I am very close to moving the chicks with their coop to the backyard run we're building. Since they can't get up to the roost without the ladder board, I end up cleaning the poop off it a couple times a day to avoid the extra poop in the bedding below. The bedding has to be changed twice a week and even so, I think a couple of my chicks are sick (loose poop) so I'm medicating their water. I would like a dropping board so their bedding doesn't get spoiled so easily, but I don't know how to do it without losing access to the roost.
We lowered the roost this weekend since the chicks were starting to bump their heads on the ceiling.
We used a free cabinet to create this coop and thought it was big enough based on library books we read. It's 21"W x 3'L x 3"H. The nesting box was added on the side and is blocked off by some cardboard until they start laying. The cabinet doors will only be used for cleaning the coop. They've worked great with some hardware cloth while the birds still needed a heat lamp in the garage.
We lowered the roost this weekend since the chicks were starting to bump their heads on the ceiling.
We used a free cabinet to create this coop and thought it was big enough based on library books we read. It's 21"W x 3'L x 3"H. The nesting box was added on the side and is blocked off by some cardboard until they start laying. The cabinet doors will only be used for cleaning the coop. They've worked great with some hardware cloth while the birds still needed a heat lamp in the garage.