Newbie question re coop design

Rmacey

Hatching
7 Years
Jul 21, 2012
3
0
7
I'm converting the kids' monkey bars into a coop. It will be about 2.5' x 6.5'. The coop will be on top of the run. We want up to 4 hens. Three questions to start. How much room is needed between the top of the perch and the ceiling? I plan to have 2 branches each about 30" at the same height to avoid conflict. How much horizontal space between the perches is required? The coop/run will be protected from predators. Do i still need a door to cover the ladder from the run up to the coop? Thanks
 
If you're getting regular sized chickens (LF), then you'll want to leave about 18" above the roost. If you live in an area that gets winters, then place your ventilation as high up as you can - you don't want icy winds to be able to blow on the roosting chickens.
Spacing between roosts needs to be far enough so that the birds can easy hop/fly up to each roost...maybe 18 inches again??? It kind of depends.
As to your last question, it really depends on how secure your coop/run is. If you used chicken wire, I would not leave the pop door open. If you used hardware cloth, or 2x4 welded wire covered with chicken wire (to prevent reach-ins - very important since your coop is so narrow), then you'd have a good chance of being okay with the pop door open. Do not rely on chicken wire as your wire barrier though if your pop door is left open.
 

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