Duck coops--couple questions.

[Andora]

I spontaneously got some giant white pekin ducks from TSC. I've been thinking about what kind of predator proof shelter I could provide them once they're out of the brooder. I'm hoping to keep two of the six duckies I have...

Does their coop have to be draft free, or will they be alright in open air? (I live in KY, it gets cold in the winter but very rarely goes below 0.)

I'm thinking of using this chicken tractor I have:

For the flooring, I was thinking of putting hardwire cloth with one or two small boards for extra support across it, then setting the entire tractor up on bricks, two or three bricks high. What do you think?

Is wire flooring ok for ducks, or will it hurt their feet? Do they need shavings to lay in? Do they need nest boxes?

During the day they will be in a pen with my chickens. The area is roughly 40x50, with grass and bushes and trees. I'm not sure I can do a baby pool as a constant fixture in the pen, but I will definitely provide something for them to plunge their heads in.

I tried searching the site and also googling, and I didn't really find any great info about backyard ducks.

 

[ShadyGlade]

As for the cold mine only go in their shelters when the wind chills are extreme or sometimes to lay eggs. Then again they also lay eggs in the water, in the mud, on the grass, or any nook or cranny they think you might not look into. As much as I love my ducks there's no getting around the fact that they are messy. Wifezilla had nice pics of what her husband did in their back yard for the ducks. If you can find that or pm her for the link it ought to give you some ideas. Good luck with your ducks they are the comic relief of the poultry world.