Roosting in a chicken coop??

[markb816]

I am new at raising chickens. Just bought 8 hens last Saturday. I have had them almost a week and love them !. I have built my own coop for them and they seem to like it. Inside the coop I placed an old wooden shelf 5ft high and they get on the 3rd from bottom shelf at night and sleep. Is this roosting? Should my ladies be supplied with something else in the coop to roost on? Would there eggs fall off they were roosting? My coop is about 6 ft high. Can someone help me with this

 

[CoopCrazy]

The best thing I have found is a 2x4 for a roost , this way they are forced to sit on thier feet when they sleep , thus keeping them warm and their toes from being frost bitten in the summer... You should nt have to worry about eggs falling out as MOst dont lay while roosting.. They much prefer a nest box for that... Also if they are sleeping on the shelf I would assume it would get full of poo quickly , so that could potentialy be a health hazard...

 

[teach1rusl]

You definitely want a different place for their nests than their roosts. As coop crazy said, a 2x4 (flat side up) makes a great roost. You can nail one wall to wall...about12-14 inches away from the wall, and maybe 3 ft high off the ground. You don't want to use a shelf as a roost, because then they are laying in poop all night (they do a LOT of pooping overnight while roosting).
Either build 2-3 nest boxes (around 14x14 inches or so), or you can use something like old milk crates laid on their side, or some folks even use small covered litter boxes...almost any cozy area where the chickens can lay their eggs (have they started laying yet?). Put pine shavings in the nest boxes to make them comfy. The nest boxes can be on the floor or elevated about 18-24 inches. I like mine elevated so that I don't lose any floor space in my coop.

Here are my roosts (I have two, but you only need one if it's long enough)...that board below it is a "dropping board." You don't need one, but it makes clean up very easy (just scrape the poop off into a bucket). You'd just clean the poop from the floor if not.

And here are my nest boxes...which are raised so that I don't lose floor space. If you elevate them, you will need a perch for them to land on to get inside.

 

[elmo]

A shelf isn't the best thing as a roost because the chickens' night poop just drops right there where they're roosting. A narrower perch, like the 2 by 4 mentioned by the other commenter, is better because that lets their poop fall down away from them.

Sometimes a young hen will lay her egg while roosting; it probably surprises her. Mostly, though, they look for a nice, quiet, dark nestbox, preferably with eggs in it already, when they're ready to lay.

 

[markb816]

All the information is great! I have since made a better roosting spot from a 2by4. Yea, the shelf was getting really poopy!! You guys are all life savers and helpful! Plus the coops and chickens look great!