Appropriate run space for three ducks?

[Joce417]

Hello, I am fostering abandoned domestic ducks that have been dumped in a local pond. I am replacing their old run, which was way too small for the three of them. I was planning to make their new run 10 feet wide and 20 feet long. I have two Pekin ducks and one welsh harlequin. Is this big enough run space for the three? I am not including their coop in that space. I’m talking about the space of the actual run only. Thank you.

 

[ruthhope]

Hello, I am fostering abandoned domestic ducks that have been dumped in a local pond. I am replacing their old run, which was way too small for the three of them. I was planning to make their new run 10 feet wide and 20 feet long. I have two Pekin ducks and one welsh harlequin. Is this big enough run space for the three? I am not including their coop in that space. I’m talking about the space of the actual run only. Thank you.

Thank you for rescuing the dumped ducks!

The run is big enough for three ducks!

 

[Joce417]

Thank you for rescuing the dumped ducks!

The run is big enough for three ducks!

Thank you Ruth. I appreciate your response. If you don’t mind me asking a follow up question…Is that the most I should have in that size run? My town requires us to get a permit to have the ducks. I got the permit and per my lot size, I’m allowed up to 10 ducks. There’s 30 some remaining at the pond who need rescued and obviously I can’t save all of them, but I’m wondering what number of ducks could be comfortable in that size run…or if I shouldn’t exceed the 3 I have now.

 

[CoriM]

Wow, so sweet of you to rescue the dumped ducks and provide for them! You're a hero in my book. I have 7 ducks in a run that is about 8 x 16, not including the area they sleep in, which is 4x8. I do let them out to free-range under supervision a couple times a day, so they get exercise that way, and they spend a couple hours at least in a mobile coop I move around on the grass that is also about 8x16. I think your coop size is generous enough to add some more ducks if you want.

 

[CoriM]

BTW, I've had as many as 9 ducks in my space and that would definitely be my limit. Trouble arises when you have a need to separate the ducks for any reason. I've done that with a drake that was chasing an older duck, and I've also had a female who was picking on another female, so I was configuring my run into two sections. When you choose your ducks take into consideration that for every male duck you have, you need 4-5 females so that they don't overmate.

 

[Joce417]

Jim

Wow, so sweet of you to rescue the dumped ducks and provide for them! You're a hero in my book. I have 7 ducks in a run that is about 8 x 16, not including the area they sleep in, which is 4x8. I do let them out to free-range under supervision a couple times a day, so they get exercise that way, and they spend a couple hours at least in a mobile coop I move around on the grass that is also about 8x16. I think your coop size is generous enough to add some more ducks if you want.

thank you!! I really appreciate your response. I wish people would stop buying them as Easter novelties and then dumping them

 

[ruthhope]

As a rule of thumb 4sq ft per duck sleeping and 12 sq ft per duck minimum for the run. I have a generous size coop, fortunately, and free range in my back garden by day. My coop needs to be bigger than the minimum as I too rescue ducks and at different times I have had three dogcrates in there to separate drakes in the see-no touch stage of introductions, and to separate squabbling boys. I currently have only 1 muscovy drake in a crate as my pekins are frightened of him and will not go in the coop if he is loose. Then my other muscovy drake is roosting on top of the dog crate (on a tray with pine shavings) as he is in the middle of a big molt, feeling out of sorts, and being picked on by the meanie pekins [which only a month ago were his big buddies]. I don't have females as I have always been able to rehome females. Drakes are far more difficult to rehome

 

[ruthhope]

Jim

thank you!! I really appreciate your response. I wish people would stop buying them as Easter novelties and then dumping them

@Joce417 I agee on the Easter ducklings. I wish that Tractor Supply and feed stores didn't sell ducklings or chicks. If folks had to buy from a hatchery or breeder and didn't see cute little fluffies in stores, there would be far fewer ducks and particularly drakes dumped when they become adolescents.

 

[Joce417]

Wow, so sweet of you to rescue the dumped ducks and provide for them! You're a hero in my book. I have 7 ducks in a run that is about 8 x 16, not including the area they sleep in, which is 4x8. I do let them out to free-range under supervision a couple times a day, so they get exercise that way, and they spend a couple hours at least in a mobile coop I move around on the grass that is also about 8x16. I think your coop size is generous enough to add some more ducks if you want.

Thank you Cori, that’s really helpful

 

[Joce417]

As a rule of thumb 4sq ft per duck sleeping and 12 sq ft per duck minimum for the run. I have a generous size coop, fortunately, and free range in my back garden by day. My coop needs to be bigger than the minimum as I too rescue ducks and at different times I have had three dogcrates in there to separate drakes in the see-no touch stage of introductions, and to separate squabbling boys. I currently have only 1 muscovy drake in a crate as my pekins are frightened of him and will not go in the coop if he is loose. Then my other muscovy drake is roosting on top of the dog crate (on a tray with pine shavings) as he is in the middle of a big molt, feeling out of sorts, and being picked on by the meanie pekins [which only a month ago were his big buddies]. I don't have females as I have always been able to rehome females. Drakes are far more difficult to rehome

Lol, it’s like a poultry drama…As the coop turns. There’s drama here as well right now. When I know a male and female were dumped together and are mated for the season, I do try my best to get them out of the pond at the same time/same day. But I’m not in peak physical condition and the terrain surrounding the pond often makes the ducks difficult to catch in the first place. Adding to that, once the collective of domestic ducks sees me take a duck, they steer clear of me for a week or more. I couldn’t blame them, they don’t know why im doing what I’m doing. They just think im there to kidnap them I guess. My goal was to get out a paired male and female Pekin. I caught the male first. And then the female successfully evaded me for two weeks after I caught the male. He was getting lonely, and I had been trying to get the welsh harlequin out months prior unsuccessfully. and one day I saw my chance to grab the harlequin, so I did. I figured on s quarantine ended, at least he would have a possible companion until I could catch the Pekin female he was dumped with. And so I brought her home, and after quarantine, they “hit it off” so to speak. Fast forward another two weeks and I finally caught his original mate, the female Pekin. They’ve all been together about two months now, and things are better than they were in the beginning, but girlfriend Pekin is still not thrilled about his Welsh harlequin girlfriend. And she lets it be known, frequently. And loudly. Lol. That’s awesome of you to foster. They are very lucky to have you. I wish I could let mine free range but my yard isn’t fenced. I’m hoping to have their new run completed by the end of the week. I made the mistake of buying them a prefab coop and run from wayfair and it fell apart in less than a month. So with this new one, I’m still in the process of wrapping hardware cloth around everything. I had chicken wire on it originally for a quick fix to hopefully allow them a daytime run space, but I saw a fox standing outside the run on Monday, so now everybody is inside the house daily until I finish the hardware cloth, which I’ve been working night after night to do, since I work from home during the daytime. I feel so guilty having them inside my house all day, and then by the time I’m done working, they only get to free range for an hour or two because it’s getting dark earlier. But I don’t have any other choice until I have the hardware cloth completed. I feel like having just seen a fox out there, I can’t take chicken wire risks anymore, even in the daytime.