Question about getting to roost

[Oknev]

My husband is building our 4x6 coop and has installed the roost with poop boards that are 20 inches underneath. One roost is 2x4 and on side wall is a limb at same height with poop board under that one also. This does not leave much room for them to get up there I don't think. Do we cut down the poop board? Build a ladder? Get rid of limb roost and poop board? My babies just came today and I am being a worry wart! Help!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

You are going to LOVE the poop board. Don't get rid of it!!!

I vote ladder or ramp up for them.

 

[Blooie]

Even if you had to get rid of a wall, keep the poop boards! LOL

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Even if you had to get rid of a wall, keep the poop boards! LOL

 

[Wol1]

Wow. I don't use "poop boards" and have zero problems. How many chickens do you have? Chickens are inventive and will figure out how to get up there. Shouldn't be a problem at all when they are little which will give you time to adjust the space. They will probably walk around on the boards, though. They may not be able to get too the roosts for the first week or two.

I use deep litter and, before you dismiss me outright, let me elaborate... I sprinkle scratch on the floor every night, and then give the girls an hour of so after daylight the next morning to scratch around before I let them out for the day. They almost always "make their beds and pull up the covers" nicely, ie their scratching covers and mixes most of the poop. I scrape out the straw under the roost every month or more often in the winter when they are "cooped up" and spend more time on the roost. I scrape it out from under, fork it into the rest of the straw to loosen it up to dry, and then spread dry (but not necessarily clean) straw underneath. It all composts nicely. I add clean straw on top when they have shredded and stomped down the existing straw. They love it. Sprinkle some scratch on the clean, loose straw and they are in chicken heaven. Works wonders in the winter to beat the cabin fever henpecking going on.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How many chicks do you have and how long are those roosts? It’s hard to make a good suggestion on how much roosts you need without some basic info.

We all manage the poop differently. We have different sized coops and different numbers of chickens managed differently in different climates. There is no one way that works for all of us. No one right answer where everything else is wrong. In a smaller coop like that a droppings board is probably a good idea unless you plan to clean the coop pretty often. A coop with a dirt floor probably doesn’t need to be cleaned as often as one with a wooden floor. There are just a lot of variables.

 

[Blooie]

Wow. I don't use "poop boards" and have zero problems. How many chickens do you have? Chickens are inventive and will figure out how to get up there. Shouldn't be a problem at all when they are little which will give you time to adjust the space. They will probably walk around on the boards, though. They may not be able to get too the roosts for the first week or two.

I use deep litter and, before you dismiss me outright, let me elaborate... I sprinkle scratch on the floor every night, and then give the girls an hour of so after daylight the next morning to scratch around before I let them out for the day. They almost always "make their beds and pull up the covers" nicely, ie their scratching covers and mixes most of the poop. I scrape out the straw under the roost every month or more often in the winter when they are "cooped up" and spend more time on the roost. I scrape it out from under, fork it into the rest of the straw to loosen it up to dry, and then spread dry (but not necessarily clean) straw underneath. It all composts nicely. I add clean straw on top when they have shredded and stomped down the existing straw. They love it. Sprinkle some scratch on the clean, loose straw and they are in chicken heaven. Works wonders in the winter to beat the cabin fever henpecking going on.

How many chicks do you have and how long are those roosts? It’s hard to make a good suggestion on how much roosts you need without some basic info.

We all manage the poop differently. We have different sized coops and different numbers of chickens managed differently in different climates. There is no one way that works for all of us. No one right answer where everything else is wrong. In a smaller coop like that a droppings board is probably a good idea unless you plan to clean the coop pretty often. A coop with a dirt floor probably doesn’t need to be cleaned as often as one with a wooden floor. There are just a lot of variables.

Absolutely right....if there was only one way to raise chickens this entire website could be read in half an hour!

As it is, there are as many "right" ways to do things as there are chicken keepers. I have 22 layers of various types in a coop 6'x 8'. I am also using the deep litter method on a dirt floor, but I do the scratch-and-let-them-clean-the-litter in the mornings. It's easier for me and my particular schedule that way. I do have a poop board under my main roost and it's been a real timesaver. About 5 minutes with a little scoop and it's cleaned up. I changed to the poop board about a week ago, and so far it's one of my favorite aspects of the coop.

I keep their water outside in the run, but their food is still inside. Been nothing but rainy and windy here for a spell now that the snow has finally melted, and since we haven't yet made a weatherproof chicken feeder I want what I feed them to remain dry. So they are inside for more than just sleeping and laying, which is my ultimate goal. Until then, yep, poop boards and PDZ! The pop door between the run and the coop is left open now that our nighttime temps are getting up into the high 30s, low 40s, and they are thriving.

 

[Hokum Coco]

My husband is building our 4x6 coop and has installed the roost with poop boards that are 20 inches underneath. One roost is 2x4 and on side wall is a limb at same height with poop board under that one also. This does not leave much room for them to get up there I don't think. Do we cut down the poop board? Build a ladder? Get rid of limb roost and poop board? My babies just came today and I am being a worry wart! Help!

My roost over my poop boards is very similar ti this photo.
POOP BOARDS are the "BEST" addition yet. Handles well over ½ of the poop in my set up keeps ammonia smell in check 3½" below roost excellent for catching eggs laid through the night (roost are in cups for easier removal and cleaning). I recently friction fit a piece of vinyl flooring over my poop board.it makes clean up even easier; Pop out; Scrap; Hose; Pop in.

Winter months even easier flex over compost bin DONE!

Easy peasy!.

 

[Oknev]

Thanks for all the advice! I have 6 chickens, the 2x4 roost is 6 ft. And the branch is 3ft. On the short wall. I couldn't decide what kind of roost so we did 2 different ones. I have 2 buff orpingtons, 1ee, 1, Iowa blue, Amerucana, Rhode Island Red. The buffs and Rhode Island are about 4 weeks and the others are about 1-2 weeks.

 

[Wol1]

"I am also using the deep litter method on a dirt floor, but I do the scratch-and-let-them-clean-the-litter in the mornings. It's easier for me and my particular schedule that way."

I sprinkle the scratch when it starts to get dark. That way they will have something to do between when they get up at the crack o' dawn and when I can open my eyes and walk straight.