Coop conversion - Duck questions

[0wen]

I have an 8x16 Cattle Panel Hoop Coop currently empty and considering adding ducks. I've not had them before but keep an assortment of other birds - chickens, quail, doves... No waterfowl. I have an identical coop for my chickens so assuming that their sqft needs are similar - just trying to prepare for the mes that everyone say ducks bring.

Half of the 8x16 coop is covered, the remaining 8x8 is open air; same set-up for my chickens where I currently house a dozen birds. They free range during the day and I feel like I could add a few more chickens to this set-up and not be crowded (I'd been keeping 8, added another 6 - culled 2 birds since. 6 of the birds are still juvenile so not adding anything until they're adults to see how the housing works out and see if I really have room or if it fills up with adult birds...)

Anyway..... 10 ducks? Flooring is a mix of sand and pea rock; a few inches deep. I may add more rock and wash their poop into the stones to drain out, or may keep the equal sand mix and treat it like a litter box (suggestions?) Fewer ducks to manage the mess? More ducks possible while still keeping a healthy environment?

Drakes - any reason to have one other than egg fertility? While I don't currently have a rooster (attitude issues required a vacation to freezer camp), I like keeping them around when possible. Do drakes help with any social order or overall flock health or should I just fill his sqft with an egg layer?

Swimming access in the run? Again, an 8x8 uncovered area with sand and pebble flooring. Okay to have a pool in this portion or will they totally fubar the entire housing unit if I allow that much water in there? Not considering anything huge - maybe a kiddie pool or small(ish) stock tank - a few feet wide by 5 feet long or so...?

 

[Helloworld]

Are they going to be kept in there aways?

Need water deep enough to rinse nasal passages. Put baby pool in outside portion. Don’t recommend adding more rock rather sand. They root so rock ingested may not be so good. 8x16 kind of small for 10 ducks to me only because they are messy. But that allows almost 13 sq feet per bird so..

No reason to keep more than 1 drake. None at all if your not planning to breed.

 

[Duckworth]

Ditto on the sand being better than pebbles. Bumblefoot caused by infection in cuts or abrasions on the bottom of the feet can be an issue where the substrate is too coarse or sharp.

Ducks do not roost, so the substrate in the enclosure will be the surface they sleep on. Good drainage is important so that they are not forced to sleep in standing water. During cold weather, they may benefit from having straw or some other more insulating bedding to nestle into. It is also important that they have shelter from wind, while having plenty of ventilation to allow fumes to dissipate and in cold weather, moisture to dissipate to avoid frostbite.

Being unable to roost, ducks are particularly vulnerable to predators, so your hoop house will need to be very secure to prevent its being breached by even small or narrow predators, like weasels, minks, or snakes or those that can dig under the side. A raccoon can reach through chicken wire and grab a sleeping duck, injuring or killing it. Half-inch hardware cloth is a better choice.

As mentioned, ducks need water deep enough to clear their nares and also need water accessible when they are eating. They are not generally able to use nipple or similar watering systems. Mine use 2-1/2 gallon buckets for drinking water and a small kiddie pool to bathe in. Ducks muck up their bathing water very quickly, so choose the size of their pool based on how much water you can use daily to fill it and how much water you can empty back out again to refill. That water has to go somewhere and it can be quite heavy. The muck may make using garden hoses to drain it a challenge.

Ducks don’t seem to mind rain, but they don’t want to sleep in it. When deciding how many ducks to get, consider how much of the covered part of your coop actually stays dry during a storm and base your numbers on that. I would allow three to four square feet of dry sleeping area, shielded from wind, per duck, depending on the size of the breed. They give off a lot of moisture.

 

[Texag87]

May I add something? Drakes are not necessarily for egg production but they have one redeeming quality. They are the lookouts and guard the flock. They will give their life to protect the flock.

 

[DuckyDonna]

May I add something? Drakes are not necessarily for egg production but they have one redeeming quality. They are the lookouts and guard the flock. They will give their life to protect the flock.

Boy is that ever true! If I let mine out of their run while I'm cleaning up the whole gang of girls will be foraging and the one drake is not, he's standing guard always watching.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I 3rd that about drakes!!

 

[DuckyDonna]

I 3rd that about drakes!!

I think my Daisy drake gave up his life for the flock when that falcon got him.