Roosting bar layout in new coop ?

[kyron4]

Hello, new here. As promised I got my daughter chicks and what was suppose to be a 2 to 4 chicks ended up being 8. So while they are growing in the brooder I started building a coop. The coop is elevated 2' off the ground, 4'x8' and 30" at the peak sloping down to 24" on the ends of the roof. With limited head room can all the roosting bars be the same height off the floor ? How much higher than the nesting boxes should them be ? Is a few inches high enough. And lastly, will they have trouble climbing over the bars (2x3's) to get to the bars in the back or the nesting boxes ? This is all new to me. -Thanks

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Pictures? Welcome to byc! Glad you could join the flock! Let me know if you need anything!

 

[rosemarythyme]

So I assume nest boxes are at "floor" height? The roost bars can go just a above them.

Chickens can fly up at a sharp angle but to fly down need about a 45 degree angle or so, so make sure there is room either in front or behind the bars for them to land. Bars should be at least 12" from the wall or other roosts. Aim for around 12" per chicken in roost, though they can make do with a little less.

 

[aart]

Here's some tips on the 'height of things':
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coop-stack-up-how-high-stuff-works-well.73427/

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[SurferchickinSB]

Hello, new here. As promised I got my daughter chicks and what was suppose to be a 2 to 4 chicks ended up being 8. So while they are growing in the brooder I started building a coop. The coop is elevated 2' off the ground, 4'x8' and 30" at the peak sloping down to 24" on the ends of the roof. With limited head room can all the roosting bars be the same height off the floor ? How much higher than the nesting boxes should them be ? Is a few inches high enough. And lastly, will they have trouble climbing over the bars (2x3's) to get to the bars in the back or the nesting boxes ? This is all new to me. -Thanks

My coop is 4 x 8 just like yours and I also have eight large breed heritage chickens. Here is a photo of my set up. It takes up about 2x4feet of floor my floor space in my 8x4 foot coop.I have a ramp leading up to the plywood poop board which they use to get up and then they jump up to the roost from there. I usually put two layers of newspaper on top of the vinyl I have covering the poop board every evening, so it just takes me a minute to roll it up in the morning.

 

[HenStead]

View attachment 1733502 View attachment 1733503
My coop is 4 x 8 just like yours and I also have eight large breed heritage chickens. Here is a photo of my set up. It takes up about 2x4feet of floor my floor space in my 8x4 foot coop.I have a ramp leading up to the poop board which they use to get up and then they jumped up to the roost from there. I usually put two layers of newspaper on top of the vinyl poop board every evening, so it just takes me a minute to roll it up in the morning.

That looks great! How far apart are your roosting bars?

 

[SurferchickinSB]

That looks great! How far apart are your roosting bars?

Thank you! The first bar I know is 8 inches from the back wall. I would have to measure to be sure, but I think I put 12 inches of space between the bars. That way they usually walk up the ramp to the poop board and hop up between the 2X3s onto one of the roosting bars. The nesting area is completely under the poop board so the curtains and stuff don’t get pooped on and there is not enough room to roost anywhere so they don’t sit there except to lay eggs. My hens never sit in the nest box or poop in them either. I did not build the nesting boxes until they were about four months old because I did not want them hanging out in them. I just wanted them to only lay eggs in them.

 

[kyron4]

So , would having 2 parallel roosting bars 12" from walls and 12" apart , 6" off the floor work out ? Think of two 6' 2x4's spaced evenly long ways on a 4x8 sheet of plywood , both 6" off the plywood with the nesting boxes at the end of the plywood. Make sense ?

 

[SurferchickinSB]

So , would having 2 parallel roosting bars 12" from walls and 12" apart , 6" off the floor work out ? Think of two 6' 2x4's spaced evenly long ways on a 4x8 sheet of plywood , both 6" off the plywood with the nesting boxes at the end of the plywood. Make sense ?

I am not picturing it very well, but I know they like to be up sort of high. Sounds like you are planning on putting up 12 feet of roosting bars? That is more than enough for eight birds. Both of mine are only 4 foot each for a total of 8 feet and it looks like 2 more could even fit. They are probably about 3 foot high.A lot of times my chickens will use a ramp to go up but to go down there has to be enough room for them to fly, otherwise they will hit a wall or something. That is why I am glad I put the poop board about a foot under them and then only 2 foot hop to the sand underneath.

 

[kyron4]

My coop is 4'x8' but is only 30" high from floor to peak and roof slopes down to 24" on the ends. So I have minimum head room, that's why the bars are only 6" off the floor.

Basically the coop sits 24" off the ground on 4x4 posts and the floor is a 4x8 sheet of plywood with 24"-30" walls with a 1:12 pitch steel roof.