Duck coop?

[eggybritches]

I am hatching 7 runner ducks (due the 15th) and I'm concerned about a coop. Or a pen.

I have an acre in my backyard that is sorrounded by privacy fence and we have never had any problems with raccoons, but we do have feral cats in the neighborhood.

Do ducks need to be cooped up at night? Is there a quick and easy way to do this?

When they're babies we have shipping kennels they can live with, I'm only concerned about them when they are older.

 

[okiechick57]

I had mine free range during the day on an unfenced piece of my property..........cooped them up at night in an all chicken wired frame.about 14 ft long and 6 ft wide with tarp on top.........they would coop up like my chickens.....
Man, now I need me some runners again..........

Edited to say, mine didnt run free until a couple months old

 

[chickensioux]

My six call ducks live in this enclosure "The Quack House"

My four large ducks live in "Waddelon Inn"

I would lock the ducks up at night, owls, coons (even in subdivisions w/ privacy fences), cats and dogs are very diligent when they want something.
A large doghouse works just fine with a door that can be closed and locked. That's what we use and have no issues.

 

[eggybritches]

Oh that is the cutest thing ever.

Thank you.

I have a giant dog igloo, would that work?

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
yes I know people who use big igloos, just put a door on it so they are safe.

Runner ducks although once fully grown are usually left alone by hawks they are at great risk to coons at night. thier deffence if to huddle together making one big duck, unfortunatly this works as a disadvantage when cooped up so make sure the coons wont be able to reach in and hurt/kill them. I lost 12 runner ducks in one night from coons, they never goyt into the pen, only reached through. they must have been at it all night

eta my duck pen is 20 ft by 25 ft so its not small.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have a giant dog igloo, would that work?

I use one in my pen. Mainly Chrissy uses it as a place to lay her eggs, but your runners might be fine in it. Other than Chrissy (runner) the other ducks are pretty big, so I wouldn't lock them up in just the igloo. Runners might work though.

We built our pen against the side of a shed. It really cut down on the amount of building materials needed.