# Two-floor chicken coop?



## StormySar (Oct 2, 2007)

My husband and I are getting ready to add chickens to our city backyard. We are wondering: we are going to modify a coop we already purchased to allow it to fit more birds. We are considering turning it into a 2 story coop enclosing the bottom to hold the nesting boxes, then putting roosts on the second story with a ramp leading up to that floor, which is the original floor. 

If this is a poor idea (will the chickens go through the trouble of laying on the bottom level, then remember to go to the top level to sleep?), do I NEED roosts in the coop (the coop we purchased is like a large rabbit hutch, raised off the ground, and was fitted with 6 nesting boxes. The person who had chickens before said the hens laid just fine without roosts, he said they didn't miss them?). If I placed roosts outside in the run, would they use them during the day? Would they sleep on them at night or want the protection of the walls to feel safe?


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## StormySar (Oct 2, 2007)

and - where do chickens spend the most time? In the winter when we add lights to keep up their egg supply, would I place a lamp on each floor, or will the hens spend most of their time roosting?


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## rboutdoors (Feb 23, 2012)

Mine are only on the roost at night. All other times they are hunting for food or relaxing in the shade. If you plan on free ranging at all you need roost otherwise they will find their own. I would not put roosts in the run. I would put best boxes on bottom level and roost bars on top level.


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## lauriej57 (Nov 20, 2008)

I have a coop similar to what you are talking about. I like it and I hate it.

Mine is 8' long, and 4' wide. There is an opening with a ladder so they can get to the top, and I have a roost that goes the length of the coop, in the top. My nest boxes are also in the top. 

They go up top to roost at night, and they lay their eggs in the nest boxes. The bottom half is mainly used for feeding and water. This works out well, especially in the winter, it gives them more space. I keep the water under the light bulb and my water rarely freezes in the winter.

You are in Michigan, as I am. Yes, they do need a place to roost. When it gets really cold, they need a place to roost so they can keep their toes from freezing. When they roost, their bodies keep their feet warm. You also have to make sure they have enough head room.

Over the years, I have had 2 hens die in the coop, and they both picked the same back corner, which is totally out of my reach. Not a nice thing having to go get a ladder, then lay myself into the coop, to pull out a dead hen. You also have the bottom and top to clean. 

Knowing what I know now, I would not have done 2 levels. Without the 2 levels, I would have room for another roost, the light bulb would more thoroughly heat the coop, and I would have easier access to the whole coop. We also made the mistake of not making the bottom level high enough. I had one big rooster who had to stoop when he was in the lower level. 

It works though, and it's better than my smaller coop, which is on the same order, just smaller, and only one level, but I have to lift the roof to access it.

And on the roosts outside in the run, they will love it! However....I did this, and I have a covered run. They will sleep on the outside roost. Mine would sleep outside on the roost when it was Blizzard weather and 0 degrees outside. I spent one winter having to outside every night, and pick them one by one to put them in the coop! Not fun. In the spring I figured it out. The roosts in the run are now lower than the entrance to the coop. Chickens like to roost at the highest point.


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