Roosting bars to high ? and spacing ?

[PapaChaz]

that's an awesome looking setup! Nothing to add that hasn't been suggested, so I'll just leave it at that!

 

[Blooie]

I'm so glad to hear that you had ventilation already included in the upper nest boxes. I'm a worrier about that one thing more than any other, I think. I just couldn't see it in the first pictures you showed. That is one gorgeous coop. Looks like it has some built-in flexibility too, and you'll be glad for that a time or two. I sure have been with our setup.

Now we'll need pics when the chickens go out to their palace to live!

 

[aart]

I would get rid of the upper row of nests and install and poop board with roost there.
How long and wide is building? Nice looking building BTW.

 

[newimaging]

10' x 6' and about 6' high

If I decide to add 1 or 2 roosting bars instead of the top nesting boxes, how close to the wall can a parallel roosting bar be for Buff Orphingtons ? Space will be a little more cramped unless I go passed the bottom nest boxes.

 

[aart]

10' x 6' and about 6' high

If I decide to add 1 or 2 roosting bars instead of the top nesting boxes, how close to the wall can a parallel roosting bar be for Buff Orphingtons ? Space will be a little more cramped unless I go passed the bottom nest boxes.

12" from wall...unless you don't want your roosters tail feathers shredded, then 18" from wall

I'd go single roost around the corner for ~16 feet of roost.

Roost board are ~36" high, 24" wide, roost 8" above boards.
Nest perch is now a 2x4, ramp platform is ~18" high.
Coop is 6' wide and 12' long.

 

[newimaging]

So I build two of the poop drawers today that slide out easy for quick dumping. The picture also shows how the rosts are quickly removable.
I`ll close off the top row of nest boxes for now as recommended by some of you.
Should I have a dust bath area inside ? And how large does it have to be ?

 

[yellowchicks]

I would get rid of the upper row of nests and install and poop board with roost there.

X2. That's exactly what I would suggest. It would actually maximize the usable space of this coop, much easier to maintain, and have extra room to put food and water inside the coop during inclement weather.

Dust bath goes outside of the coop, as it can get really dusty everywhere, need good ventilation. There is no specific size, just find a large shallow tub, drill some drain holes on the bottom, put in sand, some DE and ash, peat moss, and mix them up.