Adding chickens to duck pen

[JMarieEclectically]

Hi everyone!
We currently have 1 Pekin duck and will be adding 6 Barred Rocks to her pen when they come out of the brooder. I would like advice on our ideas of adding a coop area. Our pen is 10ft x 10ft x 6 1/2ft tall. I will be adding natural branch perches at all heights.
For the nesting area, I am planning on building a structure in the back corner where the picket fence pieces are, at about 3ft off the ground.
Would a 4ft square x 2ft tall nesting enclosure be sufficient shelter for them? Can the enclosure be on the inside or should I build it outside of the pen?
This is a work in progress, all suggestions welcome!
Thank you!

 

[ronott1]

Hi everyone!
We currently have 1 Pekin duck and will be adding 6 Barred Rocks to her pen when they come out of the brooder. I would like advice on our ideas of adding a coop area. Our pen is 10ft x 10ft x 6 1/2ft tall. I will be adding natural branch perches at all heights.
For the nesting area, I am planning on building a structure in the back corner where the picket fence pieces are, at about 3ft off the ground.
Would a 4ft square x 2ft tall nesting enclosure be sufficient shelter for them? Can the enclosure be on the inside or should I build it outside of the pen?
This is a work in progress, all suggestions welcome!
Thank you!View attachment 2206797View attachment 2206799

You could build the coop into the run area but building it outside will allow for more chickens later.

Check into articles on predator proofing and ventilation for the coop too

 

[aart]

Does the roof shed rain well?
Do you know that chicken wire is not predator proof?

 

[JMarieEclectically]

Does the roof shed rain well?
Do you know that chicken wire is not predator proof?

Yes the roof does great. The pen is sheltered naturally under trees on a hill and the roof is raised so that rain flows out of the pen. Bedding stays perfectly dry even in storms/heavy rainfall. The coop portion I am building will be a ventilated box coop, raised up off the ground with a separate roof to be certain it stays dry.
I do realize chicken wire isn't the ideal. It is buried as well as lined with large rock on all sides. (Pic taken before last side was lined with rock). Our hill is mostly large rock with little dirt so digging by even predators is extremely difficult. We're also in city limits of a small town. I have seen a few predators move through our property but its been very rare. Our previous duck pen was wrapped in plastic netting and we've never seen any issues. I do plan on watching closely and understand it is a risk I will have to consider.

 

[JMarieEclectically]

The coop is finished and attached to the duck pen. We built this coop for free from all reclaimed parts.