J.Lo Showing Off Roosting Bar and Manure Box
Two more important components of your chicken coop are the “Roosting Bar” and “Manure Box”. Housed chickens do not sleep in nesting boxes, or on the floor of their chicken coop, they sleep shoulder to shoulder on an elevated roosting bar at night. This bar actually assimilates a tree limb. Chickens that roam free, such as in Key West, Florida, instinctively know they can better protect themselves from predators up in a tree on a limb at night. The same concept holds true for your backyard flock utilizing their night roosting bar inside their chicken coop.
The roosting bar is a simple solid dowel, about 1.5″ in diameter, that is secured in place, usually opposite the side of the nesting boxes. Allow 6″-10″ width of roosting bar space per hen. Our roosting bar is positioned 2′8″ high from the chicken coop floor. Depending on your chicken coop design, you might want to vary the height up or down a bit. You want it to be comfortable for your hens to perch on. Underneath the roosting bar is the manure box.
The manure box is a beautiful thing. It is situated directly below the roosting bar, filled with bedding, and a moveable screen lid. This screen lid should be made of durable half-inch wire mesh.
Most of your chicken manure droppings will fall to the manure screen lid and box during the night. It is almost like a “cat litter box”, but an equivalent concept for chickens. I skim the screen and bedding with manure from the box, and take it to my nearby compost pile, along with my kitchen vegetable scraps. The chicken coop is clean for the day. You can let the manure pile up, but I find it best overall to get it out of the coop and into the compost pile. Every month or so, I take the manure box top screen outside, and really hose it off, brush it down with soap and water and then let it dry throughly before returning it to the chicken coop.
I have seen chicken coop designs that allow you to access the manure box from the outside, with a closable shutter. My preference with manure boxes is to make sure they can be moved and are not stationary. You want to have access to this area, to throughly deep clean it from time to time.
I find that our chickens don’t leave many manure droppings in their nesting boxes, or even the floor of their chicken coop. Manure droppings are mainly deposited in the manure box at night, and the outside pen during the day. I rotate my bedding to keep the chicken coop clean. Fresh clean bedding goes to the nesting boxes first, then the chicken coop floor second, and last to the manure box, before I take it out to the compost. By using this method, my bedding is optimized, and I only need to clean the entire chicken coop once a quarter or so.
One last word on the roosting bar. You might have noticed that many of my photos of our “Hollywood Girls” are taken in our gardens or outside of their chicken coop, after I have been preaching about protecting and containing your chickens. First of all, you have to know your chicken flock, and what they will do. Our chickens love to explore our property, and are quite well-behaved. I only let our chickens out, when I am home, and in the garden to keep one eye on them. I never let them out and then run to the grocery store. I always leave the front door of their chicken coop open, so they can come back for water or a little laying mash. With that said, if you let your chickens out in your yard or property, at dusk they will come back to their chicken coop faithfully, and head straight to their roosting bar for the night. Once they are in, make sure to secure them in, by locking their door and windows for the night.
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Joe, you should be okay with 12″ away from your wall for the roost. Don’t know what you mean about “up to the window sill and out”. Chickens like a door entry close to the ground. They will get up high to look out however. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Bonnie,
I have a couple of questions. We’ve lost two hens within the last 2 months. I think the one who died recently is the one I saw excreting black grainy feces.
What would be your opinion on that???
Next – We recently bought two buff orpington roosters, their combs are drying out and scabbing up. I don’t see any sign of parasites. Should I try coating them with bag balm or vaseline to see if it helps?
Next – 2-3 of my hens have started losing feathers about their heads and necks. Would that maybe be from the roosters?? Or something else possibly.
Comment: We’ve so enjoyed our hens and their eggs, then the geese and ducks that we’ve gone a bit wacky. We have a garage full of brooders. 4 turkeys growing, 28 various breeds of chickens, 2 goslings and 3 ducklings. We also have 8 duck eggs and 5 goose eggs incubating in the kitchen and one of our ducks is sitting on 6 duck eggs. Man oh man, we’re being overrun! Tis fun, though. June in AK
Thanks for your reply, Bonnie. What I meant by “up and out” is that the window is about 3 1/2′ high. They need to get to the window in order to go out to the 2′ x 8′ screened cage I’ll build outside the window (like a flower box!). I’ve installed a roost 2′ from the floor today. They’ll have to go up another 1 1/2′ to get to the window sill and go out through the window to enter the “porch.”
What about putting sandstone on the concrete floor? Do you see any problem with that?
Joe
Sorry, I hadn’t read far enough to get your reply to the sandstone. If it’s safe, I’m going to try it. I have a fine-toothed fork which will pick out the manure and leave the sand. It’ll take just a few minutes to sift out the manure every morning.
