Looking for coup/run ideas ...

[Quack House]

I have a chicken coup ... my avatar. And presently, I have two hens, three ducks and a drake that call it home.

Inside the coup it is divided into two compartments, but they all use the one door. I have also insulated it with hay (this winter was AWEFUL) so the space inside is not huge.

Here's my dilemma. I LOVE the chickens. LOVE LOVE LOVE them and I want MOOOOOORE. But they really don't share space nicely with the ducks. Chickens are really clean and dry and ducks are pigs. Don't get me wrong I love my ducks, too, but they are like mess maker extraordinaires!!!

Anyways, they all free range. But I am getting more. So, what I would like to know is how I should divide things up? I also have a barn. The barn has horses in it, but I have a hay area on one side that I could build an indoor coup, chicken hotel, kinda thing. I have a twelve foot dog run I could set up along one of the walls and put a tarp over it. Then build some apartments on the wall. And I could cut a door on the outer barn wall so that they could go in and out. Perhaps if I raise the door the ducks will not go in ...

What's the best footing?
How many hens can comfortably occupy in a twelve foot apartment? Can I keep the two I have in the Quack House (they are excellent layers) and have the rest in the new complex?
How difficult is it to change a hen's roost (mine roost side by side on the inside door of the QH)
Should I have two separate indoor hotels ~ one for broody hens?


So much to learn!
Help!!
THX

 

[Judy]

I'm not quite sure what a 12 foot apartment is -- and I've never owned a duck.

I like to let my broodies raise their chicks in with the flock, so there are no integration issues when the mama stops mothering, but I like to keep them separate during the setting period. I have about a 5'x5' area in the coop that nicely holds a broody and her nest, plus a little space for exercise. It could probably be half that big and be enough for the setting period.

Here is an excellent article on space:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-much-room-do-chickens-need