New Here, and Building a Coop

[Mother of Chaos]

Well lovely, 20 hinges arrived today minus 120 screws, ordered replacements from Amazon.
I have a box of about a thousand + screws that I can use as placeholders, but they're not stainless steel like what I ordered.
I'll at least be able to start getting doors and windows in place, replacements from Amazon should be here Wednesday.
Winter weather possibly Saturday Sunday?
I would like to have everything dried in before that.

View attachment 4249446

Quality control seems a lost art in online shipping these days.

 

[billrigsby]

Chicken Coop update, almost done.
I've got two triangular doors to install after I put some more robust hardware fabric in the windows.
Latches for the entrance to the 10x10 run and the nesting box.
Need to add a couple of roosting bars.
Tar paper some insulation and then the metal roofing.
Should be completely dried in and roofed next week.

 

[billrigsby]

So I guess my big next question is roosting bars!

I've looked at more plans and photos than I care to remember, I've seen them parallel to the nesting boxes perpendicular to the nesting boxes even diagonal across the chicken coop!

The one thing I do know is you don't want them above the nesting boxes, but is there a preferred placement, since I've seen it all?

I plan on using 2x4s with the 4-in up giving them more room for their feet. Probably two sets of bars at different levels.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

So I guess my big next question is roosting bars!

I've looked at more plans and photos than I care to remember, I've seen them parallel to the nesting boxes perpendicular to the nesting boxes even diagonal across the chicken coop!

The one thing I do know is you don't want them above the nesting boxes, but is there a preferred placement, since I've seen it all?

I plan on using 2x4s with the 4-in up giving them more room for their feet. Probably two sets of bars at different levels.

Any advice is appreciated.

No, you DO want them above the nesting boxes! Chickens generally seek the highest places to sleep, and you don’t want them sleeping in the nesting boxes, since they poop all night.

I’d make the two roosting bars the same height as each other for the same reason: chickens want to be up. If you cross them in an L, it’s ok for one to rest on top of the other. Chickens aren’t THAT weird. Usually.

It’s a bit of a measuring game now: roost height+about a foot for an adult chicken sleeping with head down+ about a foot and a half (if you can) above that to the ventilation openings to avoid winter drafts on them as they sleep. So from roost to vent openings: about 2 1/2’.

“Higher than nest boxes” means higher than the floor of the nest box. Maybe a foot higher, if that will still allow you that 2 1/2’ roost-to-vent space.

Clear as mud?

 

[rosemarythyme]

The one thing I do know is you don't want them above the nesting boxes, but is there a preferred placement, since I've seen it all?

I plan on using 2x4s with the 4-in up giving them more room for their feet. Probably two sets of bars at different levels.

Ideally you don't want roosts too close to nests (so they don't shoot poop into them), and at least 12" from the wall (for head and tail space, and again so they don't shoot as much poop onto them), and 14-16" apart if you have more than one parallel to each other. Otherwise they can be placed pretty much however, though I'd also put consideration in how easily accessible they are for you as a human, in case you need to grab a bird, or how easily can you navigate around them, as you'd either want to remove them when cleaning or have them placed so you don't need to contort your way around to clean.

Some folks like ladder style (which is what you described, as that gives heavier/older birds the option of being down lower, others don't, given that birds will tend to crowd onto the highest roost.

 

[rosemarythyme]

No, you DO want them above the nesting boxes! Chickens generally seek the highest places to sleep, and you don’t want them sleeping in the nesting boxes, since they poop all night.

I read it differently (lol clear as mud) so to clarify for OP, you want roosts above nest height, height-wise. You DON'T want them directly above nests unless there's a poop tray sitting above that for the purpose of catching poops.

 

[billrigsby]

No, you DO want them above the nesting boxes! Chickens generally seek the highest places to sleep, and you don’t want them sleeping in the nesting boxes, since they poop all night.

I’d make the two roosting bars the same height as each other for the same reason: chickens want to be up. If you cross them in an L, it’s ok for one to rest on top of the other. Chickens aren’t THAT weird. Usually.

It’s a bit of a measuring game now: roost height+about a foot for an adult chicken sleeping with head down+ about a foot and a half (if you can) above that to the ventilation openings to avoid winter drafts on them as they sleep. So from roost to vent openings: about 2 1/2’.

“Higher than nest boxes” means higher than the floor of the nest box. Maybe a foot higher, if that will still allow you that 2 1/2’ roost-to-vent space.

Clear as mud?

Yes, sorry, ABOVE the nesting boxes, but does it matter the direction?
I know they need to "fly down" from them so I am thinking across the short side of the coop gives more 'flight room'
I have also seen one higher than the other for the pecking order.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I read it differently (lol clear as mud) so to clarify for OP, you want roosts above nest height, height-wise. You DON'T want them directly above nests unless there's a poop tray sitting above that for the purpose of catching poops.

Oh, I see what you’re saying. Yes, up and out from the boxes. Ideally (in my overheated little brain), roosts would be on a different wall, if possible.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I know they need to "fly down" from them so I am thinking across the short side of the coop gives more 'flight room'

Oh yes, they need about as much landing space in front of the roost as the roost is high. So in a rectangular coop it does make sense to place roosts across shortways to maximize the amount of landing area.

I have also seen one higher than the other for the pecking order.

Spacing them 14-16" apart (or more) also helps with that.