Poop boards - pics wanted

[newchicksnducks]

Our 5 week old EE are feathering out nicely. I would like to move them out to the almost finished coop before we pick up our 10 new chicks (BO,Austrolorp,Domanique,GLW) next week. It seems the poop board will really cut down on the overall "mess" in the coop considerably. Since we will end up with 13 chicks in the coop, we are planning two rows of roost on our 8 foot wall (coop is 8x8). Any pics you could post on the poop board under the roosts would be greatly appreciated!

Also, how high would you recommend the roosts to be? Two levels or parallel? Thanks for all your input...I can't tell you how much I've learned already from just browsing the forum!

 

[patandchickens]

I don't have any under parallel roosts, just single roosts, but you can see of one of them in the pic of my sussexes on my personal page (link at left)

Basically there isn't much to see -- you put a suitable-width board a little ways under the roost, and there ya go. I currently use an extra-wide drywall-taping thingie (like a paint scraper only really wide) to snowplow the poo off mine into a bucket every morning, ten seconds max, literally. Highly recommmend.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Schroeder]

From everything I've read I think they will select one of the two roosts, and ignore the other. Your coop, like mine, is relatively small so you could consider opening up more space by starting with just one. Just a thought.

Here is a photo of mine (before the chickens were added). My coop is 6 x 6 and it ultimately will house 7 hens and 1 rooster.

 

[Namble]

Quote:
Thats a pretty coop!

 

[joebryant]

I use removable black plastic cement-mixing boxes under my roosts. They're 3'x2'x9" deep. I add diatomaceous earth and empty them about once a month. No smell and no fly problems.

 

[Suburban chick farmer 09]

My roost is a 2x4, 4" side down, 12" off the wall. The poop board is 22" wide and 8" below the roost.

Hope this helps.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Thanks for the pictures...worth a thousand words and all I was thinking 2 roosts as I had read somewhere that you should offer 12" per bird...sound right? In our northern Ohio winters w/lake effect snow they may spend a lot of time inside. I just want to offer the max in floor space and roosting space.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I think you should do the two roosts (either parallel, or an L-shaped one that uses two adjacent walls). They'd all have to get along very, very well to fit on a single 8' roost. You can't guarantee that. Additoinal roost space gives them options. Options are always good

Good luck, have fun,

Pat