poop board and nesting boxes?

[diana507]

How high off the floor of my coop should my nesting boxes and poop board be? I'm at that stage of building my coop and not quite sure.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The nest doesn't have to be above the floor at all but I usually have them at about 8-12 inches above the floor so they don't scratch debris into them.

The only time I've used a poop board the top was just 4 inches below the top of the roost. It has worked for me.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Nest boxes being raised is more for human convenience than anything else for coops where egg gathering will be done from the inside. Mine are on legs that have them about 2 feet up to the first row of boxes. Hens will happily nest and lay at floor level, just a matter of whether you want to be down there crawling around (or if you have old, cranky knees like I do trying to get back up from the floor) to get your eggs or not. Since the hens don't care either way, I have opted to go for what is most convenient for me.

 

[diana507]

I can't remember for the life of me, how much room is recommended for roost space per chicken? I have isa browns if that matters? I got my nesting boxes about finished!!! Yay! Then onto the poop board and roosts tomorrow.

 

[MaLoTu]

I can't remember for the life of me, how much room is recommended for roost space per chicken? I have isa browns if that matters? I got my nesting boxes about finished!!! Yay! Then onto the poop board and roosts tomorrow.

I believe it is one linear foot per chicken.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Our poop board is 48" above the floor, easier to clean, no bending! The nesting boxes are 18 " off the floor as not to take up floor space. I don't think there are any hard-fast rules, whatever works for you. I don't think the chickens care one way or the other.

 

[itolt]

We had the Chicken Whisper guy in our area a couple weeks ago and that's what he quoted to us for roost space, 1 linear foot per chicken. They're not inclined to use that much space by my experience (which isn't much), they huttle together all snuggly close!

And there are other roosting bars in these pens!!!

 

[diana507]

Thanks everyone! I ended up putting my nesting boxes at 2 feet from the floor and thinking 48 inches for my poop board. If I need 12 feet for my roosts for the 12 chickens that's gonna run the length of my coop unless I do 2 different roost levlevels. But glad I'm putting everything high enough so they have the whole floor space.

 

[itolt]

You should consider roosts at different levels and not just one long one. Many I've seen have two boards set on an angle with rung like roosts paralell to each other. That makes a compact roosting area. Look into it, they would probably like it!

 

[Sonya9]

Since you are in the design phase you might want to have an area (under a poop board for instance) that can be blocked off with off if need be. That can be very useful for separating a broody with chicks or a new/injured bird that needs their own space.