Need help with poop catching apparatus?

[black_cat]

I'd like to have some sort of poop board or hammock or something for poop catching to avoid constant cleaning of bedding. I also don't want something big and bulky that will make it hard to clean the coop or poop board or get inside. This coop will be 6x6 with floor level external nesting boxes. How wide does this poop catching apparatus need to be? I want to figure out something that won't block me from getting around to clean, and also that won't be hard to clean of poop.

 

[black_cat]

I'd like to use a poop catcher because I think that with school every day it'll be easier to scrape poop every two days than change bedding every two days.

 

[black_cat]

In this 6x6 coop, I'll have one side with a pop door, one side (either opposite from the pop door or on one of the other sides) with external nesting boxes, and one side with a door. Obviously we don't want anything blocking the pop door, nesting boxes, or human door. I'd like to have a ramp up to the roost as well because I will be getting a silkie.

 

[drinkoj]

Poop board is recommended to be 24 inches wide and at a minimum 21" with the roost bar about 6 to 8 inches above and located in the middle of the poop board. Some have multiple 2 foot or 3 foot boards and some go full length of the roost bar.

I personally didn't have the space for that so I did 13 inch wide poop board that's 7.5 feet long (have a poop board window to pull it through to clean) and use the ceiling to help situate their position as they like their heads out in the open towards the windows and not next to the roof line going downward (got LUCKY they do this I think). They don't always hit the poop board but it's enough to keep the coop pine shavings nice.

 

[drinkoj]

Also, I have a small roost (4 feet) and a poop board boxed in that cannot be removed, that I put sweet PDZ in and scoop out the poop weekly.
I have a 8 feet roost with the removable 7.5 foot poop board that has linoleum attached to it where I just pull it out and scrap it off.
Both of the above are 4 feet off the flooring, along with a beginners roost bar 18 inches off the ground that they just poop onto the shavings.

 

[black_cat]

Poop board is recommended to be 24 inches wide and at a minimum 21" with the roost bar about 6 to 8 inches above and located in the middle of the poop board.

I personally didn't have the space for that so I did 13 inches and use the ceiling to help situate their position as they like their heads out in the open towards the windows and not next to the roof line going downward (got LUCKY they do this I think). They don't always hit the poop board but it's enough to keep the coop pine shavings nice.

I had planned for 24 inch poop boards in an L shape, but I was told that that is too much poop board for the space. What are your thoughts? Here are the drawings I had:

the one in the top left is for the inside of the coop. It is to scale, with one cube being six inches cubed.

 

[drinkoj]

@aart

My concern is getting in and out of that 24 inch doorway to get inside. If you're young and skinny you're good, but if your old and have a mid-life middle like me, turning sideways isn't always fun.

You've never said how many chickens? I'm guessing 8 chicks (8 x 4 sq ft = 32), which leads to needing 8 feet of roosting space; 4 extra feet.

 

[Ryguy3684]

Here's the hammock that I use. I made it from an old tarp and put grommets in to connect to the roost with carabiners. You would have to modify mine to fit your space, but it keeps all the poop off the floor. Once a week, I pull it out, compost the droppings, and hose it off. They can still use the space under it as well. It's been fantastic.

 

[tsperry88]

I have a 24" poop board. It is sealed with polyurathaned and cleans with a drywall knife easily.

 

[aart]

I had planned for 24 inch poop boards in an L shape, but I was told that that is too much poop board for the space. What are your thoughts?

That should be fine...if coop is a walk-in.
Where's the people door?
IIRC, you are still juggling numerous coop plans.

a mid-life middle

I call it the 'thickening'!
That along with the shot knees keeps me standing as much as possible.