I recently got 4 ducks. I have a really big chicken coop that houses about 16 chickens and 2 rabbits. I have a pond on my property and I want the ducks to be able to live by the pond. Last year I had runners and they got eaten when they wouldnt come up to the chicken coop to go to bed. What is a good duck house? we dont close are chickens in at night because they have an automatic chicken coop door. So i really dont want to have to go get the ducks every night. My pond is not be enough for a floating house and I want to be able to get their eggs. (campbells and some mallard hybrid) So any ideas for a duck house? Can you leave the door open and since these ducks cant fly can it be lifted off the ground or should it be ground level? but then what is keeping racoons from eating the ducks? same if it is lifted and has a ramp?
Domestic ducks do not posess the skills needed to live on their own. The only way these ducks won't get eaten like the last ones is if they are in an enclosed predator proof house like your chickens have. A floating house is not safe. Predators can swim too. So, you can build them a house that is as safe as your chicken coop (once they are out of the brooder), ground level is best and go and close the door at night or get an automatic door closer or you can leave them unsafe and they too will get eaten. Sorry but those are your options.
I close my ducks up at night, my pond is not huge and I worry about predators getting them. My duck house is ground level, but even if it was elevated the coons would still get them if not shut in. I had to catch and put my ducks in the house when I first moved them outside and then started just herding them in and now they wait at the house for me and if it gets too dark they go in on their own and then I just go out and close the door. I have had these 4 since last spring and we made it through fall and winter with no attacks. I don't know if a auto door would work unless they were well trained...mine still need encouragement every so often to go in...
