Two story Chicken/Duck Coop

[BMFosterFlock]

My husband and I are in the process of building our chicken/duck coop. Its going to be 4 ft wide x 8 ft long and have two separate levels/stories inside completely separated from each other by a floor in between the two stories. The idea is that the chickens (8 bantams) will roost/live in the upper floor and the ducks (2-1 runner, 1 magpie) will live in the lower level once everyone is old enough to move outside. Both levels will have a door for them to access a shared run (12x14). Just wondering if anyone has done anything like this before? If so, I'd love to see your designs! Currently working on how to best add some ventilation to the lower level for the ducks, without causing drafts to the chickens as the levels are separated by a floor but the upper level has 2x4 studs so the floor does have a small gap space between the wall and the floor. Should we be worried if/when we put ventilation holes/windows in the lower level causing drafts for the chicks by possibly letting a small amount of air go up to the upper level or will in not be much of an issue? Hope that makes sense!

 

[Alaskan]

You are in Lubbock.... .

So I would leave one wall completely open/just wire and put on great big eaves so rain doesn't blow in.

I am not so sure though that the ducks and chickens will stay segregated.

The duck area will look like one wonderful egg laying spot for those chickens I would think....

 

[BMFosterFlock]

You are in Lubbock.... .

So I would leave one wall completely open/just wire and put on great big eaves so rain doesn't blow in.

I am not so sure though that the ducks and chickens will stay segregated.

The duck area will look like one wonderful egg laying spot for those chickens I would think....

Thanks for the input and I know it is possible and or likely that they will intermingle even with the floor dividing. It'll be OK either way. We will have good sized access doors to each level.

 

[Beccazon]

We are actually building something similar. We are MI though so my plans include all walls and adjustable ventilation as in spring and fall we can go from 30F to 95F in a matter of just a few days. What I have designed is...

5'x10' with a roof (5' in the front) slanted toward the back (3' at the back). Raised 3' from the ground with the sides and back walls extending all the way to the ground. The front wall has an 18"x18" door and 2 wire-covered openings 2' square with "shutters" for winter or inclement weather. Each side wall will have the same windows. The back wall, where 6 nesting boxes will be, will have hinged doors that drop down for cleaning and egg collection, and one 2'x3' door for cleaning etc. We plan to do half of the floor wood and half 1/2"x1/2" wire. Beneath the coop, in the three sided area, we plan to "nest" the ducks. Each wall of the "under-coop" will have a 1'x1' wired window and the front wall will likely be open but have a piece with a door opening to set in place as needed. That will be in my dirt-floored greenhouse which will be connected to the coop/run and used in the winter as extra "run" space via an opening in the connecting wall. Yet designing that space. Off the front of the coop is a 20'x10' run made from our old 6'x10' dog kennel panels with netting over the top and either construction cloth or chicken wire along the bottom 2 feet the whole way around. While we assume they will intermingle, we wanted to provide what we know they are each best suited for in one single space and let them do their thing.

That all sounds very convoluted but essentially, it is a longer narrowed shed, lifted and planned to house chickens while "skirting" the under side for the ducks.

 

[BMFosterFlock]

We are actually building something similar. We are MI though so my plans include all walls and adjustable ventilation as in spring and fall we can go from 30F to 95F in a matter of just a few days. What I have designed is...

5'x10' with a roof (5' in the front) slanted toward the back (3' at the back). Raised 3' from the ground with the sides and back walls extending all the way to the ground. The front wall has an 18"x18" door and 2 wire-covered openings 2' square with "shutters" for winter or inclement weather. Each side wall will have the same windows. The back wall, where 6 nesting boxes will be, will have hinged doors that drop down for cleaning and egg collection, and one 2'x3' door for cleaning etc. We plan to do half of the floor wood and half 1/2"x1/2" wire. Beneath the coop, in the three sided area, we plan to "nest" the ducks. Each wall of the "under-coop" will have a 1'x1' wired window and the front wall will likely be open but have a piece with a door opening to set in place as needed. That will be in my dirt-floored greenhouse which will be connected to the coop/run and used in the winter as extra "run" space via an opening in the connecting wall. Yet designing that space. Off the front of the coop is a 20'x10' run made from our old 6'x10' dog kennel panels with netting over the top and either construction cloth or chicken wire along the bottom 2 feet the whole way around. While we assume they will intermingle, we wanted to provide what we know they are each best suited for in one single space and let them do their thing.

