Roosting poles right next to the nest box?

[Tisnelda]

Hello to al! I have been reading posts on this forum for months now! Thank you for all of your help already! I've been working on the husband for an loooooooooong time, and finally got him to give in on my chicken raising dream. We are in a very suburban area and are looking to start small with 2-3 chickens. In the spirit of wanting to keep it simple, I am considering buying a pre-made $300-ish coop with an attached run. They look very stylish and finished, which is a plus for our residential situation (at least 6 neighboring houses can view our yard at any time). However, I feel they all have one major design flaw. The roosting pole is always right next to the nesting box, just inches off the floor. There is a handy tray to pull out and clean, but the chicken would have to tread through the poopiest spot to enter the nesting box, which is also at floor level. In my mind, I'd want a taller coop with the nesting box a few inches off the floor (to prevent mess from getting tossed up into the box), then a poop shelf and roosting pole above the nesting box. It seems like this would be so much cleaner and prevent me from having to replace all of the bedding as often. The alternative is to build our own, which we are very capable of doing, but I fear we will end up sinking well over $400 plus the time and effort into it to make it look aesthetically pleasing. Am I over thinking the mess situation with just a few chickens? Should I keep it simple and buy pre-made to start? Or am I smarter to jump in and "buy the whole farm" so to spea,and make the more expensive, better-designed coop?

 

[scooter147]

I agree with you completely about the design of most premade coops.

Honestly if you are really serious about having a few hens build your own. It will last a lot longer, be better for the birds and likely to be more predator proof.

 

[aart]

Answered here in duplicate thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110370/nest-boxes-off-the-roosting-area

 

[ChickNanny13]

Chicken Math will be a problem down the road. I agree about building your own, although I know it's "simpler" to get a pre-made one. Thing is they don't hold up & as scooter147 states, predator proof is a big must. Don't know where you're at, I'm in Hawaii where we do have some predators but not like you all do. Check out the Coop Forum ideas.....Yes roost should not be above the nest box but DH did one as an after thought. Important is a Poop Board, really saves on cleaning, added one under the roost the above my "nest box" and thats where they roost in the evening, really easy cleaning Neighbors seem to enjoy our Chicken Channel too.

 

[Birdy Buddy]

I think the roost should always be higher than the nest boxes. A chicken will always roost in the highest spot they can reach. If the nest boxes are higher than the roost then the chickens will prefer to perch on top of or in the nest box. I am building a coop now and I considered an unobstructed flight path to the roost. Sometimes a lower perch a chicken can land on to hop to a higher roost will be helpful.

 

[Tisnelda]

Beautiful coop! Thanks for the help! We're building our own!