duck housing pics or designs?

[WadeMD]

I am curious to see what everyone has as far as duck coop/housing. I have been through the forums and seen most of the chicken coops, but I was curious about what people do for their ducks and couldn't find many examples. I am aiming to build something from scratch, so I have the option to add/change anything that'll make their lives more stable and mine easier as well.

Water sources?
Changes to make it easier to clean since it gets wet?
Bathing facilities inside?
Feeder adjustments?

What have you done to make life easier for your ducks? I have 2 weeks until I build, so any interesting things you've done would be great to hear about as well. Please consider this a request to show off.

Thanks!

 

[Amiga]

First,

I am re-entering duckdom after a many year hiatus, and have found the people of this forum so helpful!

Take a look at this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=55358

Pax

 

[WadeMD]

Nice, thanks for the thread, I totally missed that one.

Since its old, lets see if anyone else has anything new to share... anyone?

I am concerned here because we have a large number of foxes and hawks, so I have been considering how to make it more predator proof. The pond/pool ideas are great.

 

[Amiga]

For what it's worth, the pen and house I am building are designed to reduce risk from coyotes, foxes, domestic dogs and cats, owls, hawks, raccoons and rats.

On three sides I have dug an eight-inch-deep trench and placed 4"x8"x16" concrete blocks in the trench. To this is fastened composite 1"x6". I dug out several inches of soil in the pen, laid half inch hardware cloth, and will backfill with sand and cover with shavings.

The fourth side is on top of material I cannot dig into, so I have laid the concrete blocks on their sides (flat) and have begun to extend a rock apron out (plan to go a couple of feet).

I am making 4'x4' panels from 2'x4's braced on the corners and covered with half inch hardware cloth. These will be attached to the composite board (makes it modular for building and repair). Across the top will be two panels, same construction as the side panels. One end will be against the house, the other will have a panel and a door.

The house will have a solid 3/4" plywood floor covered with vinyl flooring. The upper ventilation window will be covered with half inch hardware cloth (yup - I bought rolls of it). The sides of the house will be two sheets of plywood with insulation between (New England winters). I am considering ways to keep it airy in the summer and snug but not stifling in the winter.

I plan a sliding pop door that I can open from outside the pen, with a lock on it.

The roof (2"x4" frame, hardware cloth, gray polycarbonate on top) will be hinged for access, and I am planning another, side access door (lockable) as well.

A former poultry farmer recommended a nursery monitor in the house also.

Sorry no pictures, but perhaps some of the design components will give you good ideas.

 

[WadeMD]

Thanks for the info. We'll have to document our construction efforts. I'm mostly waiting for it to be above freezing here so I can work in the garage, its bitter out right now (prob moreso for you) and the snow won't go away... so much for living below the Mason Dixon line.

I'll start drawing my design and will take pics as it develops.

I would still love to see more pics of people's duck areas!

 

[WadeMD]

Here's another question:

What space do you provide (sqft?) inside the shelter for your ducks? I am planning on having 10 ladies in the yard, 6 runners, 2 swedes and 2 cayuga. How much floor space do they need? Is 4x6 enough?

 

[WadeMD]

Found an answer to my own question: http://www.duckhealth.com/housmngt.html

Under "Floor Space"

 

[seaneduck]

I built this one 8ft x 10 ft and used 2x4s and plywood sheets cut in half lengthwise. The sides and top are now chicken wired. There's a rabbit hutch in the back corner for them to sleep in (and where I keep their dry feed bowl, and then I have a waterer on the ground, and a kids pool with a drain in the front corner. Now I just need to get some more ducks--since the last ones mysteriously vanished (from a latched gate--darn pesky neighbors

)

 

[conny63malies]

my scovies slept under the backyard stairs and a dog house that they stole from the dog. THey also had a little runn in from piled up bricks ,a sheet of wavy roofing and some wood sheet pieces leaned agains for wind protection.

 

[10ducks]

This is the frame out of my duck coop; I can't find any finished pictures at the moment. It's on 4X6 skids on a bed of compacted gravel. I built the frame with connectors from a 2X4 Basics Shed Kit.
http://www.2x4basics.com/shed-kits.asp
If I did it again (and I probably will need another house this spring!), I would make it much shorter in height. Ducks don't roost, so they don't really use a lot of vertical space, but I wasn't thinking about that when I started it. It has T-111 siding and an asphalt shingle roof; windows are covered with hardware cloth.

Even though SE Michigan winters are pretty cold, I didn't insulate it, after reading lots from other people on BYC saying that their ducks shunned nice warm shelters. It's predator-proof and dry, and that's all they seem to want. They are happy and healthy all winter long and love to run around in the snow. I just keep a thick layer of straw on the floor, and I keep the windows (plexiglass set in old wooden frames) closed or just cracked. During the day there's a duck door with ramp so they can go in and out at will, and at night I close it up to keep the coyotes, foxes and raccoons out.

It's supposed to be well above freezing for the next few days, so I am going to have to muck it out, alas.