Duck housing?

[maralynn28]

My hubby is building duck housing, we only have 2 ducks so are doing a basic rectangular house (like dog house but wide and raised). I hear with chickens you need to provide "nests" for them, but what about ducks? And what do you consider a nest? What do you use to make it nice and cozy in their home? Any other suggestions? Thank you!

 

[Amiga]

Hello, Maralynn28,

I sometimes think of ducks as kind of Quakerly. They want things simple, and basic, and they appreciate the simple things in life.

The metaphor only goes so far, but really, they need few things, but some are a challenge to provide.

They need reasonably clean water daily for drinking, reasonably clean water daily for washing, nourishing food, safe shelter, the fellowship of others in their community (a flock).

Some like nest boxes, many don't care. They make water dirty very quickly. They like to "drill" in the soil.

Cozy - well ventilated but not breezy, plenty of clean, relatively dry bedding. Decent lighting (I am using gray sun-tuff on outer edges of roof, clear sun-tuff down the middle). Half inch hardware cloth over any openings, no opening more than half inch wide (weasels can get in through a 1 inch diameter opening, I am told, and raccoon paws can reach in.

I don't leave water in the brooder overnight with my seven-week-olds, and don't plan to have any food or water in their shelter. It will be in the night pen securely attached to their shelter. Then I have the option of letting them have access to it overnight or not. I would like to, but I am concerned about predators in spite of my Little Fort Knox.

 

[maralynn28]

Thanks Amiga!
I'll be getting my day olds on Monday.

In the brooder I'm planning newspaper and pine shavings for floor bedding, in the duck house should there be something other than just floor for bedding? We are planning a raised housing with a ramp to attached run (where they are free to make a mess and range (dig in the mud).

I have a blankie in the dog house for my dog, don't know if the duckies want something like that too in their duck house...I imagine they make a mess in there with poopy? I also don't want to give them food/water in their night quarters and plan for them to be out all day in a covered run.

 

[Amiga]

Ducks are ground nesters, so having shavings or straw (one can generate many opinions at BYC by bringing up the topic of bedding, as I discovered

) If they had just a floor, unless it was a wire mesh floor, it would be slick city!!! Consider that, though. Maybe hardware cloth, perhaps with some coated wire on top to reduce the risk of foot lacerations. Then the manure just falls down under, where it can be composted in place or scooped out for compost. Scott has a nice design for his call ducks, if you want some ideas.

I use towels for the ducklings while they are in the house - the weather is still too cold at night for me to feel comfortable with them in an unheated shelter.

Spending their days in a covered run sounds pretty good. Dave Holderread has some recommendations for the number of square feet per bird. I don't have that handy, I want to say 10 sf per bird for small breeds. But the recommendations are different for pens that are their only territory versus pens that are used only during rough weather or other occasions.

 

[gryeyes]

I moved my 2 nine week old Cayugas outside two days ago. They share the same run with all my grown up chickens, and I build a little duck house just for them. Much as you described, as a matter of fact. Square, up on cinder blocks, with a ramp.

The duck house in inside the enclosed run, with three chicken coops. One coop is "closed off" to everyone, because that's where I've put my 6 nine week old chicks. It has its own attached pen. Then there's the original A-Frame coop I built, with "living quarters" up a ramp, and the bottom section secured with hardware cloth on 2 and a half sides. The other side and a half are solid wood. In the one full wooden side (actually the "end" of the coop), there's a door with a locking latch. So it's secure.

The ducks have taken to sleeping in there. They don't go up the ramp to stay with the two hens who prefer to spend their nights in the A-Frame coop. So, they're secure.

It's only been two nights, so far, so perhaps I can "transition" them to their brand new duck house eventually.

Kinda got off track..... there's no bedding on the dirt floor of the A-Frame lower section. Oh, some of the pine shavings which have fallen through the hole in the floor of the upstairs where the ramp goes... but no bedding. The chickens like the loose dirt that is always there, even when it rained. I might put some pine shavings in the one, shielded by wood corner.

Like Amiga, I used towels in the brooder.

 

[maralynn28]

Thank you all so much for the advice! We are almost done with the housing, will be painting next week and working on the run.