I know river sand has been recommended for a chicken floor, but I don’t have access to any.
Appreciate your help!
Joe
i just got a coop and what is best for bedding hay or stray . also should i but food feeder inside coop or out side . if i let out in yard will they go back into coop at night on there own .what is the best thing to feed them and how often do you feed them . how may eggs can i get a week from chickens
Colin, if you go to my left side bar on my home page, http://www.vintagegardengal.com, under categories “chickens”, I have many posts written about your questions. I like to use pine shavings as bedding because I compost. Straw is good too, but I find a bit messy. I put my chicken food feeder in their outside pen during the day (unless it is raining), and bring inside their coop to deter mice and rodents. Depending on the age of your hens, a general laying mash from your local feed store is good. I also supplement their laying mash with treats like lettuce, chard, apples, etc. Chickens need a source of feed and water at all times. They need to eat continuously, unless they are sleeping, laying. Initially your hens of 1-2 years old will lay an egg almost every day. As they get older they will taper off somewhat like a “bell curve” on a graph. Even different chicken varieties will lay differently. Thanks for your great questions….VintageGardenGal
How long to you feed your chickens on chicken starter and what do you feed them on next? They are 13 weeks old and go through the chicken starter at an amazing rate. Thanks.
Louise, I believe there is a chick starter for day old chicks to about a month old, then a grow mash for ages 1-4 months, and then at about 4 months old, on you give your hens a well-rounded laying mash, and supplement with greens and veggies as treats. Thanks for your great comment..VintageGardenGal
I am just starting with raising chickens. I’ve already assembled the new coop (Ware Mfg) and am just waiting for the chicks to grow old enough (the feed store told me 8 weeks old is the right time to move them outside). Very excited about this new adventure with raising chickens.
Anyway, I read your piece about having a manure box for underneath the roosting bars to make clean-up easy. Quick question: Did you build your own or are they available online? If they are available online, what should I use for search criteria to locate a source of the same?
Thanks!
Cecil, I built mine out of lumber and 1/4″ wire mesh to the measurements I needed. I have not seen them online, but have not searched for them either. Try searching “chicken manure box” or “catch chicken manure box.” Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
The nice thing about getting things well in advance (since the chicks won’t be ready to go outside for at least another 7 weeks), is that it has left me with lots of time to work out the details of the coop and the run. I have the coop (prefab assembly from Ware Mfg) already up. The cedar wooden edges of the coop sit on a bed of river gravel to keep the wood from directly contacting the ground (I presume this should increase the life of the wood by keeping it slightly off of the moist soil). I was also planning on putting a thin bed of river gravel (dry of course) on the bottom of the coop floor and then (when the chickens are ready to move in) putting a thick layer of pine shavings over that). The coop, itself, sits under a semi-dwarf plum tree (I had read that having the coop under the tree gives the coop some shade and some shelter from the wind/rain). For added predator protection I am going to put 12″x12″ x 1″ concrete pavers around the outer edges of the coop (and later, the run when I have that installed). The mesh on the coop is 1/2″ . I had originally thought about putting the coop on a poured slab of concrete (for added critter protection) but figured the heavy concrete pavers around the edges would work well to prevent predators from trying to dig under the edges of the coop. Also I figured that a bed of dry river gravel would give a ’semi-porous’ floor bottom underneath the pine shavings.
I have a garden, so my plan is to put the soiled pine shavings into a rotating composter so that everything is used well.
Basically I guess this post is just thinking out loud. I’m totally new to all this but have been trying to read everything that I can.
By the way, most of what I’ve read say that the chickens (at 8 weeks) will be ready to go out into the outside hutch. I live in a very moderate climate (San Francisco Bay Area) so we don’t have problems with snow or very cold night temperatures. I’ve also read that there is no need for any form of heating in the hutch (presuming one lives in a climate like where I live). So, I guess the body heat from the chickens that is captured under the coop roof and in the coop and the feathers on the chickens keep them warm? Keep in mind I am totally new at all this so I am likely worrying more than I need to. Naturally I want my chickens to do well…. Oh, one more question: Hopefully I have all hens (the breeder gives about a 96% – 98% accuracy in sexing day-old chicks ((goodness knows how they figure that out so early))). So somewhere around 5 months or so, they will start laying (and in prep for that apparently I will be feeding them feed that is enriched for layers). I assume that when I collect their eggs that I just pop the eggs in the refrigerator like I would regular eggs? It is also my understanding that as long as their is no rooster, all the eggs the hens lay will not be fertilized?
