I curently have 9 chickens of varying sizes (1 bantam to large pure breeds) in a 4x6 foot shed with a run about 18 foot wide by 45 foot long but they are mostly freerange apart from when the veg garden is starting off then I just leave them in their run. The floor of the run is concrete but with a small layer of soil on top and 15 foot walls all round (its an old farm building without a roof and mesh pannels on the front and back. All works very well, the chickens spend most time on the concrete farm yard but do go into the fields sometimes for a browse.
Anyway..... One chicken has always been broody (polish cross - the ones with the wacky hair do) and I recently got 4 fertilised duck eggs (beleived 2 indian runner and 2 mallard) from a rare breeds farm in Tannaghmore. I put the eggs under her and this is her 10th day so I'm hoping for some duckies in a few weeks - fingers crossed. I know I need some water for them so I have been considering the options. Was worried about putting some in the run incase the chickens fall in, I was considering a small shallow pond built with a liner in the garden (has to be small as I have a 3 & 4 year old) but read that ponds get too dirty with ducks unless there is a run in and off, so was thinking of using a kids hard shell paddling pool sunk in the garden that can be emptied, or maybe one in the run with ramped up earth up to it so ducks can get in. The final option is I have a very strange concave 'square cave' built at the foot of an out building that always has water in the bottom and some ferns growing, I can see water trickling in and the level doesnt change so I guess water is flowing out. There is muddy silt on the bottom - would this be any good. I can post a photo if this helps. The sun doesnt get in it atall and it would need a little ramp down.
Also, will my chicken housing be suitable? I have plently of small outbuildings and wild grassland so I could make alternative arrangements for them. I could even consider a very large pond in the field away from the children but how would I keep it clean. I think there is a run off somewhere as when it rains I hear water pouring under the ground at the bottom of the drive but I dont have much of a budget to build something. I would just hire a man and a digger to dig the pond,then line it and fill it our selves.