Duck Enclosure & More Ducks

[iWOODDUCKifiwereu]

This week I just started building a duck enclosure for my 3 ducks. Yes, we bought 2 mini appleyard ducklings (pic attached) to keep our wood duck company. So I was just looking for some advice regarding their future living area as they do not have all their feathers yet. My understanding is that 10-12 square feet of enclosure space per duck is adequate, so I built mine 6'x6' to accommodate a maximum of 3 ducks. Since all 3 of my ducks will be smaller than most, I was thinking they should have plenty of room.

Here's a pic of it. it's not completed yet, as I still need to add a roof which will be either metal or fiberglass panels and I'll need to finish adding additional hardware cloth from the current top edge of the sides to the roof once installed. I was also contemplating digging a trench around the outside of the enclosure about a foot deep, laying down some hardware cloth that I would connect the top edge of to the base of the enclosure, add some rocks or stones over the hardware cloth, and then cover with dirt. I saw this online and thought that it would help keep predators from digging under the sides.

Currently I have a 150 gallon (2'x2'x5') deck box (which is usually used to keep pool items or deck items in) as their living space within my house. I installed a screen in the top of it by cutting out about half of the lid for air and a drop light for a little heat (I keep it around 80 degrees) as I use air conditioning inside where it can get slightly below 70 degrees. Once the ducks are feathered and can go into the outside enclosure, I'll be using the same deck box as their means of getting out of the weather and for sleeping....a duck house. I'll be covering that portion of the lid that I had removed and will be locking the lid to keep animals and people out. Just thought it would be easier to have something with a lid for cleaning purposes. I was thinking of attaching the duck house to the outside of the enclosure so the ducks could go back and forth and so no room in the enclosure is used by the house, thus allowing them more room to move around in the enclosure. I'll be adding a small kiddie pool to the inside of the enclosure as well.

If you have any ideas or comments, please let me know. This is all new to me and am learning as I go along as I am a first time duck owner.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Your ducklings are adorable. and your pen looks good, great idea on the hardware cloth down a ft in the ground and good idea about keeping the house part out of the enclousure so they have more room only problem is security and ventilation they will need good ventilation in that deck box turned duck house some windows with hardware cloth over and some vents up top to let out moisture out winter they create a lot of moisture. Also your going to secure something over top for flying and climbing preds?

 

[iWOODDUCKifiwereu]

I'll be using some polyurethane roofing panels to cover half of it and hardware cloth for the other half, which I'm adding with a pool not seen in the pics. I've decided to double the size of the enclosure. Thanks for the input.

 

[iWOODDUCKifiwereu]

It took a few days, but it looks like my wood duck and the 2 mini Appleyard ducklings I bought a few days ago are getting along ok. First couple of days the woodie didn't want anything to do with the other 2 and would hide in a corner of the box. But now they're looking like everyducky is good now.

 

[iWOODDUCKifiwereu]

And now they are one....lol.

 

[iWOODDUCKifiwereu]

Here is my completed Duck Enclosure, with a deck box converted into a Duck "House", and my 3 ducks. We planted some spices (oregano, mint, & parsley) and kale in a flower box and put it into the enclosure for the ducks to munch on. All the kale and much of the spices have been eaten. Looks like it was a hit.