I want to add more roost space...

[Anny]

I would like to add more roost space. As I suddenly now have an extra chicken, and they need to like to stick in their little groups rather then bunch all together on one roost. Here is my coop...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=9429-City_Garage_Coo

Where would you suggest I add the extra roost? I might even want to add a dropping board under the roost if possible.

 

[Pullet Pimp]

That looks like a good spot for the roost if it isn't too much of a reach for regular cleaning. That 4 foot width reminds me of my model railroad and reaching back to the 4 foot section can be cumbersome at times. I guess you could make a scraper with a longer handle to reach it easier.

I also like the page you build and have looked at it several times previously. I noticed at the bottom where it said that there were things you'd do differently if you were to do it all over again. The changes you mentioned seem minor to me and you could make them very easily with your current coop.

You mentioned that you would have made the door off the floor of the coop to plan for the deep litter method. Could you lower the block that the coop is sitting on about 6" which would drop the entire coop 6" and give you a lip on the door to keep in the litter? They would still use the existing door but this would allow the deep litter.

Where you mentioned you would have a guillotine style door to make it easier to clean and keep out drafts, you could easily retrofit one. Here is one that I recently built that would work great on your coop. I just framed it in using 2x4's that I notched to allow for the plywood door to slide in. I don't know if I am making sense explaining it, cause I think I am confused now.......here's a sketch, hope it helps.

 

[patandchickens]

You're *sure* you need another roost? 4' should be plenty space for 5 chickens.

The first thing that comes to mind would be running a 6' roost (with droppings board under it) lengthwise in front of the rear wall of the coop, with the droppings board maybe 2' above the coop floor and the roost maybe 1' above the droppings board. However if you did this, a) you would have to re-rig your waterer and feeder and might well start getting a bunch of shavings/poo kicked into them, and b) you would have to put in some sort of stepstool kind of arrangement to help them get up to the roost.

I might be tempted instead to make an L-shaped roost, running where the current one is now (but maybe raised up with a droppings board under it, as per previous paragraph) and just adding another arm going off towards the right-hand wall of the coop. You *could* put in a leg to support it where the two parts join but if solidly and sensibly constructed you may well be able to get away without, for just 5 chickens. You'd have to wait and see whether you run into problems with the waterer and feeder that way - depends on whether the chickens tend to try to jump down off the roost that direction, or not. But if necessary you could always put in a wire mesh 'half wall' going down from the ceiling, to the L of the central roost, to prevent them from disembarking thataway. Alternatively you could abandon the droppings board idea (although they are terrifically handy, IMHO) and just keep the roosts at ground level like now, which would mean just adding the L extension the same way you constructed the existing roost.

I still think 4' should be enough room for 5 chickens, though.

BTW if you haven't already (and you may have), you'll want to raise the waterer and feeder up so they're at the level of the chickens' backs i.e. they do not bend over at all to drink or eat. This will greatly reduce the amount of floor crud that gets kicked into them.

Cute coop

Good luck and have fun,

Pat

 

[Anny]

the 4 ft isn't hard to reach i just climb into the coop