Poop board as a roost

[aart]

If you put the poop board on the bottom, very low to the floorboard

That kinda defeats the point of ease of access(for cleaning) and not taking up floor space...and it really isn't an issue if they roost on the roost or the edge or the board itself.

How much head room above the Roosting Board do they need

Welcome to BYC!
As much as possible for ventilation up high away from head height, IMO, especially if you live in a cold climate.
Here's my take on how high stuff 'should'(works best) be:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-should-stuff-be.73427/

 

[BackAcre]

Thank you for all of these replies and other suggestions! We are building the coop for our new 3 (ok, 4 - ok, no more than 6 at most, but that is it! Darn chicken math!) flock, and I don't have a set layout of where I want things, so every thing here is a great help!

 

[Chad Oftedal]

So I just installed my poop boards today - the last "need-to-get-done" task for my coop for a little while.

The way that I built mine was by making a 27" frame out of 2x4's with pocket hole connections, then putting a border/lip around the edge using 2x3's on their side (that made the "board space" 24" wide by taking 27" - 1 1/2" - 1 1/2").

I then cut 2x4 blocks at 8" high, and centered them in the middle of the board and on the ends. Next, I then laid 2x4's across the tops of the blocks - forming the roost bars, wide side down, as Mother Nature fully intended.

Tonight when I went in to check on them, I had one roosting in my window sill, three of them roosting on the narrow edge of the 2x3 border board, and facing the wrong way so the poop will hit the floor instead of the board, and the remaining four seem to have some variation of sitting on the bar that should work out. I think all this means is that my chicks don't have a clue to what they are supposed to be doing. Hopefully the pics below here will give you some ideas.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I think the idea of poop boards under the roost sounds great Nice workmanship ,

I have my removable roost 3½" from my poop boards and it saves eggs that are laid through the night. All my hens use the higher roost and hardly ever step on the poop board itself.

Clean feet speak for themselves. I also employed a 2"square wire grid (wire the size of a pencil similar to diagram) over my coop floor that is supported by blocks of 4x4 to form a drop pit with a tarp catching all the pure manure. It too keeps my chickens feet clean and my nest boxes and eggs much cleaner as well.

 

[aart]

I had one roosting in my window sill,

OyVey! Having the HC on the inside would have prevented that but, hopefully they'll break that habit....or they'll get to big to be comfortable there.

2x4's across the tops of the blocks - forming the roost bars, wide side down, as Mother Nature fully intended.

Some would vehemently disagree, and give all kinds of scientific evidence to prove it, but it'll work out just fine.

It looks great!

 

[Chad Oftedal]

OyVey! Having the HC on the inside would have prevented that but, hopefully they'll break that habit....or they'll get to big to be comfortable there.

Ah, yes, that's a good point. I had seen it done on the outside, and that made the most sense to me. I never really gave it a though that they'd use the space to make a roost. It would be easy enough to put a second screen on the inside, though. I have enough extra laying around.

Some would vehemently disagree, and give all kinds of scientific evidence to prove it, but it'll work out just fine.

Oh, I know, just funning around a little bit. I should have put in a smiley emoji. I had them jumping up and sitting on the metal support straps (the thin folding metal that collapses and expands as you open and close the ladder) while I was building my run. That can barely be 1/4" if that. In all honesty, I went with the wide side for just future planning. My thought is that it may be easier and more stable for older birds to sit on some day. It's just my own personal belief. What I am learning is that the chickens may not care and use what you thoughtfully put together for them in the first place.

It looks great!

Thanks! I used a lot of your and @jthornton advice when planning it.

 

[aart]

Oh, I know, just funning around a little bit. I should have put in a smiley emoji. ....
....My thought is that it may be easier and more stable for older birds to sit on some day. It's just my own personal belief.

....and I agree.

 

[BackAcre]

@aart - is there anything against having a nesting box close to floor level if you do not need the additional floor space? My layout is such that I am trying to use bit of wasted space under a window to leave other floor space open, but it would mean having the nest box at floor level basically, three of them in a row. Is that a bad idea?

 

[SueT]

it would mean having the nest box at floor level basically, three of them in a row. Is that a bad idea?

My hens' favorite nest boxes are 2 milk crates on the floor.....

 

[aart]

@aart - is there anything against having a nesting box close to floor level if you do not need the additional floor space?

Not that I know of.
I wanted them up higher for the floor space....
... and so I didn't have to bend over, or squat down(which my knees won't do), to gather eggs.