Roost and Poop Board Size/Heights

Slaphappy

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Going to have some big girls and medium girls. Orp, Brahma, Welsummer, Austrolorp, Wyndotte

Should i make nesting boxes 14"x14"? 12"x12"?

For Heights are 18" above bedding for nest boxes and 48" high with ramp for poop boards ok?
 
12X12 is usually considered the minimum. I like them larger. Mine are 16X16. Don't really know about height off the floor since mine are level with the floor and are accessed for egg gathering from outside the coop.
 
Your nest boxes seem to be of adequate width. However, the head room inside a nest box should allow the hen to stand up in it. This is critical because a hen needs to stand up for gravity to assist the egg in coming out of her.

Also, unless the nests are close to floor level, a hen needs a landing perch outside the nest when hopping up. They aren't capable of flying directly into the nest opening like an owl can.

Heavy breeds really should not have roosting perches much more than a foot off the floor. This is because after two or three years of growth, they become heavy enough to do great damage to legs and feet when dismounting a higher perch.

Poop boards needs to be two feet wide so they can catch the poop whether the hen faces forward or backward. Sometimes folks forget hens aren't soldiers in boot camp that will always face the same direction when sleeping.
 
I have Buffs, Austrolorps, RIR, and Ameraucanas. 12x12 next boxes work great for me. I have a sloped roof on the boxes too. I put a 2x3 perch in front of the next boxes so they have something to hop up too. My roost are 2x3's overtop a 30" poop board.
 

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