First week in coop

[Taysan10]

First week in the coop for my almost 6 week old chicks. They’re all fighting for the top roost bar. Is this normal? are my roosting bars okay? A couple of weeks and they won’t all fit up there comfortably..

 

[nuthatched]

It is their instinct to be as high as possible, just one, long roost across the top with a few steps up to it.
You also need way more peak ventilation or they will cook in the summer and suffer respiratory issues.

 

[Taysan10]

It is their instinct to be as high as possible, just one, long roost across the top with a few steps up to it.
You also need way more peak ventilation or they will cook in the summer and suffer respiratory issues.

There are 4 sets of windows and 2 vent holes. There should be more?

 

[rosemarythyme]

There are 4 sets of windows and 2 vent holes. There should be more?

Can you take photos of the windows, so we can see how large and where they're placed? Or go out and measure - ideally you want around 1 sq ft ventilation per bird open 24/7, more if you're in a climate with hotter summers.

 

[nuthatched]

There are 4 sets of windows and 2 vent holes. There should be more?

Way more, windows don't really count as ventilation if they're too low and breezes hit the birds, you want ventilation over their heads as ammonia fumes and geat rises. Where the screw is under the vent is where you want the bottom if the triangle to be and the top at the peak.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

There are 4 sets of windows and 2 vent holes. There should be more?

Might be enough. Just didn't see them in the photo. And @nuthatched is right about roosting bars. Those chickens highest in the pecking order will normally choose the highest roost. Right now, all of them want to be on top, and they'll crowd until someone falls off or moves down. So a long bar with a few steps up to it is better than many short bars at staggered heights.

I also see that your roosts are too close together. They are spaced in height correctly, but there isn't enough horizontal space between them. Birds on an upper bar will poop on any birds roosting on the next step down. Ideally, you'll want those roosts to be separated by at least 12" vertical and 12" horizontal separation, and 12" away from the wall.

 

[Taysan10]

Can you take photos of the windows, so we can see how large and where they're placed? Or go out and measure - ideally you want around 1 sq ft ventilation per bird open 24/7, more if you're in a climate with hotter summers.

So i kind of just cut the other 3 but the one that came precut (turned shed into coop) is 10.5x10.5. The one you see below the roost is about the size of the other 3. Not sure exact dimensions. They’re all open 24/7. Just built a little overhang to divert water. And I have 12 birds. The entire coop is 8x8

 

[Taysan10]

Way more, windows don't really count as ventilation if they're too low and breezes hit the birds, you want ventilation over their heads as ammonia fumes and geat rises. Where the screw is under the vent is where you want the bottom if the triangle to be and the top at the peak.

This may be a dumb question, but how to keep water from coming in by adding more ventilation up there?

 

[Taysan10]

Might be enough. Just didn't see them in the photo. And @nuthatched is right about roosting bars. Those chickens highest in the pecking order will normally choose the highest roost. Right now, all of them want to be on top, and they'll crowd until someone falls off or moves down. So a long bar with a few steps up to it is better than many short bars at staggered heights.

I also see that your roosts are too close together. They are spaced in height correctly, but there isn't enough horizontal space between them. Birds on an upper bar will poop on any birds roosting on the next step down. Ideally, you'll want those roosts to be separated by at least 12" vertical and 12" horizontal separation, and 12" away from the wall.

They are 1ft horizontal and vertical. May just be the angle I took the photo from. But I’m thinking I may need the hubby to take it down and put one long bar for them. That seems to be the consensus

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I have 40 chickens in my coop, with 4 roosting bars 11' long, 3 bars 7' long, and an open cabinet above the bars at one end. Half or more of those birds cram themselves along one top bar and someone invariably falls off. They play musical roosts for some time everyone trying to get on that top bar, before they all settle down for the night on the top 2 bars or in the cabinet. Easily 3/4 of my roosting space goes unused. Go figure.