Where do I put my roost bar in 6x4 coop?

[Stacyc]

It has finally arrived. I think I'm panicky on the size it looks so dang small for 6 chickens.
Can anyone guide me on this roosting ladder? I don't know what else to call it. It seems only two feet wide, really only room for a crowded four. Would a large round dowels placed inside from end to end and different heights be better?
I was thinking of those closet hanger rods that you can easily lift off so I could get in,
And how high. Thank you for your input.

 

[Stacyc]

I am trying to get a picture through, I can't find the little icon at top of reply box to click on.

 

[Hokum Coco]

My Coop is 4x8 and here are a few tips and a quick look at my set up.
My floor are planks with a layer of tin for rodent proofing. On top of the tin I have a piece of vinyl flooring cut one foot longer than the length and width of my coop (roughly). Six inches squares are cut out of the 4 cornes of the vinyl flooring. This allows the friction fitted flooring to travel up the walls six inches around the perimiter of my 4x8 salvaged metal coop. Shovel out the heavy stuff into a wheel barrow. Pop out the vinyl flooring hose it off pop it back in.
Easy Peasy!
I have been around the sun 63 times.

It is not my first "Rodeo!"

Nobody "I know" heats a chicken coop.

Healthy "cold hearty" chickens die from heat not cold.

I live in Canada last year was subject to -40º (C or F take your pick) no light or heat in coop NO PROBLEMS.

Chickens have been raised on this continent for over a hundred years without heat.

If you feel you must supply heat to your chickens I suggest keeping your chickens in the house that way you can huddle with your birds when the hydro goes out.

Chickens will die from cold if not given the chance to acclimatize. Hydro is more apt to go out in an ice storm or blizzard when subject to below 0º temperatures in my opinion.

How would you supply heat then to your un-acclimatized birds ???

Diary of last winter cold snap check out the link:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738994/chickens-arctic-conditions-prolonged-period

I have used all types of litter for coops.

I have not tried sand (sand gets good reviews on this site).

Of all the things I tried to date wood pellets have been the best. (I tried wood pellets as a last resort when pine shavings were not available.) They are super absorbent and swell up and eventually turn to saw dust. The droppings just seem to vanish and turn to dust when it comes in contact with wood pellets .

Replace my litter and clean my coop every October after I harvest my garden.


Works for me in my deep litter method.

I do add to pellets from time to time.

I have anywhere from 10 to 15 birds housed in my 4x8 coop.

Through the winter months it froze harder than concrete with -40º temperatures. The poop froze before it could be absorbed by the pellets and there was like a crusty layer of poop in certain areas where they collectively took aim (no smell, messy feet or flies @ -40º). Come April things started to look after themselves.

Oh I might add I do have poop boards 3½" below my roost held in cups that I can remove for making cleaning every 2 to 3 days (excellent for catching eggs laid through the night).

In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new.

Easy peasy!.

Chicken coop is salvaged 4x8 metal shed.











I house a variety of birds in hear ¼ inch plywood veneer between birds and the elements no heat no light no insulation no problems!

Edited by Hokum Coco - Today at 12:40 pm

 

[Alaskan]

You don't say where you are from (so what your normal temps are) but I prefer 2x4s as perches. Easier on their feet, and also helps to greatly reduce frostbite. But you can put one or two perches completely across the coop, from one side to the other.

You didn't say how tall your coop is, but I love the way Hokum has his coop set up, three levels so lots more square footage.

 

[Stacyc]

I'm in MN. I don't plan on heating my coop, I was just wondering if anyone had any clever thoughts to place my 2x4s for roosting. I have read all about how far from walls and height and distance they need to be and since its dang tiny in there I'm having a difficult time figuring on how to gain the most roosting space. It would help if I could get the interror picture posted. And keeping it far enough away from the vents.

 

[Stacyc]

its really tiny. its actual floorspace is 3.5x5.5. then the people door takes up the whole other 4 [3.5 reality] foot wall. anyone with a coop like this?

 

[chezpoulet]

You might want to remove that roost ladder and place one/or two (if spacing permits) lengths of 2x2 or 2x4 across the coop. Space the roost so that you get clearance from the walls or you will get poop splatter (mine is about 12 inches from the walls). I place my roost about 2-3 feet up as my coop is small ( 4x4 ) and I am concerned about the hens not getting enough space to fly up to the roost if the roost is too high... I had 5 chickens in the coop, and built another coop to house 3 new hens this April, but last month decided to see if they can be housed together. They are doing very well, some pushing and shoving at night, but all 8 fit onto my T-shaped roost bars at night. They never spend time in the coop except to lay eggs and sleep, and have an enclosed 16 x 4 run, with tractor time in the yard after 3 pm and free range an hour before dusk, so I am not having issues with the crowding.

 

[Alaskan]

I would see if you can put in a poop shelf in the coop and put one or two perches across the poop shelf. The poop shelf would also give you more square footage in the coop. And, it looks like the poop shelf would go best right where the ladder is now.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I am all for maintaining a coop from one spot.

In my coop it is from just inside the double doors of my salvaged metal shed.

If it were my coop with the door currently where it is. I would want to avoid going into the coop as much as possible.

Your spot for me would be outside from the back wall of your coop opposite the window.

With that premise in mind I would design my nest boxes and poop boards all accessible from outside the coop on that long solid wall.

I would build a shelf 2 feet up from the floor to rest my nest boxes (the right hand solid wall). I would cut an opening in that wall to gain excess to my nest boxes.

I would then install my poop board 2 feet or more above my shelf supporting the nest boxes with about a 8 inch wide hinged outside door to slide out the board.

Roost would be 3½" above (2x4 wide side up in cups for easy removal when cleaning) to catch any eggs laid through the night.

I would have my feed and water stations mounted on the man door or as close to it as possible.

I would have in fact made a false floor (in the style of a drawer) that would pull out from outside the coop on the solid wall for easier cleaning and maintenance.

It still could be done but it would be a weekend project and well worth the time invested.

Your coop would then be similar to mine EASY PEASY!

 

[Daisy8s]

Wow, that IS really tiny. I would be concerned about the birds having enough space to fly/jump down from the perches. I think they'd be hitting the wall on their way down.

My highest perch is about 3 feet off the ground and about 4 feet from the opposite wall and yet my poor rooster bangs into the wall every morning on his way down. He just needs more gliding length than my coop provides.

I like your idea of using round dowel bars that can be lifted down when you need to get in there to clean. What about mounting them diagonally across the corners? You could put up three at staggered heights: highest in corner A, middle height in corner B, lowest in corner A. Place the lowest bar farther out so the birds below don't get pooped on by birds above. (Corner A-right side of pic, Corner B-between window and pop door)

The corner bars may be only long enough to hold 2 birds each but they'll want to huddle together when it's cold anyway.

You didn't mention the breeds of your birds. In my experience the smaller the bird the higher they can fly/hop. My bantams have no problem getting to a spot 7 feet off the ground. Even my big girls can hop/flap 3 feet without much effort.

Another tip: I'd paint the inside of the coop before you put chickens in. Get cheap "oops" paint from someplace, color doesn't matter though the lighter the color the nicer. Even if you can only paint halfway up the walls it'll make a real difference in cleaning off poop splatter. And, your plywood walls will rot pretty fast due to the high humidity in a chicken coop paired with manure.