Duck Help

[Mortimer]

Need some help from some duck people on building a house for my six ducks.

We had them in a partitioned area of the coop along with our chicks when they were younger, but made such a mess of the place I had to get them out. They will empty a 3gal waterer in no time flat, gets water everywhere and makes for nasty wet bedding!

So, I built this run/coop for them. Little small on the run area but plan on letting them roam most of the day.

The house tightly enclosed, no leaks, full of cedar chip bedding. They don't seem to like it at all! I've tried putting them in by hand at dusk a few nights but they just run back out, not interested in all at staying inside. At night they just sleep on the ground inside the run.

I guess I figured ducks would instinctively seek some sortof shelter at night like the chickens do, but maybe I'm wrong?

 

[mberry222]

Ducks prefer to sleep outside oppossed to chickens. Ours only go in the house to nest and eat. My suggestion is to focus more on their run and less on the actual house. Just be sure you can close them up for protection in the run area at night. Plus they can muck up a house in no time. Good Luck!

 

[Mortimer]

Thanks for the info. I may add some plywood to the area underneath the house on 3 sides to give them a bit more shelter from rain, etc. Hopefully this will do the trick until I get a pond dug.

What about in the winter? Surely they won't sleep outside in the snow?

Found 3 eggs inside the "duck house" today -- chickens are liking it! The ducks aren't laying yet.