Duck Coop Help Needed

[honestlyghost]

hello all! i'm looking to get four ducks, and i'm new to ducks, lol. we're (me and my dad) going to be building the coop and run ourselves, on a bit of property that we're going to fence in, as we have dogs and can't let them free range in our proper backyard.

we live in florida, so we're working with a hotter environment. my main question is this:

for four ducks, how big should the coop and run be in total? i've read that the coop should be 4-6 sq ft per duck, while the run should be 10-16 sq ft per duck. is this correct? i keep trying to figure out the required dimensions but come across different answers.

if anyone could help me, it would be greatly appreciated!

i'm also looking for free/cheap coop plans, if anyone knows of any?

 

[SilverBirds]

Welcome to BYC!

You are on the right track with the dimensions.

I'm sure you can find some free ideas and plans on the internet. Ducks in my opinion are a lot easier to house then chickens. They need a dry quite house to sleep in at night (can be on the ground or have a little ramp leading up), a big enough run for them to waddle around, and a nesting box or two for the girls (ducks don't always you nesting boxes, instead just laying eggs all over the run floor). A kiddie pool or large dish works well for a "pond". As long as they can fully submerge their heads in the water to clean their nostrils and eyes they will be fine. Of course they will want a place to swim though.

Here is an article you with a little more info that you hopefully find somewhat helpful: Tips & Tricks for Raising Ducks ~ the Complete Essential Guide:

Good luck!

 

[addctd2plnts]

With ducks I think as far as a coop, it's provably better to go closer to the 6 sq ft per duck. The reason is because the smaller the coop, the more you have to clean. That can become a pain in the butt, although you won't have to be doing it in the snow LOL You will need a lot of ventilation and an interesting coop is the Wood's Open Air Coop. There is a book on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Air-Po...ix=wood's+open+air+coop,stripbooks,377&sr=1-2 and a free download of it that people have posted (Here's the free link: https://gnipsel.com/files/chickens/mfaph.pdf ). I remember there are even photos of Southern modifications with photos. You may be limited in what you can do based on zoning and hurricane laws. If nobody from Florida chimes in, post your request to the Florida state group.

Here's some forum threads with photos and some drawings if you decide you are interested:

1. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-colony-house-portable.1104954/

2. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-house-in-the-winter.445004/

3. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/woods-style-open-air-chicken-coops.1216865/#post-19430614

4. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ooodalolly-at-dunrovin-station.67998/

5. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/8-x-12-woods-coop-design-plan.1221551/

For a permanent pen I'd probably go to the larger for the same reasons. You are lucky because water will drain away that they slop out of their pool. I assume rain might wash the poop downward and away.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Forgot to welcome you LOL I was focusing on your questions!

Here's a link to the forum with the Florida members: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/florida-always-sunny-side-up.305793/ They may have valuable input about regulations or needed modifications for Florida or hurricanes.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

Here’s a quick little duck house I built in a couple of weekends. Maybe give you some ideas?

I started it with an adjustable bed frame as the base. You just have to get creative and use what you have or can easily get. Then tried to use lighter, thinner material, but it ended up being heavy either way.

Yes, the doors are crooked

Ducks are messy creatures and putting linoleum down is a good idea. Always go with the “more space is better” idea. For housing and run. This duck house may be on the smaller side, but I just had khakis at the time. Now it sits empty and houses chicks as a brooder. The back doors make it simple to clean.

 

[honestlyghost]

@SilverBirds, thank you so much! i've been meaning to check out this article, lol. and yes, i was planning on putting a place for them to swim in both their run and outside of their coop/run, as we'll be fencing in an area for them as we can't let them fully free range (we have one dog who's not too fond of chickens and we assume he'd be the same with ducks).

@addctd2plnts, yes, that's what i thought! thank you so so much for the links, i'll definitely have a look! also thank you for the link to the florida forum, i probably wouldn't have been able to find it on my own, lol. still getting used to this site's layout.

@ShannonsChimkens, i love your coop! do you think it would work for four ducks if i use a california king bed frame? i looked at the dimensions of one and it's 6 ft x 6ft, which is about what i would need for them, i think? and if it would work, would you be willing or able to give me more details on your building process? :0 also, which linoleum flooring would you think is best? i'm looking at the stick-on linoleum, but i'm not sure if it would work.