internal boxes for stable conversion

[hawkeye185]

Hello to everyone, I am about to convert an old wooden stable by adding nest boxes and perches at what height do they need to be the stable is 12foot by 12foot by 9foot high.
do the perches and boxes need to be on the back wall (farthest away from the door) or on either side wall ?
the birds will be out all day to wander free and locked in each night.
any one have average dimensions or a plan to construct the boxes fom ply?
cheers hawkeye185.

 

[chrismahon]

Hello Hawkeye and welcome to the forum.

Perches depend on the hens. 18" maximum for agile hens and 12" maximum for large fowl like Orpintons. They will perch much higher than that but the problem is getting down. They hit the coop floor very hard from a height and can damage their feet -bumblefoot. Fine if they were in trees landing on soft earth though. We've got Wyandottes that are perching on a coop dividing wall which is 4' high. Some are sensible and walk along it to jump down onto the perch and then onto the floor. Some just drop with a THUMP! They should be in the evening light so they can see them to perch.

Nest boxes depend on the hens again. Hybrids want to lay in the morning so there can be a queue and a lot of squabbling. I aim for 1 nest box between 2 hens. Pedigrees lay when they feel like it so 1 for 3. Size depends on the hens. Ours are 450 high (sloping to 350 as ours are external) and 400 wide for Orpingtons. Give them head room as they stand up to lay the egg and more air gets into the box in hot summer (if we get one). They should be in the darkest place.

 

[Chuck]

Depends a bit on the type of birds but my perches are all at 3ft because that's what the hens prefer. They also have shelves fixed to the wall so they have something to step down if they prefer. Perches should be 2''x 2'' and planed, preferably with the corners rounded off. If you put them on the back wall, you have the rest of the room to move around in.
Nest boxes need to be below the height of the perches to discourage roosting in them. They are best fixed to the wall about 18'' above the floor with a landing board outside the boxes. They are best situated away from the light but in a stable, it's a bit difficult, so some paper or plastic should be used to cover the front of the boxes. Don't put them umder the perches or they will be hard to get to. Everything inside can be treated with creosote to dicourage/kill red mite.
Ventilation is not normally a problem with stables but I always take the window out to allow a good air flow.
Free range chickens are at constant risk of fox attacks and they are everywhere, day and night.