Help with Chicken Coop Interior

[chickychicka]

Nice BIG chicken mansion! You'll have plenty of room to expand your flock!
We built ours WAY too big for our flock of 3 - or the flock is way too small ...so after finding out that we have 2 roos and one hen, we will have to expand now after all!
I shaved our last year's Christmas tree and use that for a roosting bar. Cheap and green!

 

[Our Roost]

Jack, I have some birds that nest in my roosting boxes at night. There is more than ample room on my roosting boards that "are" lower than my boxes. I'm not sure if these girls are loners, are contemplating laying an egg or just plain prefer them? Funny thing is that they seem to take ownership of that particular box as their own. I always find the same girl in a specific box. Whats going on? Is this typical?

 

[JackE]

Jack, I have some birds that nest in my roosting boxes at night. There is more than ample room on my roosting boards that "are" lower than my boxes. I'm not sure if these girls are loners, are contemplating laying an egg or just plain prefer them? Funny thing is that they seem to take ownership of that particular box as their own. I always find the same girl in a specific box. Whats going on? Is this typical?

Your roosts should be HIGHER than the nestboxes. They want to roost at the highest point they can.
Jack

 

[Our Roost]

Sorry, I meant to say higher than my roosting boxes. Back to the question.

 

[JackE]

Sorry, I meant to say higher than my roosting boxes. Back to the question.

Well then, no that is not really typical, or what you want. The birds that are roosting in the nestboxes probably don't want to deal with the bickering and wrestling that goes on at roost time. They probably get shoved off and don't like it. But you don't want them filling the boxes with waste. What I would do is cut some cardboard and block off the nestboxes at night, and remove the blockers in the morning when I let them out . That should force them back onto the roosts.
Jack

 

[coolcanoechic]

Great explanation! Also a great picture and carpentry. Carpentry for some is a trade and for others like me, Drafting and woodshop classes in high school has been a fantastic aide to be able to work with my hands. Amazing what can be created!

Thank you. I have learned a great deal about carpentry over the years after having to do it for a living for a while to fill in where the other trades did not pay the bills.

 

[Our Roost]

Jack, I find you to be right in regards to my birds fighting over a spot on the roosting boards. I do have room to extend the board and will try that before blocking off the nesting boxes. Hope that works.

 

[jedgeworth]

Also simply try moving them to the roost poles at dark. Sometimes the have to be trained to go there. I had some birds roosting on the ground at night and i would go outand put them on the roost poles at dark with the other hens. It took four nights after that they roosted just like the other hens. Something i read about here on BYC.