[hillbilly]

We bought the coop ready made for 8 hens. Bit disappointed at the size - 3'6" square plus nest box on the side, and about 3'6" high at the apex.

We've just got our 6 ex batts (so I guess it's more than they're used to) and they seem to be settling nicely.
Some of them seem to want to perch on the support struts of their temporary home in the tractor shed. Nothing they have to fly to but they love scrambling up the straw bales onto the cross struts or just to sit on top of the bale.

In the coop the 'perches' are about 1" above the straw in the base tray and below the entrance to the 3 x nest box bit. Is this high enough for them? If we rig the perches up higher would there be space in there for them to 'fly' up to them?
Maybe they don't need perches in which case should we take them out? I could put more straw in then and they could well snuggle in!
Should I stop them sleeping in the nest boxes?

[Bigblacktaximan]

You will find that they will poop more whilst they're sleeping so you'll be forever changing the straw in the nest boxes as it will be soiled nightly.

I'm going to experiment with wood shavings in the nest box as it'll be easier to poop pick rather than change all the straw every day, 
I have tried blocking off the nest boxes but you have to do it daily before they go home to roost which can be a pain

[AmandaH]

Mine sleep in the nest box hillbilly and I couldn't care less.  I poop pick every morning and it takes two minutes so not really a big deal.  I figure that, being ex-batts, they've had enough of humans dictating their lives so they can sleep wherever they like now.

Two of mine perch and two don't but, again, I'm not bothered.  They can do as they like.  I try to let them have free rein as much as possible. 

I was worried about my quite small coop but I called the BHWT to ask their advice and they said "it's more space than they've ever had so don't worry about it".  I don't actually think the size of the house is too relevant - as long as they have enough space to all sleep where they want and not too much so that they would be sleeping in a cathedral with the wind whistling around them getting cold in the winter, it's ok.  It's more the size of the run that they spend their days in that's important, IMHO.  The run that came with my house is very small so they spend most of the day free ranging the garden. 

[hillbilly]

All very reassuring and I'm with the 'let them do what they like' philosophy!
They're settling in really well and all but one put themselves to bed tonight  . Clever girls 

[jo40]

I have a couple that sleep in the nesting box, shavings and a pair of rubber gloves handy makes it an easy job cleaning up in the morning. Now we have light mornings and dark evenings I'm not always home in time to shut off the nesting box so 'leaving them be' is the easiest option.
Jo

[hillbilly]

Thanks all  .  I'll definately try the shavings cos straw's a pain 

[AmandaH]

Hillbilly - have you discovered Cosy Coop?  I seem to be a bit of a voice in the wilderness on this but I use it (it's like fine woodshavings) and it is ever so easy to keep clean...

At the risk of going down the "aaaarrrggh, more information than I need!" route, it is great stuff if you find, um, sticky or runny poo in your coop.  You can use it like breadcrumbs!  It sticks to all the yukky bits and then you can just pick out the lumps without it going everywhere...

Sorry people, hope no-one was just off to have their tea 

[Flowerpower136]

Mine poo in the nest boxes too.  Half of them snuggle up and sleep in there, and I don't want to change that, if that's what they want to do, fine by me.

I poo pick the coop and pen daily anyway, so picking out the nest boxes is not a problem, and if the eggs need a wipe over, that's OK too.

My coop is a little bigger than yours, its a bit too big if I honest, afterall, they only sleep and lay in it.  And whilst a couple do perch, most of them I think cram themselves into the nest boxes, so space doesn't seem to be that important for sleeping!

My perch, or rather, their perch! is about 18" off the coop floor.  Some like it, others ignore it.  But at least they've got the choice.

Same in the pen, some use the branch perches that I've put in, others don't even seem to notice they are there.  They've all got their preferences, so try to cater for all, and they'll be happy!

[hillfooter]

Size wise this seems fine to me.  I'd prefer that the roosts are suspended a little higher than 1inch above the dropping area as I like to have the droppings fall through out of reach of the chx feet and 1 inch doesn't allow much depth of litter.  Itf there's a slide out droppings board the perches will scrape off the soiled litter when you slide it out so that woouldn't work well..  I also don't like the chx to have access to a soiled floor area where they might bed down in unsanitory conditions so I much prefer they roost on bars 50mm x 30mm rectangular poles with rounded or bevelled edges arranged as a grill 3 inches or so apart.  Underneath I use shavings which they can't get to.  I also don't like them roosting in their nestboxes where they can foul their eggs and one another so I shutter them at night however if you don't mind cleaning them out early each morning that's your choice.

Chx can get breast blisters from laying in unsanitory litter so its really  best they roost.

Regards

[hillbilly]

I like the sound of Cosy coop, Amanda, any tips on where to find it? I've not seen it in my suppliers .  And... I'm not in the least squemish about poo now and I've only had them 5 days!

I'm reassured by flowerpower and hillfooter on the size. It seems cosy is fine. I wonder if I could fit a perch along the ridge - how much room above their heads do you think they'd need? I found Cariad trying to perch again today so I think the lots of choice idea is a goodun. I don't like them having to sleep on their own night poo and some of it is squashed so I think they have.

Talking of poo it seems to get everywhere  including on the front of their coop and all over the ramp into it. All their little cosy spots get soiled and its all over their feet  . I clean up every morning all I can find but it still gets everywhere by afternoon corn time!

[AmandaH]

I get my Cosy Coop from flytesofancy in Devon:

http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk/chickenhouses/Cozy_Coop_Poultry_Bedding__50_litres_.html

I can't really compare it with anything else as I used it from the start so I don't know how it stands up against wood shavings or other products - but I do know it smells lovely and is easy to clean up.  It's a bit like cat litter in the sense you can pick out the dirty bits, leave all the clean stuff and just top it up in between Big Clean Outs.

In fact, I get *everything* from them.  Lovely lady called Anne who is also a mine of information (she told me about all the things I needed - before I found this site).

It's not cheap to ship if you just buy one bag so I tend to buy bags of the ex-batts feed and bags of Cosy Coop and anything else I need in big orders to make it cost effective.

[alisonwo]

My husband is a carpenter so we use any sawdust he produces.  He made me a small square sieve and I use an old plastering trowel to scoop up the poop and riddle it in the sieve, then chuck the waste on the compost.  Takes all of 5 mins to clean the girls out.  Our girls used to sleep in the straw lined nest boxes, but we put a shelf over the top to stop them and now some of them either sleep on the shelf or on the perch.  alison

[alisonwo]

Flytes of fancy is quite close to me here in Weymouth and love going to look around the place, its a small family run business, yes they are very helpful, would recommend them to anyone.

[lucylou]

hi! i was amazed to see cosy coop for sale in pets at home (along with loads of new products especially for poultry) and so i bought a sack of it as it seemed cheaper than the sawdust, not opened it yet - looking forward to it though after what youve said about it!.

[hillbilly]

I looked at the cosy coop from flytes of fancy and the delivery is a bit steep, for me  . I'll look in a big pet store in view of lucylous post.

I have a system now  :happy: - Using shredded wood in the base which I hope is OK (not too damp?) then a layer of straw.

Thanks to all for the advice.