I need pictures of roosts and dropping boards

[Pobutt]

Please post pics of these. I have 30 chickens.
Desperate!!

 

[Judy]

Roost: 2X4 board with wide side turned up. About 8" of roost per chicken. 30 chickens = 20'.

Board: Just, that, something flat on the ground below the roost, like scraps of plywood. Some cover it with some sort of vinyl. Some build a holder for it. Some buy some sort of plastic tray, or use lids from large plastic bins. Might use sections of cardboard boxes and toss when they get nasty. Whatever is around. Scrape it off in the AM to minimize droppings left in coop. Dustpan works well to do this.

Or just fork out the top layer of litter in the AM.

 

[Dandelion007]

 

[mullers3acers]

 

[mistylady]

Got a photo to work!!!!! So heres what we have:

frame out of 2X4's with 2X4's on edge to roost on. There are four roosting 2X4's. There are three 2X4's under them for support from front to back. 6 inches down is the tray area. We have legs of 2X4 scrap holding them up and the entire thing is attached to the back wall and one side with a 2X4 shelf. The bottom that holds the trays is a bunch of slats. Then we have two metal trays to hold the poop. There is a row of chicken wire to keep the hens from dancing in the doo. The poop usually falls through the wire into the trays. I use rubber gloves and a bucket to clean th em out. The trays slide out but we made the coop door two inches too narrow to carry the trays out flat so the poop falls out on the floor when you tip them. MEASURE YOUR DOORWAY before you get your trays!!!! I keep wood chips on the trays to soak up the wet and it works pretty well.

I'll try to figure out the photo posting thing again. I can email you a photo if you want. I got the photo to work!

 

[mistylady]

I think it may have worked!

 

[Pobutt]

mistylady,
Thanks for the posts and the picture. Where did you get the trays to put under the roosts? That's a great idea. How many chickens do you have? We have 30 but are really thinking about finding homes for some. We'll see. Our coop is a 10 x 14. Is that big enough for 30 chickens? How much spacedo they need per bird? I always thought roosts had to be like a wide ladder. I didn't realize they could be flat. We would like to install removeable roosts so we can take them out and clean them. We started with chicks during the summer and we are already infested with Northern Fowl Mites. There's a lot of things I want to change about our coop that I was unaware of in the beginning. Trying not to feel defeated!!
Thanks all for your postings. I love this site!!
Pobutt

 

[mjdtexan]

This is a real simple one. I dont use a dropping tray as I just rake all of the hay and droppings out to make compost (which must compost for a while if using for gardens.) Its funny, they all try to get on the top rung. The ones that cant make it to the top rung get on the next to the top rung. One does not even get on the roost. One sleeps on top of the nesting box areas. Not in them, on them.

 

[ChicksR4Me]

using a 2x4 with the flat side up is suposed to be good so their feet are flatter and when they roost, their body keeps their feet warmer in the winter because their toes are not curled down around a narrower board.

 

[mistylady]

Quote:
This is where I got the pans. They fixed the postage to be less when they were shipped! http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/product.asp?CID=2&pf_id=16003 Its a great company!

We have 15 chickens and all but three sleep snuggled up on the first board! They love to squish up. The other three (the two roos and one hen) sleep on the floor. The one roo will be going to a new home soon and I'm curious if the other two chickens will go up on the roost then! We had it figured so that every chicken would have 9 inches but they don't seem to need it!

I'll ask dh when he gets home in the morning how big our coop is. I can't remember! Our chickens spent lots of time indoors during the cold windy days and they were happy enough. I spread hay on the floor and sprinkled corn, grit and treats around. They used the grit to dust in and eat. It made for a very dusty coop! But they were happy! They scratched for corn and treats. Lettuce, bread and apples chunks were the favorites. Yogurt was loved but it made a huge mess! LOL

Don't feel defeated! This site is full of helpful people and great info! I would be bald and in tears without their help!