Hi,
I can tell you I've researched this same type of methodology and did actually find a nice picture on the web. I did a search for chicken coop +drop pit or drop board, BUT if you are doing this with a child BE CAREFUL. There was a profane image that came up and would recommend you do the search first. I just couldn't find it for you, I'm sorry.
BUT....
Here are the ideas my hubby and I came up with and which we think will work for our coop on stilts. You can modify and others can jump in and give feedback in case even we are going in the wrong direction.
On the sides toward the bottom we will make what I call a "pizza oven" about 2ft x2ft or so. Through this pull down hatch we will push a poop tray in with some litter. This will be directly positioned under one of the roosts to collect as much as possible and keep the house clean. Then my children can easily help by undoing the latch taking out the tray, emptying it and cleaning and putting it back one a week or once every two weeks.
Our coop is designed to have two of these "pizza oven" tray openings on either side of the coop. The reason for this is because we have two windows and we want the birds to take advantage of them. The windows happen to be on either side of a door, like a house so this is why we need to for two different roosts.
Hope this helps.
Oh...the tray will have a wire mesh on it in case the birds decide to jump down off the roost and this way they won't land in the tray, but on the mesh.
We are still working out the details, but once they are set in stone and we find they work without glitches, then we'll post some pictures.
It's an idea...hope it helps.
Chickylou
