roost height in tractor & apron???

[mxmarg]

Wisconsin newbie here! Pleased ta meetcha!

Thanks SO MUCH for stopping by to take a look and see if you can help!

So we're constructing a chicken tractor. The coop floor is 4x4 feet. (Nesting boxes will be added on to the exterior) At the peak the inside space will be 3 1/2 tall and it'll go down to 2 1/2 feet.


I was initially planning on putting a roost in under the peak.

However: due to knowing my own nature and an apparently insidious phenomenon called Chicken Math, I'm now thinking about allowing for two roosts. What height would I put them in so 1) the birds could reach them & 2) the birds wouldn't be crowded in front and back once on a roost with brethren??? We're talking larger egg layer chickens, not silkie sized birds.

Speaking of chicken math, we're planning on getting 4 initially, but how many birds would this space accommodate without crowding???

And our yard is by no means perfectly flat. This tractor was built for roaming. Have heard of aprons that flip up or some such to allow for easy moving of the tractor... Anyone else heard of such a thing or employ such a method? I sorely need help conceptualizing this!

Thank you so very much for your input!

 

[mikecnorthwest]

Take a look at my BYC page using the link below. My coop looks a lot like yours in the framing stage. I have some pics further down on the page showing how I ran two 2x4 roost bars in the house. My nest boxes are under the roost bars on one side. I did this so the hens could hop up on the little bar attached to the nest box and then up to the roost bars. I think my roost bars are about 18" off the coop floor.

 

[mxmarg]

Thanks so very much Mike! Very helpful!