How far does the roosting bar need to be from the wall?

[Marshchick]

Thanks wsdareme! Our coop is 6.x8 and quite tall so we'll be able to get them up pretty high. If this rain ever stops, we'll try to get this thing done soon and I'll post some pix.

 

[math ace]

I have large fowl chickens .. . .

My first coop had the roosting bar 16" from the wall and poop was getting on the wall.

I am building the second coop now and the roosting bar is 18" from the wall this time.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The trouble with chicken poop is the trajectory and speed it's moving at, when it comes out. It moves at an angle from the chicken at times and doesn't always just slowly drop straight down. That's what gets you in trouble with the coop walls, if the roost is too close to the wall.

 

[BlueBetween]

well, it's clear to me now, that I should have built a much larger hen house. Oh well, I guess I'll deal with poop on the walls!

 

[ECBW]

With a small coop, every inch counts. I played around and settled on 9" from the wall to the inside edge of roost (2.5" wide). My largest bird, a black australorp is comfortable enough there. The poop deck is 3.5" below just so the tail feathers stay clear of the poop.

I rarely have scattered poop problem. But sometimes, do find some in some impossible angles.

 

[BlueBetween]

Glad I won't be the only one, ECBW

I'm also thinking of adding a chicken wire frame above my poop board so the chickens don't jump on it - mostly because my board will be removable (I'll reach in and pull it out, scrape into a bucket, put it back) and I can just see one landing on it and the whole thing flying up and all the girls freaking out.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The shorter the distance between the chicken's vent and the horizontal surface that the poop is going to land on, the closer it will land to the chicken. The longer the fall, with it moving at an angle, the farther away it will land. In case that helps anybody.

If you're really crowded, you could try poop boards to help with that. In a small coop, if you don't have much space, you might want to do that, anyway.

 

[latebloomer]

Quote:
darling coop, love the bright color

 

[CupOJoe42]

The standard is 18 inches from the wall. If all the roost bars are the same height, then they can be separated by 18 inches each. If they are stair-stepped, they can be stepped down and over 12 inches.

Questions: How high up should roost bars be for Silkies? How about nest boxes for Silkies? I know they can't see well and often end up in a pile on the floor. How far under the roost bars should the poop shelf/pan go? If you have a walk-in coop, can you still do deep litter, or no?

How did I get to so many posts already????

 

[rirbuffman]

Got 12 chickens 4c8 coop 16 x8 run. Got 3 roost first is 12 inches off floor next one up 12 back 15. They been in there for 4 days at night they will not go in there to zzzz. Guy told it was bc they wasn't high enough off floor 3 moths old helpppppp