Roost design

[mossyoakpro]

For keeping the rain out, you'll most likely want something that is there now, there always, does not have to be played with. Do you really want to be running out in a torrent to close a shutter because you just remembered that oops?

Well if it rains from the east I can ... XXX .... trust me, the less fiddling around and worrying about what if / well when etc the happier you both will be!

Aaron

Fortunately right now it looks like the rain does not come in....we had a monsoon this past weekend and it was pretty dry except where the door opening was so I think I should be good to go. The shutters would mostly be for warmth in the winter as our cold usually comes from the North like most everyone. I may just build some cheap plastic frames to put up there on really cold nights in the winter and take them down in the morning when the suns out.

 

[mossyoakpro]

That's why large roof overhangs make sense! At least solid awnings over window openings, and/ or upper vents bvuilt for this purpose.
Mary

I had to work with what I had...my overhangs are not huge but not small either....I was saving barn my father in law built when my wife was little. She had a few tears going when I was about to tear it down and then a light bulb came on....chicken coop!! LOL Now she's happy about me using her fathers creation!!

 

[aart]

My plan is to put them in the coop locked up at 6-8 weeks weather permitting and leave them to do their thing and check on them periodically throughout the day. Hopefully they will have the coop figured out as home base after a few days then I will let them out into the run to explore. My run will be 10x20 with sand in the bottom that I will scoop up with my tractor off of our dirt road that looks like a beach in spots so it's free which is nice.

Where will they be until 6-8 weeks?
No need to wait that long in your climate, they should be off heat by 4-5 weeks.

 

[Matejka]

Central texas- I got 12 babies in early July, they were in the coop at 3 weeks with no heat, but it WAS AUGUST-In TEXAS. They all thrived and are starting to give me eggs

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

when considering roost bars, my learned advice is to make sure roost bars are far enough from one another so when a chicken jumps down (or gets pushed down), they dont have a chance of injury. I am speaking from experience. I have a hen Rosie that like to march (literally her legs appear to be marching) back and forth across the roost bar daring any chicken to jump up. When they do, she pecks them until they jump off. I had two hens with injured leg before i realized the cause. I since have removed one of the bars. Now I have 3 of my 5 hens sleeping in the nest boxes. Only problem with that is the morning poop clean up. Whatever hens, sleep where you want. fortunately as an ol' lady I can still maneuver difficult locations.

 

[Krugerrand]

when considering roost bars, my learned advice is to make sure roost bars are far enough from one another so when a chicken jumps down (or gets pushed down), they dont have a chance of injury. I am speaking from experience. I have a hen Rosie that like to march (literally her legs appear to be marching) back and forth across the roost bar daring any chicken to jump up. When they do, she pecks them until they jump off. I had two hens with injured leg before i realized the cause. I since have removed one of the bars. Now I have 3 of my 5 hens sleeping in the nest boxes. Only problem with that is the morning poop clean up. Whatever hens, sleep where you want. fortunately as an ol' lady I can still maneuver difficult locations.

We just were discussing in this thread using cardboard to divide a roost so that Roost Hogs can't take too much of it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...r-roosting-bar-dividers.1559137/post-26434777

Linked post probably has the best solution. Just, be careful using staples. You don't want them to get ingested.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Forgive me for the constant questions on things but I am trying to get everything ready for my first batch of chickens in the spring....my coop is a renovated farm shed/barn that I have busted my rear trying to get ready. LOL Anyway I am almost to the finish line...my auto door arrives this week and I will start on the interior with the bedding and such. I have been looking for roost ideas and have gotten some from here but I ran across this when digging around...is there any pros or cons to this design? It would actually work fantastic for my setup being that it is a rectangular shape but I thought there had to be higher bars for the bosses to get on? Thanks in advance!!

I'm a bit of an outlier. My roosts are pretty close together in my main coop. It really works for me and my flock. No injuries, no bumble foot, no poop issues on roosts. I have a few coops with solo and higher solo roosts but this is the preferred by far. I have large breed birds.

 

[3KillerBs]

The shutters would mostly be for warmth in the winter as our cold usually comes from the North like most everyone. I may just build some cheap plastic frames to put up there on really cold nights in the winter and take them down in the morning when the suns out.

No need to worry about keeping them warm as long as they are dry and out of the wind.

You don't want to compromise your ventilation -- at night when they're all in the coop at once is when you need it the most.

I was saving barn my father in law built when my wife was little. She had a few tears going when I was about to tear it down and then a light bulb came on....chicken coop!! LOL Now she's happy about me using her fathers creation!!

That's lovely!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

We just were discussing in this thread using cardboard to divide a roost so that Roost Hogs can't take too much of it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...r-roosting-bar-dividers.1559137/post-26434777

Linked post probably has the best solution. Just, be careful using staples. You don't want them to get ingested.

I have ABSOLUTELY considered this. wondering if anyone uses them, lol.

 

[Quadzilla32]

Any tips or suggestions to get hens to use the bars? I have one hen that unless she is on the top bar wont roost on the lower bar. She isn't even head hen she is the newest and youngest chicken we have, roughly 12/13 weeks. Some nights if she gets in first she will get on the top bar but if she isn't she will sleep on the poop board instead of the lower bar. There is space for her on top but she likes her certain spot.