I have enough roost *length* in the easy-to-reach idea to accommodate enough birds.

 

[saysfaa]

Half inch for the ceiling/floor between levels. One foot for the nests, half inch for poop board, 8 inches between poop board and roost, 2 inches for roost, 15-18 inches for head space above the roost if they can walk up to the roost. In an open air coop, I don't think they would need more head space for ventilation but I am not sure. So, 3 1/2 to 4 feet if everything except nesting and roosting is in the run.

 

[SourRoses]

Half inch for the ceiling/floor between levels. One foot for the nests, half inch for poop board, 8 inches between poop board and roost, 2 inches for roost, 15-18 inches for head space above the roost if they can walk up to the roost. In an open air coop, I don't think they would need more head space for ventilation but I am not sure. So, 3 1/2 to 4 feet if everything except nesting and roosting is in the run.

Thank you for being so specific! That helps a lot!
If it can be done around 8 ft high that's ideal

 

[saysfaa]

Eight inches between poop board and roost assumes tbe poop board is wide enough for hens to be out of pecking range when walking past other hens that are on the roost. Some people with 8 inch clearance and narrow poop boards have had trouble with that.

 

[aart]

Eight inches between poop board and roost assumes tbe poop board is wide enough for hens to be out of pecking range when walking past other hens that are on the roost. Some people with 8 inch clearance and narrow poop boards have had trouble with that.

My poop boards are 24" with roost centered 8" above boards.
No real problem with pecking passerbys.