Roosts (and such) design help!

[sharondoright]

I haven’t used a poop board, though it is tempting. To me, it is added work...just scoop out manure from floor, and done.

 

[Alaskan]

If I have a 6' wide Wood's coop and intend to have 6 hens is a roughly 64" roost long enough? I'm planning on a 24" x 64" poop board but at 24" deep I'm not sure that is enough depth for more than one roost bar. I've seen some that are two level, like a ladder but can't see how the upper chickens don't poop on the lower ones.

I haven't had issues with my poop trays, and I made them with the front edge a perch. So 2perches on a tray that is 24" deep.

Also does anyone have suggestions for how high off the poop board a roost should be? I'm thinking about 8" but not sure if that is the right height.

The middle perch is at a different height for each of my poop trays and I find that lower perches are not good unless they are removable.

So I would think a bit higher of a perch than 8 inches. I made all of my middle perches movable... so I can slide or lift them out of the way when I clean.

Notice in the above picture my middle perch is on blocks so it moves and is removable.

 

[Alaskan]

I haven’t used a poop board, though it is tempting. To me, it is added work...just scoop out manure from floor, and done.

I find it much LESS work.

With most of the poo on the tray the floor stays very clean, surprisingly so. You can easily go months without doing anything to the floor.

With the majority of the poo on the tray it can be grabbed (or raked, or sifted, or whatever) without bending over, with whatever small garden tool or kitty litter tool you prefer. Way easier on the back and hands.

Before I had poop trays it was fine in the summer when poo could be cleaned up as needed, and bedding cleaned, changed, or fluffed as needed.

But in the winters without poop trays the poo would freeze into these huge stalagmites that needed a PICKAXE to break them up and get them out. And of course with stalagmites of poo on the coop floor there was less floor space for chickens.

Now in the winter WITH poop trays the floors are always clean and good running/play space for the chickens. Whenever i feel like it i can go in and grab the feed sacks that i line the trays with, carry them outside, pop off the frozen poo, and then replace the now clean feed sacks!

The reduction in work load for me, and the improvement in living conditions for the chickens ..... HUGE.

 

[Ted Brown]

@MiaS

The design for the KD specifies the dimensions you are asking for; does not mean they cannot be modified.

 

[Ted Brown]

I am thinking of better use along back wall using these pictures as inspiration:


In picture 1 one can see the clean out board as unpainted on back wall lower roost height. Note also the compartments below the dropping board. In picture 2 one can see the clean out boards from the exterior, compost is on the ground where it drops.

Very clever ideas methinks. The owner of this coop has 100+birds.

 

[aart]

and I made them with the front edge a perch. So 2perches on a tray that is 24" deep.

I didn't intentionally make the edge of board a roost, its'a 2x2, but they do roost there.

I find it much LESS work.
With most of the poo on the tray the floor stays very clean, surprisingly so. You can easily go months without doing anything to the floor.

Exactly!

I haven’t used a poop board, though it is tempting. To me, it is added work...just scoop out manure from floor, and done.

....and you don't have to bend over to pick up the poops.

 

[blackdog043]

My roost is about 6 inches above the board. I have boards on the side walls that the roost sits on when I scoop, so it's out of my way. I lift it from the bottom, no poop underneath to get on my hands. They also roost along the front board also (1.5" wide now), but always face front.

 

[MiaS]

I haven’t used a poop board, though it is tempting. To me, it is added work...just scoop out manure from floor, and done.

See, I'm kinda there with ya. I've built one but I'm not sure I'm going to use it.

 

[Ted Brown]

I do not follow the logic, am open eared...

Clean off a droppings board 10-15 minutes per day. Vs. "scoop out manure from the floor" ? per ?.

Compute for me please.

 

[MiaS]

I find it much LESS work.

With most of the poo on the tray the floor stays very clean, surprisingly so. You can easily go months without doing anything to the floor.

With the majority of the poo on the tray it can be grabbed (or raked, or sifted, or whatever) without bending over, with whatever small garden tool or kitty litter tool you prefer. Way easier on the back and hands.

Before I had poop trays it was fine in the summer when poo could be cleaned up as needed, and bedding cleaned, changed, or fluffed as needed.

But in the winters without poop trays the poo would freeze into these huge stalagmites that needed a PICKAXE to break them up and get them out. And of course with stalagmites of poo on the coop floor there was less floor space for chickens.

Now in the winter WITH poop trays the floors are always clean and good running/play space for the chickens. Whenever i feel like it i can go in and grab the feed sacks that i line the trays with, carry them outside, pop off the frozen poo, and then replace the now clean feed sacks!

The reduction in work load for me, and the improvement in living conditions for the chickens ..... HUGE.

Stupid question. What do you then do with the poop? Compost or toss it?