From pigeons to chickens: Where to put roosting bar?

[gabigirl21]

Hey all,

I’m renovating my dad’s old pigeon loft into a chicken coop. It’s quite large and I’m only using half of it and even then it’s 8x8 and will be spacious. There will be an attached run outside. I’ve got 5 chicks

I’m going to add a door and have been covering the ceiling with hardware cloth (there is already chicken wire) and closing off little holes with wood +/- hardware cloth. I’ve also hosed it down and done some cleaning with vinegar water.

Here’s my question:
There are old nest boxes that are too big for chickens (2x2 feet). They all used to have hinge doors and dowels, most of which I’ve removed for easier traffic. I was going to divide one in half to make chicken nest boxes. I was going to keep the other reserved as a “chicken hospital” if necessary .


My plan was to attach the roosting board perpendicular to the old nest boxes (see photo, I just grabbed a scrap piece of wood I’ll get something different—open to suggestions). It’ll be 2 feet above the entrance to the nesting boxes. Here’s my question: do I need to block off the openings to the remaining former nesting boxes that are at the same height as the roosting bar? Or will they ignore them perch on the bar? I can attach the doors again if necessary to block them off.

Also planning to close off the vents at the bottom to allow for deep bedding. Will put a vinyl floor down. There is a TON of ventilation at the top.

Open to other suggestions


Thanks!

 

[DobieLover]

I would remove the right side nest box entirely and the shelf you have your Ryobi on.
Remove the "top" to the center nest box arrangement (boxed in blue) and lower it and pitch it so the back is about 18" up from the floor of the nest boxes and the front is about 12" from the floor. I would use the shelf the Ryobi is on as it looks nice a slippery. That will keep the birds from trying to roost on the top.
I would add a poop board running from inside where the old nest box in the corner was along that entire wall to the other side making it 2' wide by 8' long. Then center a 2x4 roost over the poop board so that top of the roost is about 12-14" over the top of the poop board. This is how I built my PBs:

White boxes are 2x4's.
Red is the "poop deck". I used OSB but any scrap piece of plywood will do.
The blue are support ledges that I built with ripped down pieces of 1x lumber I had laying around. I made them 1" high.
Nail the support ledges flush with the bottom of the 2x4 frame, mount the frame to the wall studs so the top edge of the framing is about 32-34" from the coop floor then drop in the poop board and nail it in.
I caulked the gap and painted 2 coats of Behr Porch and Floor paint on the boards and cover them with 1/4" of Sweet PDZ then scoop the poop every morning into an old kitty litter bucket.

Also add a perch in front of your double nest box so the edge closest to the box is about 4" away.
I used a full width 2x4 for the perch in front of the nest boxes and a ripped in half 2x4 for the roosts. The edges were mitered and sanded to round them before installing.

 

[gabigirl21]

Wow! That was so helpful! Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are old nest boxes that are too big for chickens (2x2 feet). They all used to have hinge doors and dowels, most of which I’ve removed for easier traffic. I was going to divide one in half to make chicken nest boxes. I was going to keep the other reserved as a “chicken hospital” if necessary.

Sounds like a good plan. Two nests will be a good number for 5 hens. On the hospital, if you take out the bottom and replace it with hardware cloth you have a built-in broody buster. When I use it for something where I want a solid floor I put a piece of plywood in there.

Due to manufacturing some wire mesh has sharp "pips" that can cut the chicken's feet. This could be from the welding process or the galvanizing process. They should all be on the same side, if they re there at all. So before you install wire where they can walk on it check it out and install the smooth side up.

My plan was to attach the roosting board perpendicular to the old nest boxes (see photo,

Most of the time chickens like to sleep on the highest point available. If you install that roost as you show it, they could easily wind up sleeping on that shelf instead. If you install it perpendicular to the nests how badly will that interfere with your access to the rest of the coop? If you install it perpendicular I'd put it about a foot off of a side wall. Always think about your comfort and convenience when planning the layout. You are important and the easier it is to take care of then the better you will take care of them.

If I were installing the roost I'd put it parallel to the nests and over the nests and use that shelf as a droppings board. The way I understand it that shelf should be 2' wide so just center it. Just make it high enough that you can scrape the droppings off.

Also planning to close off the vents at the bottom to allow for deep bedding. Will put a vinyl floor down. There is a TON of ventilation at the top.

I'm not sure where you are located so I don't know what your climate is. For most of us a ton of high ventilation should work well.

I don't know how deep your deep bedding will be but if it stays damp enough for the bedding and poop to compost it will rot wood on the sides as well as underneath. You might want to wrap the vinyl up on the sides or use a protective paint to keep the sides from rotting.

Remember to put your pop door high enough that they can't scratch the bedding out.

For 5 chickens that 8x8 coop is fabulous.

 

[gabigirl21]

Sounds like a good plan. Two nests will be a good number for 5 hens. On the hospital, if you take out the bottom and replace it with hardware cloth you have a built-in broody buster. When I use it for something where I want a solid floor I put a piece of plywood in there.

Due to manufacturing some wire mesh has sharp "pips" that can cut the chicken's feet. This could be from the welding process or the galvanizing process. They should all be on the same side, if they re there at all. So before you install wire where they can walk on it check it out and install the smooth side up.


Most of the time chickens like to sleep on the highest point available. If you install that roost as you show it, they could easily wind up sleeping on that shelf instead. If you install it perpendicular to the nests how badly will that interfere with your access to the rest of the coop? If you install it perpendicular I'd put it about a foot off of a side wall. Always think about your comfort and convenience when planning the layout. You are important and the easier it is to take care of then the better you will take care of them.

