4 Duckling Coop

[chickens really]

That's SUPER nice, wow, very clean too!!! thank you for posting pictures. Did you get the dog run and dog house on amazon? I'm an amazon shopper!

No actually the dog house was built down the road and the the Run is custom built too..

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you go with a dog house you either going to have to cut ventilation in it and put on a door or completely cover your run in hardware cloth. Predators have no problem reaching into chain link and climbing up an over or digging in.

 

[chickens really]

If you go with a dog house you either going to have to cut ventilation in it and put on a door or completely cover your run in hardware cloth. Predators have no problem reaching into chain link and climbing up an over or digging in.

Please post pictures of your Fort Knox Duck pens. I'd love to see them..

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don’t have cover over my 1/2 acre. Just no climb horse fencing an barb wire. But my houses are very secure. If you want to see them. If I kept my birds in a small run I would have to cover top bottom an sides in hardware cloth we have more predators than the law allows.

 

[PirateGirl]

When I built my duck house for 4 ducks, I used a standard size pallet for the floor, about 4ftx4ft. They really don't need anything fancy, just somewhere to get out of the elements when it's nasty out, preferably with a door you can lock at night for safety.

Once in awhile my ducks do make their way up the ramp into my chicken coop, but then they can't always figure out the best way to get out again.

Make sure your doorway will easily be big enough for your largest duck when full grown. For example a full grown pekin may not fit through a standard chicken coop's chicken sized door. If you are looking at pre-fab chicken coops you will likely have to modify them to better accommodate ducks. I agree that a pre-fab dog house is probably a better starting point for a duck house.

Make sure the house has good access for people so that eggs can be collected and cleaning is easy.

I have used straw and pine shavings both as bedding. The straw seems to hold moisture longer in general. They both can work. Keep the water out of the house and in their run and it will help minimize the dampness in their house.

If the run is secure the ducks will often opt to sleep out in the open vs. inside their house. They are somewhat active at night and very cold hardy and don't seem to mind rain and snow much.

 

[Miss Lydia]

A lot of question an answers here too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/

and here are some awesome ideas on duck houses.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/category/other-fowl-housing.35/