Duck coop in warm climate

[laboroflove]

I live in the southeast US. We have very mild winters here. I am trying to come up with a plan for duck housing but not really sure WHAT to plan if that makes sense.

I have had Muscovies for approximately 12 years but they have all been free range using my well house, shed, barn, or even a hollowed tree trunk, for laying/hatching. Recently we have had a couple of foxes picking off our flock. I now have all ducks in a stall in the barn until I can have a secure housing/run for them built.

My idea was to put the house and run on pea gravel (same size but smoother stone) where the border is two cynder blocks stacked. (We will dig into the ground some to help support the cynder blocks so they won’t move) That will allow for the gravel to be six inches to allow drainage for the small pond I want to use for them and the ground not get all wet and nasty like ducks like to make things. I also want to be able to use their used water for our garden. The pond being higher than the ground is the only way I can think of to get that water to run out of the pond. Plus the cynder blocks and gravel I hope will help with the predator issue. The ducks will also have a yard to forage in during the day outside of this run.

Where I run into the issue is the housing. I was going to build an actual house type structure but worry about the ducks being too warm. Our summers can easily reach 100 degrees. We don’t have very many freeze days compared to most other areas of the US, although they do still come for a time. I’m mostly concerned with my ducks getting too hot.

If anyone would like to share photos or descriptions of what you have I would greatly appreciate it. Photos are always a plus! Also if anyone has anything to say about my idea, pros and cons, please chime in. This is my very first duck structure and want to do it right.

Thank you so much!

 

[Lauraduck]

Hi, we live in Hawaii and I have 4 Runner ducks. Here's a picture of their coop- they only spend the night in there. During the day whey have our entire yard to forage. The little house has plenty of ventilation, but they only go in there to lay eggs. They prefer to sleep outside or under the house.

 

[ruthhope]

I live in the southeast US. We have very mild winters here. I am trying to come up with a plan for duck housing but not really sure WHAT to plan if that makes sense.

I have had Muscovies for approximately 12 years but they have all been free range using my well house, shed, barn, or even a hollowed tree trunk, for laying/hatching. Recently we have had a couple of foxes picking off our flock. I now have all ducks in a stall in the barn until I can have a secure housing/run for them built.

My idea was to put the house and run on pea gravel (same size but smoother stone) where the border is two cynder blocks stacked. (We will dig into the ground some to help support the cynder blocks so they won’t move) That will allow for the gravel to be six inches to allow drainage for the small pond I want to use for them and the ground not get all wet and nasty like ducks like to make things. I also want to be able to use their used water for our garden. The pond being higher than the ground is the only way I can think of to get that water to run out of the pond. Plus the cynder blocks and gravel I hope will help with the predator issue. The ducks will also have a yard to forage in during the day outside of this run.

Where I run into the issue is the housing. I was going to build an actual house type structure but worry about the ducks being too warm. Our summers can easily reach 100 degrees. We don’t have very many freeze days compared to most other areas of the US, although they do still come for a time. I’m mostly concerned with my ducks getting too hot.

If anyone would like to share photos or descriptions of what you have I would greatly appreciate it. Photos are always a plus! Also if anyone has anything to say about my idea, pros and cons, please chime in. This is my very first duck structure and want to do it right.

Thank you so much!

Hi @laboroflove

I am in St Augustine -- NE Florida. I use a hoop house covered in chickenwire, with the lowest 2 feet covered over with hardware cloth The hardware cloth also extends under the duck house to stop predators burrowing in. [None have tried at my house but they have at my son's so we know that is a real threat.]

I also have a tarp over the top that I can raise and lower on one side, but that extends to the ground and is fixed down on the other side. I bought an expensive white/translucent tarp for cosmetic reasons -- a regular blue tarp would be fine as the ducks are only inside over night. The side that raises is attached at the ground end to a bambo garden cane, and I just double it back in hot, dry weather.

In cold weather -- we can get freezes on occasions in St Augustine -- I add bales of pine straw to shelter the ducks and spread extra pinstraw for them to burrow down into. They don't bother -- they like climbing on the bales!!!