Duck Door Size - Is 12"X18" Alright?

[wordgirl]

We're starting our chicken(/duck) coop today!

We've got lots of plans, but I have a question about the duck door. I've only got 4 ducks, Anconas, and this will hopefully be only a temporary situation until next year, when we can build a separate duck house. But I want them to be pretty comfortable.

Anyway, the door size we're looking at for the duck side of the coop (the chickens will have a separate door) is 12 inches wide by 18 inches wide. We would go bigger, but we're worried about our lab being able to get into the coop if we do. But I've seen several recommendations for much larger doors, so I'm a bit worried that it's too small. Will it be alright, or do we need to figure out how to make it bigger?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Marty1876]

We're starting our chicken(/duck) coop today!

We've got lots of plans, but I have a question about the duck door. I've only got 4 ducks, Anconas, and this will hopefully be only a temporary situation until next year, when we can build a separate duck house. But I want them to be pretty comfortable.

Anyway, the door size we're looking at for the duck side of the coop (the chickens will have a separate door) is 12 inches wide by 18 inches wide. We would go bigger, but we're worried about our lab being able to get into the coop if we do. But I've seen several recommendations for much larger doors, so I'm a bit worried that it's too small. Will it be alright, or do we need to figure out how to make it bigger?

Thanks for your help!

12 x 18 is definately big enough. Its going to be 18" tall and 12" wide, they will fit rhough one at a time. I'm guessing they could use the hen door, if they were inclined to. Mine have no trouble squessing into chicken nest with their little round wholes, so I can't imagine them needing a huge space.

 

[wordgirl]

Thanks, Marty! Do you think they'll be okay coming out one at a time? I've heard ducks will come out in a rush (and mine do come out altogether from their brooder/dog kennel in the nursery shed), which is why people recommend bigger doors. I should think that even if they prefer coming out all at once, that having to go out one at a time would be okay, unless they will actually smash into each other and get stuck. And there are only four ducks, so even one at a time they should get out pretty quickly.

 

[nickie]

They should be fine, especially after the first few mornings when they figure out its a single file deal. Don't worry, they learn quickly. A few examples: 2 of my ducks think foraging for their food is hopping up the steps to the chicken coop, walking out their POP door and down their ramp ("oh my, look what we found, this convenient gravity feeder in this pen"). When my ducks shared the turkey shed while their house was being redone they learned to run out the door and jump off the side of the ramp before the turkeys launched themselves from their perches to fly out the door (showoffs) only to land right about where the ducks would have made it to top speed running.

Please excuse me, every time I see your name this POP into my head and stays there all night...
Word up, its word girl, word up!

 

[wordgirl]

They should be fine, especially after the first few mornings when they figure out its a single file deal. Don't worry, they learn quickly. A few examples: 2 of my ducks think foraging for their food is hopping up the steps to the chicken coop, walking out their POP door and down their ramp ("oh my, look what we found, this convenient gravity feeder in this pen"). When my ducks shared the turkey shed while their house was being redone they learned to run out the door and jump off the side of the ramp before the turkeys launched themselves from their perches to fly out the door (showoffs) only to land right about where the ducks would have made it to top speed running.
Please excuse me, every time I see your name this POP into my head and stays there all night...
Word up, its word girl, word up!

Thanks, nickie! Haha, yes - I love Word Girl, even though I actually picked that name before I ever saw the show. But I like sharing the name with her - it's a great show! Word up!

 

[buggymuffin]

We have a preexisting 12"x12" door in the side of our barn that our khakis use (we bed them in a fenced part of the barn). Once they learned where it was, they had no issues going out single file. Our Cayugas are a couple months younger and will be moving out there within the next week or so. We'll see if they do as well since they are a little bigger.