duck house- now or later

[sayyadina]

My ducks aren't coming until next april/may, and I was wondering if we should get their house built now, since we may not be thawed out enough. Don't loose all the snow & ice until that time.

 

[ChickenToes]

I think it's up to you, really. Remember that even when your duckies arrive, you can brood them in your house for a few weeks to give you extra time to finish their coop.

 

[sayyadina]

If we've gotten unpacked enough, they could be brooded in the house. Its been a little over a year, so I don't know.

We do have a heated vet room in the alpaca barn where they could be brooded.

 

[Soccer Mom]

Quote:
**is quietly jealous**



My vote is if you have time, you can build in segments. Then you aren't under a rush. Build whenever you weather is the most pleasant. My DH didn't get around to building my new coop when the weather was purty so he gets to build it now that I have birds in the brooder that are ready to go outside RIGHTNOWTHANKYOU.
That's August in Texas. Yeah.

Build when the weather is nice.

 

[headred]

Ducks don't really like shelters, so not much is needed in my opinion. We use a little tikes house, found for free on craigslist. We made a run with pvc pipe and chicken wire. Pretty easy! They never use it!! Glad we didn't spend too much time.

 

[onedozenphyllises]

Quote:
Ha! Agreed! Ours want NOTHING to do with the shelter we built them. They sleep out in the open every night, and we can't make them go in. On the upside, they sleep very close to our house, so the risk of predation, while certainly not absent, is not as high as it would be if they slept farther out. We don't have too much wild animal activitiy right around the house - at least nothing big enough to take down a Muscovy.

Actually, they do sometimes roost ON TOP of the shelter, so I suppose it was good for something.

 

[Soccer Mom]

It really makes a difference where you are. Mine wouldn't last a night, but we live in predator central. We have coyotes, foxes, coons, possums, skunks, bobcats, and heaven only knows what else.

Mine like their shelter. They go inside if it rains really hard.

 

[LoreenH]

Quote:
I won't be getting ducks until spring either, but we are getting everything ready so we won't have to rush and maybe forget about something when they do get here. We have the duck pen area cleared and will buy the materials as we can. I already have everything I need for their brooder, except food of course.

 

[sayyadina]

I've only seen foxes & bald eagles around here. And the foxes still get through the 6 strand electric fence, though the female alpacas will chase them out.

Also have wild turkeys that move through here, but only the alpacas think they're dangerous. They have alpaca turkeyphobia.

 

[FenDruadin]

If you have foxes, you will lose ducks to them unless they have a predator-proof enclosure. It doesn't have to be a house--mine are enclosed in a chain link dog kennel, with wire under and over and no openings larger than four inches and everything tightly connected (I have TWICE had a fox push open a gap that was small enough I hadn't even noticed).

Mine don't like or use their house that my husband spent several weekends (and nearly $100) building. They go in it to eat because that's where I put their food, and one of them has been nesting in it (near the entrance) lately, and occasionally, in the worst weather (which we don't get much of here in mild NC) they'll go in it for protection. But mostly they sleep outdoors, play outdoors, rest outdoors, stay outdoors.