Nesting box top - slanted or flat?

[Folly's place]

Think about two or three feet of snow too!

 

[Ebony Rose]

I guess I'll put a slanted top until they're well used to sleeping on the roosts, and then maybe take it off at some point to give them more usable space...

How about making it convertible so that you don't need to reinvent the wheel down the road? If you attach the 'roof' along the back edge at the wall with hinges, but not attached at the front, you can easily retrofit it with legs on the front to bring it up to a level work surface later on. If you want to get really fancy with it, you can make those legs folding... and build it all at the same time and simply unfold the legs when you need a flat surface to work on.

 

[aart]

Am I still protecting from even the smallest things up there? Or can it be like 2"x4" welded wire just to stop flying predators?

That's up to you.
Mine is 2x4 WW meant mostly for flyers.
Time will tell if yours will let leaves thru.
Mine doesn't deal with leaves, most snow goes thru unless it's wet snow then it can start to gather and build and I have to watch and keep it cleared.

I'd read that people throw fallen leaves in the run and the chickens scratch and shred them, but maybe that's after they're fully dry?

Dry is better, if they stay dry. Birds can keep things mixed up if there's enough other bigger stuff to keep them from packing. Even if they are shredded they can go nasty. Too much of any one ingredient can make for a mess. Observe and Adjust.

 

[Folly's place]

As aart mentioned, the 2"x4" woven wire will keep out raptors, and on the ceiling, raccoons, but not every predator. Weasels and rats, for example, and those mite carrying wild birds.
It's definitely an upgrade, short of having an actual roof.
Mary

 

[lifein1840]

I have my nest boxes under the roost which is a tray with PDZ in it and a 2x4 roost board over the tray. That way, there is a lot more space in the coop, there is space under the nest boxes so the whole floor is open. If you decide to have the nest boxes separate, definitely go with the slanted top!!

 

[lifein1840]

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?

I rake mine out a couple of times a year then put down lime, DE and a fresh layer of leaves, pine shavings or whatever I'm using to keep the mud down.

 

[aart]

And also, I don’t think I ever gave @aart credit for using her nest box design. Thank you aart! I loved your nest box design and now I love mine.

Nice perch mounts....but those curtains won't see those in my coop

 

[Folly's place]

I tried curtains once, and nobody was impressed! They came down and were never replaced.
Mary

 

[Mimi13]

Here is my second set of nesting boxes, with a big old slant. I’ve got a small ledge on the top to set a few must haves (PDZ, nail clippers, Poultry Dust, etc.) for the new little coop I’ve started on. I’m renovating my original run into a coop, one drop of sweat at a time.

The nest boxes are constructed mostly from pallet boards and I put a skinny one on top. The pullets are too big now to even think about perching on top. Most everything I’ve used is repurposed, except for the screws and hinges and hardware cloth, all the way down to the old shovel handle for the perch. Yep, I believe it’s all been pi$$ed on once or twice, as it has laid around here for some time. (I have several male dogs, not by me.)

 

[Folly's place]

Looks nice!