In need of Duck/Chicken Coop Ideas!!

[Liz2]

Hi everyone! I have been a member for a while, but I am in need of some help! We have a flock of 7 chickens (adding more in the spring) and a pair of female Rouen ducks. They are all going to be a year old this spring and are all in the same large coop. The coop is about 10ft by 10ft with a slanted roof. The previous owners of our house had sectioned of the end of a large cement shed for the coop.
They all do great together and we have no issues with them living together, but the ducks make such a mess!! lol I would love to be able to have separate waterers for the chickens and ducks but need some help with the design of it all. Right now it is a temporary layout and I want to redo it all in the spring and would love some ideas from others who have done duck and chicken combo coops!! Here is a quick layout of our coop right now.

 

[cavemanrich]

Do your chickens and ducks have access to outside.???
What is the issue with the water? Are the ducks soiling it? You can get a waterer that ducks are not able to squat into. (long and narrow and off the ground). There are other designs that would work as well. You also can have a nipple waterer for your chickens. I'm not sure if ducks can use water nipples since no ducks here at this corral.
Yes ducks as well as chickens do drop plenty of gumdrops. Consider the Deep Litter Method inside your coop if you think it may be a good option for you. Read up on it first to understand how it works. It is NOT IDEAL FOR EVERYONE.
WISHING YOU BEST........

 

[Liz2]

Yes they do have an outside area they use. We are also going to free range them in spring.
The ducks like to dunk their heads in and get the bedding in the coop wet, and even with it outside they go back and forth between the water outside and food inside soaking the floor. For the water dish we use the upside down 5 gallon bucket in a black rubber tub.
We are using the Deep Litter Method which is working out great except where the ducks get the water! We live in Michigan so much of the winter is below freezing temps and the water that gets on the bedding freezes.