New Coop Progress!

[Chickaroo!]

 

[rebbetzin]

That looks very nice!!

I am sure your chickens will just love it!!

 

[DouglasPeeps]

Beautiful coop! It look like you have been working hard.

My only suggestion would be that you move your nesting boxes much closer to the floor. I would make the bottom of the nesting boxes hang approx. 12 inches from the floor. Chickens like to roost on the highest stop. My chickens will actually crowd themselves on my highest roosts leaving the bottom rows empty. That being said if you have your nesting boxes as high or higher than your roosts, they will use the nesting boxes to roost. The problem of course with that is that you have the potential of have lots of poop where you want to gather your eggs.

 

[Chickaroo!]

My question to my DH when he put them up was: how are they gonna get into them? He thinks they are like a wild bird and will just fly up to them!

Anyway, the current coops nest boxes are fairly even with the top roost . Although one chicken sleeps on the top roost, one sleeps on top of the nest boxes and the other sleeps on a slightly lower roost, I never have any poo in the boxes. Of course, that coop only has the 3 chickens in it. This coop will have 9!

 

[cajunlizz]

Chickaroo! :

My question to my DH when he put them up was: how are they gonna get into them? He thinks they are like a wild bird and will just fly up to them!

Anyway, the current coops nest boxes are fairly even with the top roost . Although one chicken sleeps on the top roost, one sleeps on top of the nest boxes and the other sleeps on a slightly lower roost, I never have any poo in the boxes. Of course, that coop only has the 3 chickens in it. This coop will have 9!

Well , I flipped out yesterday when one of my hens flew up on top of a 8 ft. tall cage and is now roosting up on top of cage from branch of tree overhead . Imagine that one ....

I would not worry about them getting into the nest boxes lol

 

[Just-Like-Hatching]

It looks great. But I would reccomend putting a sloped roof above the nest boxes to keep them from roosting on it.

 

[Chickaroo!]

Ooh, I like the idea of a sloped roof over the next boxes...functional and cute!!

 

[LynneP]

Your birds can get into those *beautiful* nest boxes, no problem. Are they big girls? I'd be worried about leg injuries when they come down, and about losing eggs off the front edge. Since you've both done such a great job making those boxes, I'd be inclined to lower them and to put a little bit of wood across the bottom front of each one to retain bedding and keep your eggs from falling/breaking. It's such a little change to make in an otherwise lovely facility.

Ours are a foot off the ground, with a little hop-on perch in front, and we're letting the chicks use them, though some folks would disagree about that. We installed them while the babies were in our brooder. I think the chicks in the pic are about 3 weeks old.

 

[cajunlizz]

we are using the plastic Milk crates as nesting boxes and are bolted down . I read where the nesting boxes should be about 18" from the floor .


Also roosting poles should be away from the nesting boxes , because we all know where they perch , they poop ...lol


Also , I told hubby , ONLY thing I want in the coop area is water containers , NO FOOD . they eat outside in the enclosed in run area NOT IN THE COOP .....

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
I have to agree . read that 18 inches from the floor is max. height .