Coop?

[Ducks-love-me]

I need help on my duck coop. We own a lake behind our house and there were ducks someone dropped of and left back there but we don't know who. They are human friendly so obviously they were owned before. They come right up to me and I pet them. So we saved them so they wouldn't starve and die in the winter. They stay at my neighbors house but I take care of them. They can fly but they couldn't when we saved them. The pen they are in has no roof and nothing on the ground. Do I NEED those? I have had them for 1 month and nothing's happened. My moms work friend has 11 ducks and she keeps them in a pen like that too. She said they are so loud they scare predators off. They have a house in the pen should I put them in that @ night?

 

[Ducks-love-me]

Ohh and do they NEED a swimming pool in winter?

 

[Amiga]

Predators will likely get over the top of the pen. It is best for them to have secure shelter at night, it does not need to be huge. 4 square feet per duck, depending on their breed and how much time they may need to spend in there during bad weather.

They don't have to have a pool in winter, when it has been very cold my runners wash up in a two gallon flat bottomed straight sided stew pot.

 

[Amiga]

If someone can get a roll of chain link, that is heavy but very secure and can be wired to the edges of the top of the pen. Half inch metal hardware cloth is lighter, though it can spring around and scratch you in the face so be careful. But it is effective against predators if it is secured well around the edges.

Also, if the pen they are in is chain link or chicken wire, that is not going to keep a predator from reaching through. Chain link is heavy enough, but the openings are too large. Chicken wire can be ripped or mangled.

So a couple of feet of metal half inch hardware cloth along the bottom edge of the pen is needed especially for night time.

 

[Ducks-love-me]

Okay is ill secure them at night.