Help, Ideas please -Building coop tomorow if it doesn't rain.

[firemedic_2040]

HI,

Sorry I am sure it has been covered and I can't find anything on it, might not be using the search function right but......

1. How far off the floor should the nexting boxes be located? (it is a metal pre-assembled 5 nesting box-that mounts to interior wall)

2. Do I need to built little ramp for them to get into the boxes?

3. How far from the floor should a roost limb be?

4. Do I need to build ramp to it from the floor?


Background....the interior part will be 10foot high 8foot long by 8wide and the outside run will be totally covered and fenced including under the ground. We have Buff Oph's and love our little chicks so fort knox's it is.

Thanks and sorry for the short notice....

Brian

 

[firemedic_2040]

Sorry the outside run will be 22x10 feet by 10or 12 high to match the coop.

 

[Judy]

1. Any height you want including on the floor, as long as the nest is lower than the roost.
2. Probably not unless it is awfully high. Sometimes they seem to appreciate a bar across the front, kind of like a small porch or sidewalk, so they can check out the nests and choose.
3. Mine is 30" high, and they have about 8' to fly laterally when they come off, most of which they use. Works great. Nests range from on the floor to a few inches lower than the roost.
4. I don't have one but my birds, while large fowl, are hatchery so not real big. A few are orps -- well, Australorps, which are actually a little larger than the Orps I had.

If they get real big, and Orps can, there may come a time when they will need a roost wider than 3.5", even a small shelf, to sleep on comfortably -- especially a large rooster. Actually, 30" can be a little high for a large bird unless there is a ladder to the roost -- and they use it.

 

[firemedic_2040]

Thanks so much for the info!