If I were installing the roost I'd put it parallel to the nests and over the nests and use that shelf as a droppings board. The way I understand it that shelf should be 2' wide so just center it. Just make it high enough that you can scrape the droppings off.


I'm not sure where you are located so I don't know what your climate is. For most of us a ton of high ventilation should work well.

I don't know how deep your deep bedding will be but if it stays damp enough for the bedding and poop to compost it will rot wood on the sides as well as underneath. You might want to wrap the vinyl up on the sides or use a protective paint to keep the sides from rotting.

Remember to put your pop door high enough that they can't scratch the bedding out.

For 5 chickens that 8x8 coop is fabulous.

Wow! More fantastic advice. The floor of the hospital/broody pen (such a great idea) is the same wood covered in a white laminate material as seen under the drill. Is that cold enough to break a brooder or should it be the hardware cloth due to a need for drafts?

I thought about the roosts above the nests but here’s my question: will the bar be too high? That will put the roosts at 5’ and the poop board at 4’. If not, I love that idea.

I’m in the PNW so frequently mild rain and temperate climate (with more and more frequent heat waves)…. I was thinking 4-6 inches of bedding. I have a sheet of scrap vinyl that I got for cheap that covers 90% of the coop, including the lip up the walls. I was thinking of painting the last bit of flooring under the nest boxes instead of finding an annoying shape/over purchasing way too much vinyl. Plus making cuts around those 2x2s was going to be annoying. What type of paint do you recommend to resist the rot?

Final question about the size—I may move in a year or two and will likely build a coop from the ground up (I doubt most houses have old pigeon lofts in the back). Are these chickens going to be spoiled and have issues if I make them a smaller coop with large run in the future?

Thank you SO much!

 

[saysfaa]

I would use Blackjack 57 as "paint" for the floor. I used it for mine and there are many threads and posts on this forum that tell of other peoples' use of it. It is designed for roofs but works really well for this. The store won't shake it for you, it is too thick. Turning the bucket upside down for a few days will help tremendously with the mixing.


You chickens won't like the change when you move because they won't like any change. I wouldn't worry more than for any other move. Better to have an awesome start and move to good enough than to be good enough all along, imho.

Whether that height of the roost is okay or not depends on what kind of chickens you have. Light weight althetic types with normal feathers should be fine flying up and down. Silkies or frizzles, not so much. Heavy breeds may struggle to get up there and/or may be injured jumping down (arthritis if not acute injury).

You have enough room to put a ramp (45 degrees or less angle). Or something. Mine is about that high and I don't like how hard the australorps have getting up. I'm working on a platform as a landing but it isn't installed yet. There may be good reasons besides space that most people use ramps.

I see you started on the hardware cloth for the ceiling. If you aren't too far on it - it might take less and be easier to cover the eaves and end that the whole ceiling. And the predators couldn't use their weight as well as their strength to work at getting through it.

You have a totally awesome space to work with!!!

 

[gabigirl21]

Noted, I’ll get that paint. Haha too late on the hardware cloth—that would have been smart. I may add some on the outside too. Love the ramp idea. I’ve got an australorp so will likely add the ramp. Thank you!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

should it be the hardware cloth due to a need for drafts?

I'd use hardware cloth.

I thought about the roosts above the nests but here’s my question: will the bar be too high? That will put the roosts at 5’ and the poop board at 4’. If not, I love that idea.

This photo shows my main roosts, five feet off of the coop floor. The roosts are about a foot above the top of my 3' x 6' brooder. They look higher but that's because of the angle. The top of the brooder is my droppings board. The floor of the brooder is 1/2" hardware cloth so it can be used as a broody buster when I don't have chicks in it.

This photo shows my juvenile roost, used when I integrate chicks. The top of the nests are used as a droppings board. It's a horrible design but the nests were there before I put the roost up. One flat shelf would be a lot easier to scrape.

What type of paint do you recommend to resist the rot?

My coop stays dry enough I don't worry about rot so I haven't painted it. The paint I see recommended on here is Blackjack 57, a rubberized paint. It's kind of expensive. You might chat with the people at the paint store or paint section and see what they recommend for wood protection.

Final question about the size—I may move in a year or two and will likely build a coop from the ground up (I doubt most houses have old pigeon lofts in the back). Are these chickens going to be spoiled and have issues if I make them a smaller coop with large run in the future?

They will tell you that they have issues but they lie a lot. The reality is that chickens are quite adaptable though in the short term they hate change. You can see some of my thoughts about room for chickens if you follow the link in my signature below, I like more room. But as long as you don't go too small you are the one that will be spoiled by all that room. It will be harder for you to adjust than it will be for them.

 

[saysfaa]

They will tell you that they have issues but they lie a lot. The reality is that chickens are quite adaptable though in the short term they hate change. You can see some of my thoughts about room for chickens if you follow the link in my signature below, I like more room. But as long as you don't go too small you are the one that will be spoiled by all that room. It will be harder for you to adjust than it will be for them.

^^^ This.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The floor of the hospital/broody pen (such a great idea) is the same wood covered in a white laminate material as seen under the drill. Is that cold enough to break a brooder or should it be the hardware cloth due to a need for drafts?

I've personally not had an issue with breaking broodies directly on the ground (no wire floor) but it's an advantage to have air flow under their breasts to cool them down to help break broodiness.

As far as the Black Jack 57, if that's something you're considering, for a small area a 1 gallon bucket should do, which is maybe $15? I have a 5 gallon bucket and that was $50-55 or so.