Sorry for the long post! ;0) Just have lots of questions, and likely more as I go along… :0)
Cecil, yes, it sounds wonderful. I compost every day with my chicken manure, soiled bedding, and kitchen scraps. Once your chickens grow into their feathers, they should be fine. I always close my hens up at night for precaution against cold and protection against critters. Just make sure you have nice ventilation for them. Yes, most hens start laying around 6 months old, and with no rooster around you will not have any fertilized eggs. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I let my 3 battery hens rome outside their pen every evening for an hour before dusk the problem i am having is that my dogs follow them round and eat their poo will this do them any harm also can the chicken poo be dug straight into the soil or does it have to be composted down in a compost bin? Also in a bid to keep their coop warm and dry and also to make the wood chippings last a bit longer i have placed roof of corrigated plastic over the run ~ the sides of the run are still open and the hens have an all~weather pen, will they have enough ventilation on a hot day ~ i dont want to cook them!!!!
Christine, I don’t think it is a good idea to let your dogs eat your chicken poo. You can bury chicken manure directly, but it is such a great resource to compost with. You should try composting, and see if you like it. Compost is great for your garden….VintageGardenGal
We are close to finishing our chicken coop and we can’t find anything definitive anywhere on what is safe to paint or stain it. I’d like a redwood color, but when we built our dog house, Thomspons Water Seal said not to use it on pet houses. I have found lots of posts on line saying they used non toxic exterior latex paint, but can’t find anything saying it’s safe to use, just that they did.
Can you please tell me what is safe to paint or stain the outside of my coop & the fenced area?
thank you so very much!
Wende, I always suggest using untreated wood and plywood inside of a chicken coop. As far as paint on your outside chicken coop, I’m going to refer you to paint experts.
Poultry in general, are very sensitive to their environment. Thanks for your great question….VintageGardenGal
One of chickens found a purple plastic Easter egg in the yard, she has taken liken to it… should I take it away from her. She checks on it and will sit on it when she’s out in the yard.
Darlene, I think you should let her have it, unless she gets broody and sits it on it for hours like she is incubating an egg. I don’t think it will do her any harm. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
I found an old treated landscape post and cut off the rounded ends to make roosts. They appear to be perfect shapes; now I’m wondering about the “treated” part.
Just finished my coop; it’s in a small shed, where I installed a roof vent–the hot air goes out. All windows are screened with hardware cloth. Very comfortable.
I Used sandstone for the floor–soooo easy to keep clean. They love to take sand baths. Bought a “lobby kit”–short handled dustpan and broom, but I substituted the broom for one of those short-handled miniature leaf rakes. So easy to clean up morning and night.
The chickens love their outside “sun porch.” I installed a raised 2′ x 12′ screened (hardware cloth) cage outside their coop window. It sits on supports attached to the outside of the coop, up about 4′ with poultry grates for the floor. Droppings fall through the grate to a sand box of the same size built on the ground.
As you come up the driveway, you see them strutting like royalty or sunning themselves. I’ve never had tamed, friendly chickens before. The three “reds” came up first; then the two Bantams. One of the three Leghorns will eat from my hand but retreats, “DON’T TOUCH ME.” I’m workin’ on her–she’ll come around.
My neighbor put a couple of eggs in the coop the other day. These chickens are only nine weeks old! I shared my excitement with her and told her I couldn’t wait to see what they’d “lay” the next day. Heck, free eggs! I had to tell her that I’m not as dumb as I look!
What fun! It was a good idea to get these chickens, but if I were to sell the eggs, I’d need AT LEAST $24.99 doz.!!
Joe
I didn’t see your question and about the sandstone, Bonnie. As I said in my earlier post, I have a short-handled dustpan and miniature leaf rake and they work great. I sweep the droppings into the pan morning and night–never much accumulation. They spend a lot of time out on their “sun porch.” The long-handled tools didn’t work very well in my small coop.
The chickens do pack down the sandstone, but it loosens up easily with a bit of raking. I put in only about 2″ of sand; I’m going to bring in some more–they like to dig in it and dust themselves.
Joe
Joe, your chicken coop arrangement sounds wonderful. Some nice thought and design went into it for your chickens. Shortening your brooms and rakes for ease inside your chicken coop is a wonderful tip. Sandstone is a great floor for chickens. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Hi Bonnie,
I love your informative site! My husband and I just completed our chicken coop tonight and will pick up our three 6 month old hens this weekend. We have place their roost about 4′ 6″ off the ground over top of their laying boxes. Is that too high for them to reach?
Thx Lynda
Lynda,
Yes, I think that it is too high for a roosting bar. As your hens age, it will be harder for them to reach that height, too. Also, having your roosting bar over your nesting boxes is not ideal, for cleaning and keeping your nesting boxes and eggs clean. Thanks for your great comment..VintageGardenGal.
I can’t keep my young pullets from sleeping in my nesting boxes. Any suggestions on how to keep them out?
