Positioning roosts

[kmartinez]

Today I just started building my first coop..I know where the nesting boxes are going, the sand box, the ramp, windows and door..But where is a good place for the roost. I was thinking over the nesting boxes and along one side of another wall..I am unsure how high to put the roosts or low they need to be. can i put one up higher with a ladder? and poop board below

I have the light brahma, black australorp and the wyandotte


Ohh and how far from the wall i was thinking 2 feet min and at least 2 linear foot per bird..which in all honesty on one wall i was going to set up 2 roosts one under another giving them a bit more room

 

[21hens-incharge]

OK I will try and answer some of the questions and hopefully help out some.

The roosts should not be in front of or above the openings for the nest boxes. They would have to walk through poo to lay that egg and no one wants to gather dirty eggs.

You will only need one linear foot per bird of roost space. That being said they do need a bit of space for settling in. If I had 3 birds I would make the roost 4 foot long.

You have large breeds and a jump off a roost can be an injury waiting to happen. I would put the roost about 18 to 24 inches off the floor.
I would not put one roost above another since birds do most of the poo during the night and that means the ones on the lower roost would be poo'd on a lot. If you put a poop board they would most likely not use the lower roost at all.
For the large birds 18 inches to 2 feet from the wall is good. At one foot from the wall they tend to bang into it when getting on the roost.

How big is your coop going to be?
Have you thought about a removable roost? I saw one in the coop pages and thought " Now that is clever"

 

[kmartinez]

I have not seen a removable roost my coop I might look into that. My coop is going to be 10x10 with nesting boxes not inside the coop taking floor space but pertruding out of the coop that way i can collect eggs outside the coop with just opening a lid.

Ok thank you you have given me a good start. I plan on putting poop boards up so its good to know they might not use a lower one if a higher one is above it Ill just put roost all the way around the coop and nix near the nesting boxes..

You have been very helpful Thank you

 

[21hens-incharge]

10x10 is an awesome size. Congrats! I see chicken math in your future.

Mine is an 8x14 and I love having all that floor space for them.

 

[Mahlzeit]

I have my roosts much higher than 18-24 inches off the ground mine are around 42 inches off the ground. The higher up a chicken can get the more secure they feel. Plus the taller height makes the poop board underneath it much more convenient to clean. Less bending over for me. Of course the roost height does also depend on the breed of chicken. The really heavy breeds would need lower roosts or maybe a ramp to help them up.