Quote:
Originally Posted by
rsleghornchicki 
I was wondering if anyone can show me how to make a simple but nic duck pen for 7 ducks.
Hello again. The main thing for you being are in South Dakota is winter protection. However, I found my ducks would stay outside most of the time. I had my two hens in a "chicken tractor" all winter, but I put storm window panes on the hardware cloth & 2x4 framing. So they got the sun but not the snow & ice inside the tractor zone.
However, when it comes to winter housing. I'd recommend NOT having it elevated up off the ground. It works in warmer areas, but for us the big issue is winter winds & stray dogs. So if you build your duck pens to keep out dogs & coyotes, that's the bigger issue. Coming out to find your flock dead in the yard is not pleasant. I use the 6 ft fencing wire I can get at the local Runnings Fleet & Farm. It works to keep them in & keeps dogs out. Chicken wire is not suitable because dogs (and coyotes) can tear right through it. The height of the fence all depends on what sort of dog issues you are dealing with. The birds tend not to fly out (as ducks). But if they are sharing a pen with chickens, that tall fence will be appreciated for keeping the chickens in too.
I use steel posts and wire fencing. But I always put about 6 inches trenched into the ground, to deter the digging type predators. Last year it was tested by a local skunk each night. So it was proven to be quite worthwhile time spent putting it in.
The ducks I have are "cold hardy" breeds. Be aware of that issue when selecting a breed. The Blue Swedish & Black Swedish are said to be hardy and mine sure have been! I have a simple box house for them to go into at will inside their pen. They only used it occasionally. Mostly on the very coldest of nights. Otherwise they preferred to sit outside. I used a heated dog dish for water in winter since anything else would freeze too quickly.