Steve, do you provide a roosting bar for them, too? Are they warm enough in their coop? I would just let them be, and they will figure it out. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
I purchased 15 Buff Orpington chicks this spring. I only have 12 left. (A raccoon tore the chicken wire off the front of the coop and pulled out 3 and left two others with missing toes from which they have healed.) They arrived May 16th. I have them on Dumor starter/grower until 10 weeks and they seem to be doing great, except they do not roost. I have a roosting bar about 7″ from the bottom of the coop and they sit on it during the day but huddle up together at night. I live in southern Ky so it is very hot here. They are about 9 weeks now and weigh 2-3 lbs so what can I do?
Thank you for your response,
Amme
Anne, see my post, http://www.vintagegardengal.com/2009/03/31/backyard-chicken-coop-roosting-bar-manure-box/
I think your roost might be a bit too low. My roosting bar is 2′6″ above the coop floor. Try raising it to at least 2′. Your pullets are still young. As they mature they will most likely use their roosting bar at night. Right now they feel comfortable huddling together at night, which is normal. Have to watch out for the raccoons. Thanks for your great questions….VintageGardenGal
Hi, I have one chicken that will only lay in the bush I didn’t realise she had even started laying she has only laid 2 eggs but will not lay in the nesting boxes. The other chicken that has started laying is laying in the box. The chicks are 20 weeks old. Thanks
Louise, your one chicken that is laying in the bush, might catch on from your other hen laying in the nesting box. Usually, if one hen starts to lay in a particular nesting box, the others will follow suit. You could just keep your hens in their coop for a while, and not let them outside. Your hen might catch on to the nesting box then if she has no other place to lay. Give them a bit of time, they are still quite young. Are your nesting boxes, quiet, non-bright light to invite your hens to lay in them? Thanks for your great question….VintageGardenGal
I have 4 hens in my backyard, and I just found your blog. I LOVE it! I do everything with my chickens and my hen house just like you, except I have one comment on your roosts. Chickens cannot grip a round dowel like other bird species; their flat, flexible feet are better suited for scratching and dust baths. I prefer to use 2×4’s with slightly rounded edges. I install them with the 4″ side as the perching surface. The wider surface lets the chickens’ feet remain in a more natural position and lets them support their breast when they roost at night. This sleeping position is particularly helpful in colder climates because they can cover their toes as they roost (which is harder to do on a round dowel). Anyway, like I said, LOVE your site, your advice, and all your wonderful pictures!
I have 14 chicks ( Reds) born and they are now roosting inside of my little Bantams chickens house. We have another place for them but we don’t know how to get them to move in. It is next door. We keep putting food there but they are not taking the hint. They are getting bigger every day….Any ideas? Thanks Gail
Louise, I am a first time urban chicken farmer with 5 hens. I reased them from 1 day old chicks. They are 4 months old now and I keep reading that they sleep on perches. My 5 hens sleep in a corner of the coop all huddled together each night. It’s not cold outside, maybe in the mid 50’s. Is this normal?
Karen, are you providing a roost for them? They are still young, and will eventually find the roost. Are they out in the night air, or do you have them in a coop? They could be trying to keep warm, and feel more protected. What kind of a chicken coop arrangement do you have? Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Gail, is there a pronounced leader in your flock? Try and catch and move the leader, and maybe the others will follow. Place food and treats like lettuce, apples, too.
Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Mama Hen, whatever works for you. My hens have had no problem with the round dowel I have provided for their roost. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I stopped joking about my large, family farm-fresh egg facility when a cashier at the local supermarket asked my wife if we were selling eggs. I have only six hens that have just started to lay. What fun! If I sold eggs, I’d need $30 a dozen to pay for the cost of the shed I had to renovate to house them.
Speaking of the “perfect roost,” I’d mentioned earlier how I sawed the top of a landscape post to use the large, rounded side of the post for a comfortable roost. The other night, I went to check on the ladies, and one hen was roosting on a wood projection that supports the window when it is partially opened. It projects out from the window casing about 6 ” and is 3/4″ wide!! Oy veh!
As you say, Bonnie, chickens do find their way to the nests . . . eventually. I did find ONE egg in the corner of the coop UNDER the nest boxes. That happened only once. They use all four nests now.
Joe
Hi! I have 4 free range hens. They are 14 weeks old. We have a roost in their coop for them but they will not use it. Is this okay? They sleep in a pile all together. I worry about them but they seem perfectly happy and healthy. Not sure why they will not use the roost??
Thanks,
Jen
Jennifer, they are still a little young and enjoy huddling together for warmth and security. As they get older they will become bolder, and use their roost. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
Jennifer, for the next couple of nights, you might try going into your coop after sunset and physically placing your 4 chickens on the roost, gently, one at a time. They will flap a bit, but will settle down quickly in the dark. After a few nights, they will get the hang of it and will enjoy the new vantage point in the coop.
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