Roosts - Need help

[jthornton]

Thanks @jthornton. What do you mean "Instead of covering the vent put something in front of it to block the wind but still allow ventilation."? Can you give a suggestion? Thx.

What came to my mind was a panel that was a few inches off the opening allowing air exchange without letting direct wind into the coop. Anything that blocked the direct flow of air into the coop during windy times would work.

JT

 

[Ridgerunner]

Or maybe use louvers of some sort to block the flow or slant them up to direct the air flow up. I don't do any of that, I have openings on all sides with the roosts maybe a foot and a half beneath the bottom of the openings. Louvers or some type of wind block can keep snow or rain from blowing in. To me that might be more important than just air flow in the predominant direction.

1. single bars, all same level with poop trays underneath

2. Ladder style. side to side in stepped format, slanted, on one wall.

How many chickens and how much roost length are you planning on? That would factor into my decision about how to arrange the roosts. Another issue is that roosts tend to be in your way to work in there. Put them where they are not as much in your way.

If you have Silkies that can't fly you may need a ladder so they can hop up on the roosts. As long as you have regular chickens that can fly that doesn't matter. Chickens like to roost as high as they can so you need to have enough roost length above nest height to accommodate them all. If you are going o use droppings boards, single bars are generally better than ladders for your access.

A dropping board normally needs to extend a foot on both sides of the roost. Having the roost 12" off the wall works well for me. So if you have two parallel bars the droppings board needs to be about 3 feet wide. How are you going to scrape that? I use a garden hoe with a broken handle so it is short enough I can use it in my coop.

There is nothing that says single bars all need to be the same height. I have two main roosts at one height and a single roost lower and along another wall. That lower single one is above my nests so it is real clear it is higher, the tops of the nests are my droppings board for that one. This is my juvenile roost. When I integrate the younger birds don't want to sleep on the main roosts with the adults. This juvenile roost
keeps them from sleeping in the nests.

There are no hard and fast rules where one way is better than another. We all have different circumstances so different ways might be better for us as individuals. My main criteria, other than having enough roosts higher than the nests and low enough for air to flow over their heads, is to make it convenient for you. The chickens really don't care that much and will use whatever you provide.

 

[Acre4Me]

How many chickens and how much roost length are you planning on? That would factor into my decision about how to arrange the roosts. Another issue is that roosts tend to be in your way to work in there. Put them where they are not as much in your way.

We have 17 chickens right now....but, we have 4-5 males. We will keep 1-2 males (we have a 10'x50' run, so very roomy IF we keep 2 males with 12-13 hens). So, I figure 1 ft per bird on the roosts, and we need 3 roost bars if we put them across the 6 foot length (opposite side of the door).

If we go with perimeter roost bars (avoiding the window and the door opening), we end up with the same amount of roost space.

I guess, I am trying to figure out best way to structure it so there is an ease of cleaning and access.

Chickens definitely don't care. My neighbor has done very nearly everything WRONG according the vast majority of posts and advice on BYC, yet has healthy and productive birds. My spouse lived in the rural south for many childhood years and thinks the coop we are building is waaaaay overkill as it is (according to their southern experience raising chickens), although does concede that chickens do need a bit more protection in the more northern climate.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A lot of what I do is wrong according to the majority of people on here, especially people that keep a few hens in a small urban backyard. Expect that on here. We all have our own unique goals, conditions, and experience. What I do doesn't work for everyone. I don't have their restrictions either.

I don't know you plan to let your chickens hatch or otherwise integrate in the future. But with the additional info you gave I'd probably put one roost along the 10' side away from the door and another roost along the back 6' send and slightly lower, 6" to a foot lower. That should handle things if you do integrate. There is nothing wrong with the roost being in front of the window as long as you can open and close it. Leave it open in the summer and close it in the winter. In my coop the window seats are the preferred roosting area.

If the long roost is on the low side that might stop you from banging your head. With 12 to 13 hens three nests will be enough.

