Still contemplating my interior design, need some thoughts, suggestions or advice please!

[BGinVA]

Ok, so my coop is 6' x 8', it has the chicken door on front left, and a will have a set of 18"x36" style barn doors on the front right for me to get inside and clean and do what needs to be done. Each side has a window, the facerboard on the front and back of the roof will have like doorknob wholes cut out with hardware mesh behind them for ventilation. The back of the coop will have 3 doors, I haven't decided the exact size yet, but should allow acess to two nesting boxes at a time (4 boxes in total) and the end door will open to a storage compartment.

So my plan is to have 4 nesting boxes, and an area the size of 2 nesting boxes for storage. But my question is, is my plan not good? I've gotten confused reading so much information. I wanted to put the nesting boxes at floor level, then I was thinking I could put a lip around the front top side of the nesting boxes and make it a poop board, as then I could make the back doors tall enough that I could collect eggs from the bottom and scoop poop from the top. Then put the main roosting pole above that. Problem is my husband has concerns about the poop being that close to the nesting boxes, and I understand his concern. Also I read on our Extension website that the nests should be at least a foot off the ground (but they also only recomment 1-2 square feet per bird, and I know most opinions here differ). Also I wanted to put a lower roosting pole along one of the sides for either the smaller birds, or those lower in the pecking order, and also just something they could sit on and look out the window if they wanted to.

I admit, I'm totally confused at this point, I think I've read TOO much. I do know that I plan to put sheet vinyl over the plywood floor and would like to do a deep litter method with a poop board, and use DE & Sweet PDZ. Thanks for any advice on setting me straight.

 

[Kikiriki]

It sounds like a great plan to me. You did not say how many chickens you plan to have, so that might make a difference. And honestly, I modified my coop six times adjusting as I found problems from experience and as the hens grew, so just expect to discover that something doesnt work like you expected it would.

If you put a lower perch, you do not want it under the upper perch, or the upper birds will poop on the lower birds and on the perch. Also, the perch needs to be centered over the poop board because chickens will roost facing both directions and will poop everywhere. It needs to be far enough away from the wall so the poop doesnt hit the wall, too. I used 2x4's for the perch and it works well, but they do poop on it, so painting it helps for cleaning. I also had to move mine when the birds grew.

My coop floor is just sandy dirt and it cleans quite easily. I made a scoop out of a hanger and safety wire: not pretty, but it works perfectly! I also keep a hard plastic scraper for dried on poop, like an ice scraper.

My egg box sticks out off the side of my coop supported with concrete blocks. It is only about 8 inches off the floor. I did not want to loose interior floor space. I only have one box for three chickens and they all use it and do fine...I use crumpled up strips of newspaper for nest material: the girls like to catch up on the news while they wait for the egg... Ha ha! Joking of course! The paper works well and it is free.

Really, the only problems with doors is that they each need a really good latch that racoons can't open...that means each door you open is a latch to be opened and redone. That gets annoying and missing one can be deadly for the chickens: have you considered a sliding door with only one latch for the access to the nest boxes and poop board? Also, think about having the door fall on your head while you get eggs or clean... If you don't do a sliding door, make sure you have a way to really secure the door when it is open...

We all want the design to incorporate the best of what we've learned from all the resources, but truely, there is no one perfect design and the chickens have less needs than we do! Ventilation is a biggie you have covered, a place to lay eggs you have covered, and a place to perch for the night. My girls do like their windows, and you have that covered, too! Everything else is what works best for you...picture yourself working in the space you create...are you going to be hunched over, stretching, kneeling, or having to lay across the poop board to clean?

Well, that's all I've got! Good luck! Post back what you decide to do...

 

[BGinVA]

Thanks Kikiriki, that was sound advice and makes me feel not as lost