Narrow Coop - Roost Issues - Help!

[Eggs2chicks]

Actually when you find out which ones they use you might use the other ones as storage cabinets. Lol.

Maybe then he’ll change his mind. Lol
Just kidding. He must have a good reason.

 

[Eggs2chicks]

Please don’t put your nesting boxes on the floor. This is a daily chore of collecting eggs many times of the day. Plan for old age. Make everything handicap accessible. That way when you get older less work. Lol. Sorry My Philosophy since my young hubby came back from overseas with a broken back. Work smarter not harder is another one.

 

[Stockpilejoy]

I would not recommend going against your husband's wishes in any way. Since he won't allow you to remove anything in place here is an option that may work only if he allows you to add material to your coop. Place a diagonal 2x4 post and add triangle drop board several inches under it. It should allow your flock of 5 to fit nicely but if you add more to your flock you may need to add another roost somewhere and at a different level. I agree with others that gathering eggs should be made easy with boxes at a level to where you don't have to bend. I also prefer my drop board to be about waste level for easy cleaning. With the roost being slightly higher than the floor of the nesting boxes hopefully they will resort to roost although you may need to initially block boxes off at night and or place girls up there till they get the hang of it. This way the girls can jump up on drop board if it is out further than roost and then jump up to roost from drop board. Edit/added comment: This option is not preferred ideal plan and will make less space for you to move about in coop and difficult to reach back nesting boxes plus open & close window without having to use step stool....For that reason it would be best to close those back nesting boxes off. It's not easy fixing your coop situation without changing & removing something and understandably you don't have that option. Hope you come up with some solution to make chicken keeping easier. Maybe your husband will get out and enjoy the chickens with you if he hasn't yet helping him understand the need for coop updates.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

It looks to me like your roosting bars are too small (diameter), and too close to the floor. See the second set of pics posted above --- those tree branches are more like the right size, about the diameter of a small child's arm. Also, I'd find a way to make a ramp up to the bars (even just another long branch), and space the branches/roosts apart so it's more like a slanted ladder they can walk up instead of a vertical jump/fly up to the roosting bars. I have about 35 hens and 3 roosters at the moment. Those at the 'top' of the pecking order like the high roosts. They'll hop from bar to bar, or walk up the slanted bars on the sides, to reach the best spot. I have about 6 bars, spaced about 14-18" apart, and each one about 12" higher than the last. Lowest bar is 12" off the floor. My birds *never* use the two lowest bars, except to jump to the next one up. If I had your coop, I'd take that slanted cover over the nesting boxes and lay it flat (poop board), then install a roosting bar down the full length of your coop, several inches above the poop board. Make a series of shorter bars, like a slanted ladder, in the end of your coop so they can easily hop/climb up to the high bar. You can use trays or whatever on the poop board to make cleanup easier.

 

[aart]

TRUST ME! I tried my hardest!!! He won’t budge. He bought it so I had to ask him first. His reasoning is because if we ever sell it! ‍ I’m just like I could make it better for me and the next people to have it! I’m so stumped but he won’t let me and if I do it behind his back ohhhhh man! I’ll be in trouble

Would he be willing to replace the angled top of longer nest bank with a flat board and roost above that?

 

[BrittChick15]

Would he be willing to replace the angled top of longer nest bank with a flat board and roost above that?

Not sure I’d have to see if he is okay with that

 

[Ladies-Eight]

It looks to me like your roosting bars are too small (diameter), and too close to the floor. See the second set of pics posted above --- those tree branches are more like the right size, about the diameter of a small child's arm. Also, I'd find a way to make a ramp up to the bars (even just another long branch), and space the branches/roosts apart so it's more like a slanted ladder they can walk up instead of a vertical jump/fly up to the roosting bars. I have about 35 hens and 3 roosters at the moment. Those at the 'top' of the pecking order like the high roosts. They'll hop from bar to bar, or walk up the slanted bars on the sides, to reach the best spot. I have about 6 bars, spaced about 14-18" apart, and each one about 12" higher than the last. Lowest bar is 12" off the floor. My birds *never* use the two lowest bars, except to jump to the next one up. If I had your coop, I'd take that slanted cover over the nesting boxes and lay it flat (poop board), then install a roosting bar down the full length of your coop, several inches above the poop board. Make a series of shorter bars, like a slanted ladder, in the end of your coop so they can easily hop/climb up to the high bar. You can use trays or whatever on the poop board to make cleanup easier.

I definitely agree with you. Any changes that are able to be made would only enhance your coop. I realize that he wants to be able to sell the coop somewhere don the road. He needs to understand the better you make it the easier it will be to sell and probably be able to sell it for more than you paid for it.