Duck Houses

[CalBells]

Thanks for the pictures. I have my first duckling and I am trying to figure out housing. With the hens or separate. I think with.

Can Ducks jump at all? Live the height of baby pool or even less than that? Need to figure out if I need a ramp.

Thanks

I think it depend on the breed. My runners can do what I call "asisted hopping" they can fly for a couple of feet about 1-2 feet off the ground. They could hop the half foot lip into their old coop, but it sometimes took wings. Larger breeds can't hop as well. Ducks are so clumsy, I think if you're in doubt, but in a ramp!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for the pictures. I have my first duckling and I am trying to figure out housing. With the hens or separate. I think with.

Can Ducks jump at all? Live the height of baby pool or even less than that? Need to figure out if I need a ramp.

Thanks

They need to be able to get in and out safely, they can injure their legs if they have to jump from anything high like the side of the pool so best build a ramp or some kind of steps Duckling will be fine with hens until breeding age, if a drake he will not be able to live with chickens hens he'll want to mate with them and that will be a death sentence for a chicken. They can jump but not very high.

 

[saltandpepper2]

Ok, so question... What's the best bedding for ducks??? I'm going crazy trying to keep their coop clean! I have a 5x4 coop for 4 ducks: three swedes and a jumbo Pekin. That give each 5 sq ft, and I thought that was plenty, however, I find myself completely cleaning the coop out every other day just to keep it from completely reeking, and being infested with flys. I'm using straw right now. Is there something better??

 

[CalBells]

Ok, so question... What's the best bedding for ducks??? I'm going crazy trying to keep their coop clean! I have a 5x4 coop for 4 ducks: three swedes and a jumbo Pekin. That give each 5 sq ft, and I thought that was plenty, however, I find myself completely cleaning the coop out every other day just to keep it from completely reeking, and being infested with flys. I'm using straw right now. Is there something better??

I know there are lots of opinions on this issue! Personally I like shavings or a combo of shavings and stall pellets. I tried straw when the ducks were younger, but it was too hard to spot clean and stank quickly. My experience (with only 3 ducks) is that it's really easy to spot clean shavings by just rakeing out the poo. I use a little hand rake and dustbin combo. But even when I don't do that my girls can go at least a week without needing a coop cleaning, and if I'm good about spot cleaning daily it's more like a month or month and a half. The shavings absorb the moisture and deep litter works with them as well, that's what we do in our run as our vet recommended it after we had bumble foot caused by the original pea gravel and mulch. I just throw a bale of shavings down in the run whenever it seems dirty, the water is in AstroTurf so the run stays pretty dry. I buy shavings in a big bale for $7.99 at the feed store and one bale fills our 4x5 coop nice and deep with some left over for freshening up when needed. A bale lasts about a month for us. Hope that helps, and I'm sure others can recommend other solutions.

 

[Amiga]

Thanks for the pictures. I have my first duckling and I am trying to figure out housing. With the hens or separate. I think with.

Can Ducks jump at all? Live the height of baby pool or even less than that? Need to figure out if I need a ramp.

Thanks

Larger breeds of ducks are at risk of spraining their legs if they have to jump. My Runners and Buffs seem to do fine getting in and out of the kiddie pool.

 

[ryanhodapp]

Thank you. It's a khaki Campbell so smaller.

I have about a 4 inch step into the area that will be best for HER. (Praying, fingers crossed.)
So a few pavers will work.
If it's a drake I will be at humane society looking for a duck. They have some Pekins and a Muscovoy

 

[saltandpepper2]

Here's my duck house! With an unfitting name and all!

 

[Bill1st]

So, we are thinking about adding 2-3 ducks to the backyard. We have one of those XXL plastic Dog Carriers that we used as a brooder our chickens and have also used it to move our chicks. It has slits in the sides for air flow and a metal gate door. We live in Idaho where it can be down right cold in the winter. Could this be a good duck house? I heard that ducks can stand much colder temps than chickens.

 

[Amiga]

So, we are thinking about adding 2-3 ducks to the backyard. We have one of those XXL plastic Dog Carriers that we used as a brooder our chickens and have also used it to move our chicks. It has slits in the sides for air flow and a metal gate door. We live in Idaho where it can be down right cold in the winter. Could this be a good duck house? I heard that ducks can stand much colder temps than chickens.

There may be ducks that can, but based on what I have read about Idaho winters, and what I know from the forum and my own flock, that carrier is not going to be sufficient for ducks in the winter.

 

[Bill1st]

I am sure you are right. Been looking at it all day thinking that it would be a good idea. Thanks for the reply.