Roosting Bars Over Nesting Boxes?

[OrangeChicken]

We're in the process of converting an old children's play house into a coop that will be 6x7. The current plan is to install the roosting bars 18"-20" above the top of the nesting box which would be covered in linoleum and serve as a poop board. This would allow us to conserve space in the coop. Are there any issues with setting things up like that?

 

[KKatknap]

That's what we are doing, also...putting the poop shelf on top of our nest boxes. So I'm interested in any thoughts on that, too.

ETA -

 

[princess araucana]

sounds good as long as there is a big enough area to catch poop, they might not sit exactly like you want them to! Also to make sure the area is easy for you to get to and you have enough room for your poo scraper. SInce you don't want lots of poo falling in nest box maybe you can make a little roof shield or somehting?

Remember they will want to roost on the highest surface possible whether or not is the nice roost you build for them.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

We added an additional roost over our nesting boxes when the EEyoungsters were growing up. They didn't like to roost with the old guard. It works ok. The poop does collect and must be scraped regularly. our area 3 inches under that roost is 2.5x4 foot and I feel it adds square footage to the coop. Right now I have 10 EEs in a 4x8 coop plus the additional space over the nest boxes. Crowded for me, but they free range daily so no one seems upset.
Dh is talking about a larger coop. I am wondering if additional small ones are a better choice to keep the breed separate.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

from Alaska

I think as long as you allow enough space to be able to clean up the boards you should do ok....also remember they don't always face the way you think they will so make sure you have a big enough board.

 

[The Sheriff]

Here's mine. Two roosts, one slightly higher than the other, with a droppings board wide enough to catch the poo from both roosts. Total length =14 feet. Under that are our nesting boxes and handicapped parking for our blind-in-one-eye hen Lucy. Moved out of the way for the photo is a ladder for them to get up and down. We also have a two story rabbit hutch we use as grow up brooders. Each level has a 60 watt ceramic bulb for heat.

 

[patandchickens]

I use roosts over nestboxes (with the 'roof' of the nestbox being a droppings board) in most of my pens and am quite happy with it. You do need to make sure the droppings-board roof overhangs the front of the nestbox by an inch or two to keep out messes (not so much from the chickens themselves as from when you're cleaning the board and poos roll astray). I clean my droppings board daily, I do not know how long they would continue to use the nestboxes if you let vast amounts of poo build up on the droppings board as I've never tried that. But the system as I use it works just fine.

Pat