Need help determining if roost bar is too close to nests

[kprhok]

I just built a chicken coop with 12 boxes for nests on two levels.
I installed a bar about 8-10 inches out from the nests so the chickens could jump to the bar, hang out awhile, and then go to their houses, sort of like what humans might tend to do.

{I've never raised chickens before so the whole thing is new to me. But I am very excited, with eggs coming each morning!]

I was wondering if the roosting bar is too close, too high, too low, etc. Perhaps just a slight adjustment will help keep their homes cleaner and make them more interested in moving in?

 

[DouglasPeeps]

I put my roosts on the other side of my coop for this very reason. Some people put their roosts above the nesting boxes, but then chicken poop is on top of the boxes. Do you have another place to put the roosts?

 

[Master S.M.C]

well, I did hear it is unhealthy for the birds to sit on the nest box so now i think about it, you should have the roosts higher then the nesting boxes

 

[ghulst]

Looks good to me. You can make ajustments later if you must.

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

If it works for you, it's good!

 

[kprhok]

I have noticed that they are pooping in the boxes, so I will probably move the bar out a foot or so. Thanks for the info.

 

[cajunlizz]

I have my nesting boxes on the floor one side of the coops and the roosting area on total opposite side . SO no pooping in the nests . I have 2 coops and 3 runs . they are all attached . Nest boxes are the large milk grates . I have 8 in one coop and 6 in the other .


the only time they enter the coop during the day is to lay and right back out . They enter LATE in the afternoon and I have lights in both my coops to give that extra daylight hours , and it works for us . we went from picking 6- 8 eggs to now 30 - 32 eggs per day . I have ladders and a lil cut out door for them to enter and exit . works for us .....


Plenty of fresh water and lots of laying pellets ... and of course alot of TLC

 

[kprhok]

I didn't know that adding lights can increase egg production. Do you have an automatic timer that cuts them off at some point?

 

[cajunlizz]

NO ... I turn on my lights about 5:00 PM and leave them on til 8:30 - 9:00

I usually get up real early 4:00ish and I will turn on the lights again and leave on til around 7:00 AM ....

We went from picking 6- 8 eggs a day to NOW picking 30 - 32 eggs ....

All summer we expected our pullets to start laying , they were 7 - 9 months old .... and Once we added the lights , its like it kick started them .. LOOK out during the spring because we still have about 40 head that will be laying by then .

 

[damselfish]

Your first post sounds as if the chickens might sleep or otherwise spend a lot of time in the nests. This should not generally be the case, they should just be going there to lay eggs. Otherwise the nests will be very dirty and poopy.

It is nice for them to have a bar in front of the nest to hop onto so they can get in when they are going to lay an egg, but sleeping roosts are usually located elsewhere in the coop. You also don't need one nest per bird, maybe more like one for every three or four hens (don't know how many birds you have).

My roosts are stairstepped, starting at around 2 feet from the floor and going up to about 4.5 feet. Two are large natural branches and the top one is a 2x4 laid on its side (not on edge), with corners slightly rounded. They seem to like wide things to roost on.

Hope this helps. And your nests are beautiful by the way, nice job! And welcome to BYC!