It’s a 2 car garage and the second floor is missing less 10 sq ft due to the stairs. The outside dimensions are 27’x19’ giving me about 500 sq ft with full 8 ft ceilings!!! It has a solid wood plank floor that’s painted and we plan on dividing the ducks from the chickens with fencing, at minimum, something more substantial if necessary. The chicken area will have poop catchers so it shouldn’t be as bad though they’re not terrible. I use lighter amounts of bedding with my ducks though I will be testing out different materials etc. I planned on creating a storage area for their supplies and we have the ability to pull up a hose for watering and cleaning. Since there’s so much space, I also want to create a specific brooding enclosure and some areas to be able to do planting and growing yeqr
There are a couple of windows up there (one that is currently missing so can be replaced with what works best for me) and that happens to be directly over our compost pile. And it’s a large opening so I’ll have no problem just heave-hoing right out the window into the pile
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We’re installing electricity either way so will be able to keep it comfortable and lit. Yes, well choose a safe source for heat
. And most importantly, we don’t use the garage for much of anything besides storing stuff we need to pass on and occasionally pulling a car in for repairs. We live in an end unit town home but are fortunate enough to have a multiple lot and 1/4 acre of straight yard. The garage is down a concrete path into the alley behind our house so we always park out front. So little concern for smell, but we will be putting a door up anyway, where there are stairs that go down to the main garage to protect the birds with the side effect of reducing smell.
All in all it will be a lot cheaper than building a huge building from scratch. And may actually be easier in a lot of respects. Just out biggest obstacle is the full flight of fairly steep stairs that I have to create a safe ramp or some sort of way for the ducks to get up and down without undue strain or any injuries. If we can’t make it work with them, then we’ll just build a little duck hut. Lots easier than building a large shed type combo
duck and chicken coop. IMO anyway lol.
It’s just those issues of the ascent/descent for the ducks as well as if I need to do something for a run for them. We don’t use one now, but I’m trying to plan if we go away at all and a sitter isn’t comfortable with free range. I don’t even really have a problem with putting a kiddy pool up there except I do want them to come out lol.
Based on my overly lengthy description
, has your thought changed at all? Any ideas for a ramp?
