Duck coop?

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hannuh_montana

In the Brooder
Apr 29, 2020
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So I'm getting ready to have my husband build us a duck coop for our 3 mallards. I've heard that a duck house would have potentially different needs than a chicken house, as far as the best functionality. Are there any special tips or things to keep in mind when designing a duck house? Anything you wish your duck house had that it doesn't have, or things you forgot to think about that would make things easier to have the first go around? Also, we want to provide them a run outside their house. Is that meant to be covered for protection, or just leave uncovered? This is our first time with ducks and they are 4 weeks old today, so any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm afraid to give my husband some design ideas without some input from the people who have done it before. I'd prefer to not have to make major modifications a second go around when I could have done it the first go around, if I had known better. Thanks!
 
If you go to the sticky topics list at the beginning of this forum, there is a listing for duck housing. Hopefully you will find lots of advice there. I bought a large shed 10 x 20 and had a wall installed in the middle so half is duck coop. Each section has an exterior door, plus there is a connecting door. Ventilation is important. The duck section has 3 screened windows that I open every day. I attached a 10 x 20 run using a portable garage frame and covered the sides with chicken wire. It does have a roof plus I covered one long side with a tarp. Roof and tarp help with protection from rain, wind and snow. Food and water is provided in the run not in the coop. There is a duck door for direct access from coop to the run, which I close every night. I put a "people door" for my access to the run. Left open so they can free range if I am home, but also means I can let them into run for food, water, and exercise, and by closing people door they are secure. Have fun with the project. It's ok to make changes as you discover what works for you and the ducks.
 
DukesDucks said:
If you go to the sticky topics list at the beginning of this forum, there is a listing for duck housing. Hopefully you will find lots of advice there. I bought a large shed 10 x 20 and had a wall installed in the middle so half is duck coop. Each section has an exterior door, plus there is a connecting door. Ventilation is important. The duck section has 3 screened windows that I open every day. I attached a 10 x 20 run using a portable garage frame and covered the sides with chicken wire. It does have a roof plus I covered one long side with a tarp. Roof and tarp help with protection from rain, wind and snow. Food and water is provided in the run not in the coop. There is a duck door for direct access from coop to the run, which I close every night. I put a "people door" for my access to the run. Left open so they can free range if I am home, but also means I can let them into run for food, water, and exercise, and by closing people door they are secure. Have fun with the project. It's ok to make changes as you discover what works for you and the ducks.
Click to expand...

I'll check out the thread. Yours sounds awesome, though! Any chance you have a picture of it?
 
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I'd make sure you can stand up in your pen. It's better for your head if you do. I have one short pen and I've got permanent knots on my head from hitting it so many times. You've got to get in there and clean it and it's ever so much easier when you aren't all hunched over trying to do it.

I would also cover the run outside. I didn't like losing my favorite duck to a flying predator and they are everywhere around us.
 
I am fairly new to this as well (7 weeks in) and my trio has been outside full time for a couple days now. Before that they were outside from dawn to dusk and then in the garage brooder.

Here is my build thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/duck-run-w-new-age-pet-fontana-coop.1364032/

I pulled a ton of info online and a majority from this Forum. Hours of browsing and searching. In the end, you do what you think is best and what works for you! Although my ducks can care less how fancy I made it, we took the time and money to make it blend in with our yard more. Function AND Form was the idea.

My roof of the run lifts up so I can get access. I have one bar between the large panels I have to duck (No pun intended) under but the once a week I turn the gravel is no big deal. However if you don't want to do yard yoga then make it big enough to stand!

Ours is open air right now. I have some shade cloth I need to cut and grommet but no plans for a roof until maybe this fall. We have had rain past three days and the ducks could care less!

I wish the coop had hinged vents I could open and close. I also wish the roof hinged instead of sliding.
 
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Here's mine nothing fancy probably 4 feet wide 7 feet long or so. Open the back hatch rake out the old into a wheelbarrow put some new hay in close it up.
 
 

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