is my coop enough for my birds.

[marvun22]

ok heres the situation. right now i have my 16 chickens and 4 ducks free ranging during the day and in my coop at night. (my coop is 16ft by 16ft) i was planning to add 10 more ducks, and i have to take 12 more chickens from someone who is moving away. would my coop have enough space for the soon-to-be 42 birds to be at during the night. (i think it would because my soon-to-be 28 chickens would be on their perch at night) also would it be ok for 40 of the 42 birds to be locked in the coop together for 1 day or two if i was on a vacation. (two of my birds can fly out of the coop)

 

[jdywntr]

Technically, it has enough floor space but you need to subtract from the area for feeders, waterers and nestboxes. It really depends on how much roost space you have too. And just because the ducks won't be on a roost (unless you get muscovy) doesn't mean that they should have to sleep on the floor under the roosts and get pooped on by the chickens. You need about 24' of roost space for the chickens.
Is someone going to be looking in on them while you are on vacation? Ducks are notorious for fouling water very quickly.

 

[marvun22]

first of all i have 2 pieces of plywood and a couple 2x4s as my perch. i do have enough roosting space for 28 chickens. there is plenty of room for the ducks to sleep on the floor where they woudnt get pooped on. i have seen my ducks mess up water in about 20 seconds, but i was going to have one tub for them and i was going to have a hanging water for them. also on one of the pieces of plywood where the ducks coudnt reach id put another tub for the chickens.

 

[Brookliner]

You could do a dry run and see how it works. Leave them in but monitor what's happening. If you have 2 that can fly out...how predator proof are you? Couldn't something fly in or climb in the same place that they fly out?????

 

[Mrs. K]

I think I would hesitate to add that many new birds all at once unless you have a plan if it doesn't work.

I have found through trial and error what will work in my coop/run. If you get too many, there is quite a bit of tension and squabbling and very little peace.

I think it is too many.

MrsK

 

[JackE]

I think if you add 12 birds to the 16 you have now, it's going to look like a scene out of Braveheart. You would have to build a divider of some kind (Chickenwire wall), to keep the two flocks apart and let them get get used to each other.
Jack

 

[marvun22]

Brookliner, they jump from their perch to the top of the chicken wire, which im pretty sure only a chicken could balance on it. and they then they just dive at the ground and hope for the best. Mrs. K you have a very good point i have found that out myself, but i was thinking it maybe could be ok for a day, i also have another pen i can keep them in. and JackE they would be able to get used to each other when they're all free ranging. id only lock them all in the coop if im going on vacation.

 

[JackE]

When they are freeranging, they WILL separate into two different flocks. So that won't be a problem, in the coop is a whole other story. And nobody has even mentioned quarantining the new chickens from the rest of your flock for a while. You know, BioSecurity.
Jack