Nesting box top - slanted or flat?

[rosemarythyme]

Mine is quite slanted (45 degrees) and yes I've had young birds try to get up there and just sliiiide off.

Even in bad weather my chickens usually choose to be outdoors (mine don't like heavy pelting rain) so having extra "stuff" for them to do inside the coop would only eat up space in my set up.

 

[aart]

If you don't want to clean it, keep them off of it.
It takes at least a 45° angle to keep them off.
I went steeper, then turned that into a hinged cover,
easy to close when needed to keep chicks and broodies out of nests.

 

[Alaskan]

I would make the top flat...and with a ledge... so you could turn it into a poop shelf under a roost...or taller edges and turn it into a dust bath.

Great use of space.

 

[Folly's place]

Mine are slanted, but not enough. Do make them more like 45degrees, not too shallow.
Or, have another shelf for poo.
Mary

 

[K0k0shka]

Thank you everybody for the input! I think I'll go with a slanted top, and build the run to be predator-proof and protected from weather so I can leave the pop door open year round and have the chickens spend more time outside than inside pooping on surfaces

 

[aart]

have the chickens spend more time outside than inside pooping on surfaces

yah, cause that's their favorite thing to do!!

 

[Farmgirl1878]

My nest boxes are outside the coop (built into the wall). And the roof is slanted. We built them this way so I didn’t have to bend over to collect eggs and to save floor space. It also provides a nice overhang for the girls when they are outside the run.

 

[K0k0shka]

Exactly.

Speaking of pooping on things, and spending time outside, doesn't the run turn into a big poopy mess at some point? Do I just keep throwing more grass / leaves / wood chips in and hope it mixes around and decomposes eventually?

 

[aart]

Speaking of pooping on things, and spending time outside, doesn't the run turn into a big poopy mess at some point? Do I just keep throwing more grass / leaves / wood chips in and hope it mixes around and decomposes eventually?

Yes!!
'Big' wood chippings being the 'base' and other smaller dry stuff that breaks down faster being added in moderation as needed. Too much of that smaller stuff can cause problems. Observe and Adjust.

 

[cmom]

I have both slanted and flat tops on my nest boxes. I had problems that some of the birds wanted to sleep on the flat top boxes and of course poop on them. I got tired of cleaning the poop off so I put some wire up to keep them off.