Can I evict my ducklings yet?

[jennybvcr]

Here is where we are at end of day one. We were planning on doing a 4ft. apron of hardware cloth on the bottom portion and chicken wire up above and over. Does that pass the safety smell test? We’re in a fenced yard in a neighborhood but there are foxes and raccoons about.

 

[Jpat]

That looks awesome! weasels can fit threw small holes even in chicken wire, i assume your locking them in the house at night anyway

How many birds will be living in there?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes they will need to be locked in at night I know it will be costly but enclosing the whole thing in with hardware cloth 1/2" would be best. Is it 3 ducks? anything can rip through chicken wire it's only good for keeping our birds in. Also there needs to be more ventilation in your house they need really good air flow. Think of laying in bed on hot summer night with all the windows closed no air conditioning and having a down comforter over top of you. Even in dead of winter they need good ventilation. the make a lot of moisture. cutting some windows in and covering with hardware cloth.

I hope you don't think I am nit picking your project it really will be nice for your ducklings, just sharing things that I and others have learned over the years that has saved others from heartache.

Ya'll have done a good job on building honest.

 

[jennybvcr]

That looks awesome! weasels can fit threw small holes even in chicken wire, i assume your locking them in the house at night anyway

How many birds will be living in there?

Yes they will need to be locked in at night I know it will be costly but enclosing the whole thing in with hardware cloth 1/2" would be best. Is it 3 ducks? anything can rip through chicken wire it's only good for keeping our birds in. Also there needs to be more ventilation in your house they need really good air flow. Think of laying in bed on hot summer night with all the windows closed no air conditioning and having a down comforter over top of you. Even in dead of winter they need good ventilation. the make a lot of moisture. cutting some windows in and covering with hardware cloth.

I hope you don't think I am nit picking your project it really will be nice for your ducklings, just sharing things that I and others have learned over the years that has saved others from heartache.

Ya'll have done a good job on building honest.

Jpat there will be 3 birds in there.

Was hoping to NOT have to lock them in at night. If we did 100% hardware cloth would that allow us to not have to lock them in at night?

I will add more ventilation to the house. As always with these things it looked like there was a lot more in the photos.

Thank you both for your input! I just want to do what it right so any input is helpful!

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you put hardware cloth all the way around bottom to top they should be fine inside their pen at night just make sure you get half inch minks etc can get through 1" holes.

 

[jennybvcr]

If you put hardware cloth all the way around bottom to top they should be fine inside their pen at night just make sure you get half inch minks etc can get through 1" holes.

Great. Thanks! We were going to do all hw cloth but then I cheaped out and bought some chicken wire. I’m realizing how, thought, that the two rolls of CW cost almost as much as the hw cloth so I will just return it and exchange up.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good plan let us see finished product it looked so good so far.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@jennybvcr Will they be in there all day? If not, might want to keep some chicken wire if you need to keep them out of certain areas. I have an open yard, so mine are in the run all day. But, I have plans to let them roam the yard - so there are areas I don't want them in. Chicken wire would be good for that.

 

[jennybvcr]

@jennybvcr Will they be in there all day? If not, might want to keep some chicken wire if you need to keep them out of certain areas. I have an open yard, so mine are in the run all day. But, I have plans to let them roam the yard - so there are areas I don't want them in. Chicken wire would be good for that.

They'll be in the run unless my husband or I am out in the yard with them. Our yard is fenced so I'm not super worried. Plus we have some CW left over from fencing off our garden if we need to sure up are spots in the fence. Good thinking and thanks!

One last question... suggestions for the best and most economical bedding for the run floor? We have 1/2" hw cloth over the entire bottom so I'd like to put something down for them to walk on. I was thinking all purpose sand?

 

[Miss Lydia]

A lot like sand it's suppose to make for easy clean up but a member who had sand in her run now has a duck with bumble foot. so not sure what would be best. horse stall mats would be easy to clean but that would keep them from doing what ducks do best rooting like lil pigs lol there are other options shaving straw etc but that would probably get smelly if rained and pooped on a lot and mold would probably be a problem. Hopefully others will add their options Mine are in a half acre fenced so they just have natural ground during the day time but that can get pretty nasty where they spend a lot of their time I am always trying to come up with ways to help but we've had so much rain it's not going so good. Only place mine have bedding is in their houses and it's thick shavings [horse bedding]