Duck Palace is complete!

[tdd2]

Dan, I totally get what you are saying about the landing--makes sense and if I can work out the construction logistics of it I will do that, otherwise I will use a ramp that's at least six feet. I hadn't considered the slippery-when-wet aspect of the astroturf, so the rubber mat/runner sounds like a good idea, or the other poster's idea of a stall mat as a surface. I live in Southern California, and there are only a handful of nights a year where it gets down to freezing temps so ice won't be an issue for me. If the ducks absolutely won't use the ramps, then as a last resort I will cut the coop to 6 to 9 inches off the ground and use pavers to make steps, but that will make it a nightmare when I need to clean it out under it I think.


Farm316, the wire floor has a rubber mat in the sheltered area, so in the area she is sleeping in is nice and soft. I have a second mat I could put down if necessary to cover more surface area, but the food and water really need to be on the wire to keep everything clean (although last night she took her peas back to her mat to eat them there, and now there are squashed pea remnants in her sleeping area ).

Lithachick and Veronicasmom, what is the specific problem with chicken wire? Is the problem that predators would tear a hole in the wire itself, or that they might rip it away from the sides of the frame? Are you thinking a raccoon could access the cage from the top? 2 of the 3 top panels are plywood anyhow, and only the middle one is chicken wire, but I think I have enough hardware cloth left to cover at least the top.

Thanks for the input. One thing I have noticed in researching duck coops is that while there are many prefab pens/coops designed for chickens, there just aren't any that are specifically tailored for ducks (that I could find, anyhow), so we are kind of on our own when designing them!

Your coop looks great so far!! (and I prefer home made ones to store bought, you really do get what you want/need that way) Also, you are definitely headed in the right direction with this

I would agree with the NEED for replacing/covering any chicken wire with hardware cloth. Chicken wire is for keeping chickens out of gardens, etc - it is not for predator protection. Weasels, racoons, rats, etc can easily tear/climb/chew/reach through chicken wire - it is just too thin and weak, and has openings that are much too wide. A few resources explaining the differences: the-chicken-chick.com, thegardencoop.com, communitychickens.com

Ultimately, you do not want any opening that is bigger then 1/2" wide (raccoons can reach into a space any bigger than that, weasels and rats can actually crawl through those small spaces).

I have actually gone over my pen/barn a few times, looking at it again and again, and adding additional sections of wire cloth and/or 1x2's and such to block behind door gaps, between frame sections - anywhere there is a gap. . . .

And as an example of what type of predators that are around - even when you think they aren't . . . we live 'in town', in a rather built up area, and these are a few video clips from the game cam my better half got me for my birthday last month - I was astonished at what was coming through our yard, and near our duckie barn at night!! Any of these visits could have been disastrous if the ducks were not well protected.


Fox visit: We were out kayaking during last months' super moon, and got home late - so the ducks were still out in their secure pen, as we hadn't been home to lock them in their barn . . .

The secure pen is pressure treated 4x4 framing, with 1/2" galvanized, vinyl coated hardware cloth all around - stapled and then sandwiched between 1x4 trim pieces, and has a metal covered, 1/2" plywood roof - the pen is mounted directly to the duckie barn, no gaps. Predator proofing

Raccoon visit: Here the ducks were locked in their barn (where they are kept at night). . .

Cat visit: Again, the ducks were locked away - so there was little interest for the cat . . .

I understand you wanting to have the coop off of the ground for easier cleaning, but that is also giving any potential predator another access route

Perhaps you (or your husband) could put the coop 'on the ground', but on 4x4's at each end, with some sort of plastic tray (like those sold for large dog crates, or for leaving wet/snowy boots on in the winter, etc) that slides under the water/feed/open area, and can be simply slid out for cleaning off? Just another potential way to go.

Again, you guys are doing a GREAT job - and you'll find that as you go, you'll be making little adjustments and tweaks to get things where you want them - have fun with it!!

Cheers'

Dan

 

[Eluria]

Thanks...I'd better wait until my poor husband no longer feels like he's been smacked all over with a 2x4 before I bring up the adjustments though, or he's going to be awfully cranky I am not worried about the bottom of the coop at all, since it is hardware cloth, and it's not just stapled in, it's been drilled with wood screws inserted through large washers at intervals, too. I did that mostly because I was concerned that one of my smaller kiddos might try climbing into the coop with the ducks and I needed it to be able to support their weight if that happened, but I think it would seriously take a bear to rip through that, and I PROMISE there are no bears where I live LOL.

I hadn't considered rats as predators, though, and I know those can be anywhere, unfortunately, and I know how they are about getting into small spaces--I used to have them as pets when I was younger. So I will replace the chicken wire everywhere else with the hardware cloth :/

Should the cloth be attached to the inside of the wood frame, or the outside? Currently, the floor is on the inside of the wood for support, but the chicken wire is on the outside.

 

[Thechickmama]

i have a raised coop too but i am assuming that it will be safe cuz it has plywood for the flooring. you could just easily slide some plywood over the chicken wire, and staple or screw it on, and you would just have to clean it out once in a while, it seems to work well for me and my family.

 

[Eluria]

Just an update: We took off the chicken wire and replaced it with hardware cloth, and used poultry fencing staples. That stuff isn't going anywhere--ever, lol. Good thing, because it is SUCH a pain to work with! So, rescue girl (and babies, when they are old enough) will be safe and sound when they sleep. During the day when they are out, it will really just be the kitties and hawks we have to watch for, and I suspect that when they are fully grown they will not be bothered much since none of the babies we are ordering are bantam breeds. Thanks for all the help and advice; I will post pics soon Gotta work on the ramp next.

 

[Going Quackers]

Honestly looks pretty classic call duck pen... while i don't keep my calls that way many do, so i think the smaller wire floor cannot be that much of an issue otherwise tons of calls would have bumblefoot. There is a break in the main area(housing) that is not wired, now me? i'd probably toss plywood or rubber matting on that wire do give even more of a break but it really maybe un-needed.

Ramp... hmm again, calls here so i have mini versions of that mallard you have lol we have a few SMALL ramps for the housing, it's tricky though ducks are just not that agile in water is where they shine, how tall is it? i would almost do a split ramp two that lead to a solid piece in between to lessen the steepness.

I know mallards are taller/bigger than my calls but they are still small ducks.. and i have not found great success with ramps of much depth to work with ducks overall.

Pretty duck! so cute. Best of luck.