 

[kesrchicky16]

We have 17 chickens right now....but, we have 4-5 males. We will keep 1-2 males (we have a 10'x50' run, so very roomy IF we keep 2 males with 12-13 hens). So, I figure 1 ft per bird on the roosts, and we need 3 roost bars if we put them across the 6 foot length (opposite side of the door).

If we go with perimeter roost bars (avoiding the window and the door opening), we end up with the same amount of roost space.

I guess, I am trying to figure out best way to structure it so there is an ease of cleaning and access.

Chickens definitely don't care. My neighbor has done very nearly everything WRONG according the vast majority of posts and advice on BYC, yet has healthy and productive birds. My spouse lived in the rural south for many childhood years and thinks the coop we are building is waaaaay overkill as it is (according to their southern experience raising chickens), although does concede that chickens do need a bit more protection in the more northern climate.

1 male 12-13 females will be fine. 2 males will need 18 + closer 22+. I had 22 femaled at the start of winter with my 2 males. I had some unfortunite losses and am down to 15 females. They are defiantly overbreed. I just added 5 4 month old pullets. Hopefully that will help in a couple months.

 

[Acre4Me]

1 male 12-13 females will be fine. 2 males will need 18 + closer 22+. I had 22 femaled at the start of winter with my 2 males. I had some unfortunite losses and am down to 15 females. They are defiantly overbreed. I just added 5 4 month old pullets. Hopefully that will help in a couple months.

I agree that I may need more females. I’m trying to wait it out to see which males make better roosters, then we will cull. Also, we might get a few more girls this fall to round out the flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Here is another thing I do wrong. I typically keep 1 rooster with 6 to 8 hens instead of that magic ratio of 10 to 1. I don't have a problem with barebacked hens or over-mating. Why don't I? In my opinion there are a few things. I have different expectation for hens and roosters versus pullets and cockerels. I have a lot of space, more than you will have. You may find two roosters in your area might be a problem, might not. Time will tell. I eat any hen that becomes barebacked. I don't have many to start with, especially from the ones I hatch. By not allowing the hens that go barebacked to pass on their genetics I just don't have that many.

I don't want to downplay the potential seriousness of barebacked hens. They are potentially at risk of serious injury or death. If they get cut the other flock members may become cannibals, literally eating that hen alive. That doesn't always happen but it can. Some males, especially cockerels, have bad technique when mating. Most outgrow that as they mature if given a chance, but a few never do. Over-mating is normally a cockerel problem, very seldom do you see that with a mature rooster, but you can.

Many people, especially breeders, often keep one rooster with one or two hens throughout the breeding season and usually don't have these issues. Their secret is that they use hens and roosters, not pullets and cockerels. Some people have one rooster with over 20 hens and still have barebacked hens or over-mating issues, even if they totally free range, no space limitations. There is a lot more involved in this than just a ratio of hens to roosters.

I don't know your goals or why you want roosters. The only reason you need roosters is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is just personal preference. I suggest you keep as few roosters as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed problems with more roosters, just that problems are more likely. I don't know what the perfect number is for you but I do agree a relatively young active rooster can normally keep a flock of 20 hens fertile.

 

[kesrchicky16]

My other question is why poop boards. I have one small board where the roosts go over the nests and i have to gather eggs off it every day! Everything else falls to the straw covered floor.

 

[paneubert]

My other question is why poop boards. I have one small board where the roosts go over the nests and i have to gather eggs off it every day! Everything else falls to the straw covered floor.

They should not be regularly laying eggs from their roost. The reason for a larger poop board is you can easily clean or sift the overnight poops. If it is easy for you to sift/clean from the straw on the floor then that serves the same purpose.

 

[kesrchicky16]

They should not be regularly laying eggs from their roost. The reason for a larger poop board is you can easily clean or sift the overnight poops. If it is easy for you to sift/clean from the straw on the floor then that serves the same purpose.

They don't lay from the roosts. They climb onto the board to lay. Also I use thr deep litter method so my poop and straw just get turned and breakdown together and go into my garden twice a year.