Duck Duck... Quail?

[PajamaMama21]

OK, we have LOTS of quail but I wanna get some ducks! I've been looking at duck-keeping arrangements for WEEKS! PLease hit me up with your best ideas that a girl with a drill can put together!! Pen plus dog coop? Prefab chicken coop??

 

[Quatie]

A prefab chicken coop would not be good for ducks. The don't do well on ramps. They can learn to use them, but it is best if the incline is shallow.

A modified dog house could definitely work depending on the size and how many ducks you are getting. They need good ventilation to keep things dry inside. Ducks need at least 4 sqft per bird in the coop. Modifying a shed is another good option.

Ducks require water deep enough to dip their head in to keep their eyes and nares clean. And they will make a complete mess of their water. They love making things muddy and digging holes in the mud with their beak. So you will need to think about how best in your area to deal with the inevitable muddiness.

 

[Isadora]

OK, we have LOTS of quail but I wanna get some ducks! I've been looking at duck-keeping arrangements for WEEKS! PLease hit me up with your best ideas that a girl with a drill can put together!! Pen plus dog coop? Prefab chicken coop??

How much space you have for a coop is important, too. My motto is, the bigger the better, when it comes to poultry. We all seem to want more birds after getting a few of them.

 

[JustCallMeMaple]

We had 5 in this https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-mini-defender-coop-mdc001 mind you we recently harvested 2 this weekend. We have this coop and run attached to a giant coop and run that intermingles with our chickens. We have https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/double-tuf-rubber-pan-with-handles-3-gal as a water bowl and fortex brand rubber ones. Rubber because in winter we can flip it dump ice then refill so the ducks have water they can dip their heads in and the chickens drink from it. The double tuf is plenty big for the 1 Khaki campbell girl to do full dips the Pekin girls (2 had 4) are larger but can still get a bath on in it with it getting colder (Live in the north) a kiddie pool is too easily broken (plastic gets brittle). If you can find a cheap/free old dog house you could modify the roof to flip open on hinges for cleaning and won't have the ramp to climb. My girls climb the producer pride ramp fine but if I get more I'll probably look for the doghouse route and get a large or xl size to modify. The producers pride needs more vent holes and the 4 pekin and Khaki fit in it fine (they were comfortable) I clean coops often for spot cleaning but now that there is 3 they've got even more space. Just make sure there is enough venting and it's secure (from predators) it should go good. A doghouse you can put a simple door and latch on to close up. If I was getting into ducks I'd get a doghouse. I used the producers pride as it was the chick starting outdoor house until they went into the bigger coop.