Moving to larger coop...more birds

[jbrown_14105]

Greetings chicken lover & folks of all poultry...
Well 4 of my 6 girls (all RIR) are making it through the winter in WNY (Buffalo/Rochester area, and producing eggs well, they LOVE a head of green cabbage every 2 days!! can't keep the heads "in stock" at home from the grocery store!)

So I have ordered the "back yard blend" or whatever it is called by one of your advertisers here at the Forum.
In April I am getting 10 more hens, 2 ducks, 2 turkeys, and 2 geese, the later "2's"are all straight run.
So since my chicken coop holds 6-10 chickens (the total hens will be 14 ??) I figure on making a larger one my self.
I have looked at some of the A-Frame models...does anyone have this style in use since it is hand built I guess?

Also any recommendations raising the other poultry....keep turkeys and other foul apart during raising???
Thanks
Jim Brown
Lockport NY where "the girls are happy" & greet all visitors!

 

[midget_farms]

Congrats Jim! I moved to the bigger house last spring.

You have to keep the ducks seperate - I'm not sure about the turkeys.

Ducks are smelly & wet - you don't want them around the chickens - but way more cute. If you don't have a pond something will eat them. They don't put themselves to bed at night like chickens. So its harder to lock them up.

You should be OK on the coop - you can cheat a little & get away with it. Just keep an eye out for feather picking!

 

[jbrown_14105]

Thank-You for the reply,
Yes the ducks do need to be kept separate in raising....always wet & require "lots" of cleaning.
When should imprinting start as to age in weeks ??

I have ponds on the property but the cat-tails need to cleaned out and a pond treatment used before they get imprinted to the ponds.

Any recommendations on pond treatment that is "better" for wild-life??

And what do turkeys require as to shelter having never raised "stupid" birds before....??

Thanks
Jim Brown
Lockport NY