What you have
Everything below is read off the Third Coast Craftsman drawings, pages 2, 3, 14 and 15, not from generic guidance.
| Part, per the plans | Spec | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Roosting perch | 43 1/4" long, 29" high | along the back wall |
| Roosting perch | 71 1/8" long, 23" high | running diagonally |
| Dropping board | 1/2" plywood, 55 3/4" long, 36" tapering to 12" | under both perches |
| Support leg | 2x4, 17 1/2" long | holds the board's free edge |
Square off the dropping board
One cut of plywood unlocks both the roost and the nook.
The board as drawn is a wedge: 36 inches deep where it meets the wall, tapering to 12 inches at the far end, because it was built to follow the diagonal perch. That taper is the reason three parallel bars will not work as-is, since the second and third bars would overhang bare floor along part of their length.
Fill the missing triangle with 1/2 inch plywood, about 4.6 square feet, and the board becomes a full 36 by 55 3/4 inch rectangle. Add a second 2x4 support leg under the new outer corner so the added area does not sag.
Three level bars
All at the same height, which matters more than the length.
Level beats stepped
Chickens compete for the highest perch. Your current 29 and 23 inch arrangement guarantees squabbling over the top bar while the lower one sits half empty. Three bars at the same height removes the competition entirely, and nobody roosts above anybody else.
Never add a bar higher than 29 inches. One higher bar and every bird abandons the rest.
Fourteen inches between bars
Closer than twelve and they peck the tail in front of them and cannot turn around. Fourteen is the working number, and it puts all three bars inside the 36 inch depth of the squared board.
Keep the 2x4 flat, wide face up
The plans call for ripping the stock to 1 1/2" x 1". You used a full 2x4 and that is the better call: the 3 1/2 inch face lets a bird sit flat footed with her toes covered under her breast. Leave it flat, do not turn it on edge, and ease the top corners with a sander so there is no sharp edge.
The bantam nook
A roost for the Silkies under the dropping board, in a back corner off the pop door line.
This is the right instinct and it solves a problem the roost bars do not. Silkies cannot fly. A 29 inch bar is not reachable for them, and even at 23 inches they were never going to use the existing perch. More importantly, roost time is when most head pecking happens, and a Silkie's vaulted skull means a hard peck to the crest can kill rather than injure. Taking them out of the bar competition entirely is the single highest leverage change on this page.
Two ways out
A nook with one entrance is a trap. A bantam who gets cornered in a dead end by a standard hen has nowhere to go, and that is how a bad pecking incident becomes a serious one. Leave two open sides, or one open side plus a gap at the far end. Never box in three sides and a corner.
Low perch, not a box
A 2x2 with eased edges at 5 to 6 inches off the floor, about 36 inches long, which covers four bantams at 8 inches each. Some Silkies will use it and some will pile on the bedding beside it. Both are normal, so give them deep bedding underneath either way.
It will become a nest
Silkies are the broodiest birds in the hobby and a dark, roofed, low-traffic corner is exactly what a hen looking to sit wants. You will get eggs under there. Plan to check it daily rather than trying to design the behavior out, because you will not win that argument with a Silkie.
Air and access
A corner under a solid board can go stagnant, which matters because ammonia sits low and these birds sleep at floor level. Keep two sides open and make sure you can physically reach the back of it with a scraper, or it will not get cleaned.
Fixed floor tactics
Five things that reduce crowding stress without adding a single square foot.
| Move | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Two feed and two water stations, placed apart, one at bantam height | The single biggest bullying reducer in a tight coop. One feeder means one bird can control access to all the food, and bantams are who gets pushed off. |
| Build up, not out | A shelf or platform at 12 to 15 inches along a wall is functional floor. Birds use levels, and vertical surface is the only kind you can still add. |
| Visual barriers | A bullied bird needs to break line of sight, not outrun anyone. A short partition or a hanging barrier gives escape without costing floor. |
| Open the pop door early | Crowding peaks at dawn, before the door opens and after everyone is awake. The plans already spec an automatic door. Set it early. |
| Separate them at roost time | The nook. Most pecking happens as birds settle, and it is when a crested bird is most exposed. |
Cut list
| Part | Material | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roost bar | 2x4, 55" long | 3 | flat face up, top corners eased. You already have two, so one new bar plus repositioning |
| Bar cleat | 2x4, 6" long | 6 | two per bar, set so the bar top lands at 29" |
| Dropping board infill | 1/2" plywood, about 4.6 sq ft | 1 | fills the taper to make a 36" x 55 3/4" rectangle |
| Board support leg | 2x4, 17 1/2" long | 1 | under the new outer corner, matches the existing leg |
| Bantam perch | 2x2, 36" long | 1 | 5 to 6 inches off the floor, edges eased |
| Perch blocks | 2x4 offcut | 2 | to carry the bantam perch |
The honest limit
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Coop floor | 28.9 sq ft |
| Today, 11 birds | 2.6 sq ft each |
| At 16 birds | 1.8 sq ft each |
| Common guideline | 3 to 4 sq ft per standard, about 2 per bantam |
| Guideline need at 12 standards plus 4 bantams | 44 sq ft |
Everything on this page makes 16 birds work better. None of it makes the floor bigger. Three things genuinely soften the number: Oakland means they are almost never shut in, so the coop is a bedroom rather than a day room, and the guideline assumes climates with real winter confinement. Four of the sixteen are bantams. And your run is roughly 74 square feet plus another 29 under the elevated coop.