How far up for the roosts--plus a ventillation question

[Concordmommy]

Coop is getting there!! Ok, our henhouse is about 4dx3wx3h How far up should I place the roost if the space is only three feet high? Also, there is no solid roof on this thing--just hardware cloth. Is that adequate ventillation? There is a roof on the whole coop of course, to keep them out of the rain. Do I need to add some holes somewhere? If I do, where should they be--at the center of the sides?

this is the basic coop we're building, but we're tweaking it a bit. The henhouse isn't as deep as this one (although i wish I followed the size recommendations), but generally it's the same:

http://www.thegardencoop.com/photos.html

 

[patandchickens]

I dunno, I'm skeptical. Youy'd need to be real sure that rain isn't going to be blowing atcha from the wrong direction, and there will be nothing to hold the chickens' body heat near them if temperatures get near freezing. And unless you live in Hawaii or somewhere else without any large climbing predators (raccoons, etc), you'd want to make sure the mesh ceiling was VERY strongly braced. What's shown in the picture is not necessarily going to hold up to being sat on by a large raccoon.

Honestly I don't see the point. Just make sure the roof is strong, then make the gap at the high eaves a hardwarecloth-screened vent (which will give you EXACTLY as much ventilation as you'd have had with a hardwarecloth ceiling, but is safer and more easily closed off).

I'd really suggest adding a large hardwarecloth-screened "window" on the side of the house that's inside the run.

Another modification to make the design more functional would be to make the pophole in the wall (same one I'm suggesting a screened vent in), rather than the floor. In the floor may be "cute" but it loses you floor space and guarantees a bunch of bedding will get kicked down the hole each day.

If the ceiling is flat (not peaked) then one comfortable arrangement would be to have the roost halfway up, giving them about 18" above the roost and 18" below. Which indeed looks like about what the designer has done.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Concordmommy]

Hi Pat--just getting back to this...

The top mesh is nailed in there really really well--i am seriously doubting anything can get that sucker to come off. Even a raccoon. I'll test it more though. I dont know how I could at this point close the thing off with boards--teh roof is already on and isn't coming off any time soon. Yes, I was worried about rain blowing in but the way the rafters are set, they are blocking the prevailing wind. Maybe I can figure out something to block off part of it. I dunno...it's almost done now. (I live in Northern California though, so freezing temps aren't much of a problem except maybe two times a year or so).

We modified the door and ramp entrance--it is in the wall that is in the run, and it's going to be a pophole. we'll keep it open in the summer sometimes, I'm sure. I can also add a window there just to make sure there's enough ventillation.

I'm concerned now about the mesh roof, but there's not a lot I can do about it now. sigh...

 

[patandchickens]

If you *wanted* to do something about the top, there, you could just put up more wire closing up the front, so a 40-lb raccoon couldn't get in to sit on the ceiling mesh and test it for you. And/or, you could screw in a couple hooks to the rafters that you could hang a board from if/when you need to keep rain off. Doesn't require removing anything already attached

Good luck, have fun,

Pat