[Dylan101]

Hello all, I am new to the waterfowl and chicken lifestyle as part of my families trek toward a more holistic life approach. I started as just wanting chickens but then thought about duck eggs/meat and then wanted something to help alarm or protect the flocks which led me to geese as well.
I am putting together a plan for a 10x10 coop with a 15’ to 20’L by 8’W run.
so far I am thinking I’ll have 1 rooster with 6 hens, 1 drake with 5 ducks, and 1 gander with 1 goose for a total of 15 birds. I want to best incorporate all needs into this designated area so we go out of town they are happy for a while without being let out into the yard.
Thought is to provide varying height roosting bars higher than the 5 nest boxes with a catch pan underneath. This will allow more floor space for the ducks and geese to nest and lay. Water will be kept outside to help keep it dry inside. I don’t like the idea of deep bedding so I’ll likely be using sand in and around the coop. I also plan to provide a little pool every once in a while for the waterfowl to swim in and dunk around. I plan to use gutters to catch the rain water that will feed to chicken water bowls and a deep self fill bowl for the larger birds with rocks underneath to help with drainage. I also plan to line the ground with hardwire cloth 12” below ground that metal ties to the cloth walls. I have plenty of larger rocks on the property that I’ll surround the run with to deter digging too. Next thing will be protecting from hawks since we have a ton around here….
Any tips, tricks, or pointers? Should I have 3 separate brooding/quarantine areas or can I keep them together? Etc.

 

[robin416]

You really need to rethink the size of things. 10X10 is much too small for that many birds and birds of that large size.

Silkies? I would never keep Silkies with that many game fowl.

I need for @Poultry Judge to weigh in here. He has ducks. He doesn't have geese but he knows a lot about raising ducks and chickens.

 

[Poultry Judge]

You really need to rethink the size of things. 10X10 is much too small for that many birds and birds of that large size.

Silkies? I would never keep Silkies with that many game fowl.

I need for @Poultry Judge to weigh in here. He has ducks. He doesn't have geese but he knows a lot about raising ducks and chickens.

We have raised geese too here at the sanctuary. They are pretty aggressive and territorial watch animals. The ducks and geese really need a pond, the species will ignore each other for the most part as long as they have adequate space, ideally free ranging.

 

[robin416]

Thanks, PJ.

 

[Dylan101]

You really need to rethink the size of things. 10X10 is much too small for that many birds and birds of that large size.

Silkies? I would never keep Silkies with that many game fowl.

I need for @Poultry Judge to weigh in here. He has ducks. He doesn't have geese but he knows a lot about raising ducks and chickens.

Hello and thank you for your reply,
Now I haven’t owned these birds before but according to numerous hours of research, 100sqft would be more than enough for the 15 birds and here are my calculations for Coop space not inclusive of the run and yard roaming.
Chickens: 1 male and 7 females @ 6sqft ea (requires 4-8sqft/bird)
Ducks: 1 male and 6 females @ 6sqft ea
(requires 4-6sqft/bird)
Geese: 1 male and 1 female @ 7sqft ea
(requires 6-8sqft/bird)

I do not have a pond but intend on including a splash guarded pool with drain piping within the run. They will have separate bowls for head dunking as well. Those who want to sleep with the chickens can but I plan to make a separate waterfowl hut for the late night partiers.

I’d love to have ducks and chickens mainly for the meat and eggs. Geese as the lookouts since we have quite a few hawks on the mountain side.

 

[robin416]

If they were mine, the waterfowl would have their own space if they're not going to be free ranging. Waterfowl are messy and can cause health issues for chickens due to the wet conditions.

 

[Dylan101]

If they were mine, the waterfowl would have their own space if they're not going to be free ranging. Waterfowl are messy and can cause health issues for chickens due to the wet conditions.

I stated that they will be free ranging in the initial post. Why I also brought up the idea of providing them a separate coop attached to the same run

 

[robin416]

You really are confusing me. This might just be that you can see it your head and I'm not interpreting what you're saying correctly.

First, once chickens are adults they don't use the roosts except to sleep at night. So the roosts are not going to provide you any additional floor space.

Second, you're still intending to keep a pool in the run that will keep things wet. If they're going to free range why have it in the run? Put it out where they can get at it and you can easily deal with cleaning it.

If @444lover is paying attention he could give advice on keeping geese and ducks together since he has both. I'll see if I can pull him in here.

 

[Dylan101]

You really are confusing me. This might just be that you can see it your head and I'm not interpreting what you're saying correctly.

First, once chickens are adults they don't use the roosts except to sleep at night. So the roosts are not going to provide you any additional floor space.

Second, you're still intending to keep a pool in the run that will keep things wet. If they're going to free range why have it in the run? Put it out where they can get at it and you can easily deal with cleaning it.

If @444lover is paying attention he could give advice on keeping geese and ducks together since he has both. I'll see if I can pull him in here.

Good call on separating the pool idea. I planned to use a stone or decking around it if in the run to prevent as much mud as possible. I also thought about filling the run with sand to help prevent muddy spots.
With chickens sleeping on the roost and a droppings pan under them, there’d be 10x10 of floor space (if all birds sleep in 1 coop). I’ve read a lot of success on keeping the 3 together but ensuring to maintain a dry coop inside.
Just looking for tips and tricks. What you all have learned from mistakes or how to better construct, etc.

 

[robin416]

I hollered for 444. He's had his trials and tribulations with his ducks and geese. He might tell you about how he ended up hatching a couple of Canada Geese. Those were not fun times for him.

 

[444lover]

All my geese and ducks stay in the same building without any issues. My neighbor does the same thing. Neither of us have chickens though so I can't comment on that.
My building is about 12x12 with a partition in the middle for separating mature birds from young birds and if I get about a dozen birds in 1 side it is really crowded. I don't like more than 8 or 9 in there. My floor is dirt on 1 side and gravel on the other. They poop a lot and are very messy. I use heated water bowls that hold about 3 gallons. My run outside is made of chicken wire netting on all sides and the top. I know it's not the best setup, but all I can afford.

 

[robin416]

All my geese and ducks stay in the same building without any issues. My neighbor does the same thing. Neither of us have chickens though so I can't comment on that.
My building is about 12x12 with a partition in the middle for separating mature birds from young birds and if I get about a dozen birds in 1 side it is really crowded. I don't like more than 8 or 9 in there. My floor is dirt on 1 side and gravel on the other. They poop a lot and are very messy. I use heated water bowls that hold about 3 gallons. My run outside is made of chicken wire netting on all sides and the top. I know it's not the best setup, but all I can afford.

None of us ever has the best setup. You've succeeded in raising and keeping numerous birds in you coop.

Don't you also have a pond?

 

[444lover]

Yes I've got a pond. It's got an aerator system in it too that won't let the entire pond freeze. I let the ducks and geese out daily all winter as long as it don't get down to around 0 or below wind chills or more that a couple inches of snow.

 

[robin416]

That's the kind of input that I think will help Dylan on how he goes about setting up for his birds.

 

[Poultry Judge]

They are going to be in the cold water as long as it's not frozen solid.

 

[Dylan101]

Thank you guys! Figuring out our next steps in life and then going back to the drawing board on the sizing concept.

 

[robin416]

What you're doing I wish so many others would do. You're exploring and getting information before you get the birds. Too many get the birds and have no clue or any preplanning.

Your birds will benefit with you thinking this through.