Duck Pen *added picture!*

[carlala_]

We just finished our duck pen!! But im a little sad about putting them outside. Were on our way to the beach for the day so they are going out there tomorrow so I can watch and make sure they are ok. Ill post pictures later!

 

[Amiga]

Congratulations on this next step. It was very hard for me, too.

Some ideas: I gave them treats in their new house so they'd associate good things with it. I made it as secure as I knew how to keep them safe. I kept a light on at night to deter predators (we now use solar path lights).

It looks like you're going to have them out there for a day or so before they have to. Good.

I also have some good neighbors who look in on them while I'm gone if I ask them to.

 

[secuono]

Wasn't hard for me, they make such a mess, I couldn't get them out soon enough!
If the pen is fully secure, don't worry about it. And if they have a pool, they will be crazy excited about going out.

 

[carlala_]

We dont have neighbors

butthe solar lights are a good idea! We have kennel wire as the fence actualy concreted into the ground, chicken wire around the bottom so nothing can stick their hands in it, a house, a pool, and deer mesh over the top so nothing can get in

 

[carlala_]

There it is! We put them in it a about 15 minutes ago and they were a little scared to get in the water. My mallard jumped in first and the other 2 were quick to follow. They havent come out of it yet! Its so hot out there, I dont blame them!

 

[animalpro24]

Very nice!!! Are they gonna stay in it permanently? If so make sure it's completely predator proof. What breed of ducks?

 

[carlala_]

I have 1 pekin and 2 mallards. Started out with 3 pekins and we put them in the dog kennel in the background and my dog unlocked the door and killed 2 of them. The surviror made it to the pond way down the hill. So we renamed her Luckie Duckie

. So that was a learning experience. All the wire for the fencing is put on the posts so nothing can push it in, the posts are concreted into the ground so they wont fall over. I have chicken wire going around the bottom about 2 foot high so no little critters can stick their hand in and grab one. I have deer net pulled tight and secured over the top so nothing can climb in. The door only opens outwards and there is no way they can push hard enough to get out with the latch i have and we made it hard to open so my dog cant flip the lock this time. But we do plan on keeping them out there permanently. I'm just gonna watch how they do and I'll eventually put another house in there or make it bigger.

 

[carlala_]

And when we put the fence up around it we dug a trench and put the bottom in that, then poured concrete in it...so its locked in place

 

[ducks_rcool329]

you may want to put something on the ground on the inside, I have seen foxes dig under a fence. I put hardwire cloth under my 30'x30' coop and my 10'x20' run.

 

[ducks_rcool329]

that is also a really nice pen!

Lots of grass, and a ground-level pond. My ducks are jealous.