That all sounds very convoluted but essentially, it is a longer narrowed shed, lifted and planned to house chickens while "skirting" the under side for the ducks.

That sounds really cool! Thanks for your response. We did end up designing ours as the chicken coop up top and duck house on the bottom as originally planned. Since we've put all the birds in the coop, the chicks do like to spend time in the lower duck part during the day when they are not out pecking around the run, but we are OK with that. We are still working on teaching the chicks to put themselves to bed in their coop at night, but they are still young (6-7weeks) and figuring out outside life in general. They all (chicks and ducklings) just huddle together and bed down in one corner of the run when it starts getting dark until DH or I go and shoo them up the ramp into the chicken coop or into the duck house haha (although we doubt the ducks stay in there the whole night). Overall, I'm pretty pleased with what we ended up with. I'm sure we may discover design flaws that need worked around over time, but so far, seems to be working well enough!

 

[Alaskan]

That sounds really cool! Thanks for your response. We did end up designing ours as the chicken coop up top and duck house on the bottom as originally planned. Since we've put all the birds in the coop, the chicks do like to spend time in the lower duck part during the day when they are not out pecking around the run, but we are OK with that. We are still working on teaching the chicks to put themselves to bed in their coop at night, but they are still young (6-7weeks) and figuring out outside life in general. They all (chicks and ducklings) just huddle together and bed down in one corner of the run when it starts getting dark until DH or I go and shoo them up the ramp into the chicken coop or into the duck house haha (although we doubt the ducks stay in there the whole night). Overall, I'm pretty pleased with what we ended up with. I'm sure we may discover design flaws that need worked around over time, but so far, seems to be working well enough!

Any new pictures?

 

[BMFosterFlock]

Here’s a few I snapped of ours the other day. Still working on some of the finishing touches, but it is "done" enough for them to start living in it.

 

[Alaskan]

Here’s a few I snapped of ours the other day. Still working on some of the finishing touches, but it is "done" enough for them to start living in it.
View attachment 1749736View attachment 1749738View attachment 1749739View attachment 1749740View attachment 1749742

Very nice! I like all of the open yet sheltered space.

 

[Beccazon]

That sounds really cool! Thanks for your response. We did end up designing ours as the chicken coop up top and duck house on the bottom as originally planned. Since we've put all the birds in the coop, the chicks do like to spend time in the lower duck part during the day when they are not out pecking around the run, but we are OK with that. We are still working on teaching the chicks to put themselves to bed in their coop at night, but they are still young (6-7weeks) and figuring out outside life in general. They all (chicks and ducklings) just huddle together and bed down in one corner of the run when it starts getting dark until DH or I go and shoo them up the ramp into the chicken coop or into the duck house haha (although we doubt the ducks stay in there the whole night). Overall, I'm pretty pleased with what we ended up with. I'm sure we may discover design flaws that need worked around over time, but so far, seems to be working well enough!

Great! Glad to know someone has a similar plan and they are doing well! Hope to have success here too! Can't wait to get it done. Ours are only going on 4 weeks and we are Michigan so weather is a factor yet lol. 75F yesterday, 50 today and literally a 40F winchill lol

 

[BMFosterFlock]

Very nice! I like all of the open yet sheltered space.

Thanks! I'm pretty proud of my husband for making my vision a reality! I wanted them to be able to be outside but also be able to have a bit of a block from the elements (wind/rain/occasional snow ect.)