Duck run

[CarleeAnn]

I think we'd like the covered run even without snow. Our guys freerange with us in the summer when we are working outside, but the birds of prey make it so that we don't really leave them out unattended. That means they do spend significant time in their run, and the roof keeps it from becoming a messy mud bowl. I watch what they do outside the run on a rainy day.

Ducks are such a mess but oh so cute!! I want to leave a little mud corner for my girls.... haha

Your routine sounds like our plan- only out of the run when we are there! And really only in the run when we are home. I don’t know this new area too well so in the shed they go when we are away!

 

[MissMonty]

Ducks are such a mess but oh so cute!! I want to leave a little mud corner for my girls.... haha

Your routine sounds like our plan- only out of the run when we are there! And really only in the run when we are home. I don’t know this new area too well so in the shed they go when we are away!

Haha my husband HATES the ducks. He's ready for them to go to the freezer lol! I impulse bought them this spring. I originally only wanted 2 and was going to buy them with our chicks this spring (have to buy 6 at a time here). Well the place I got our chickens didn't have ducklings.....then my 3 year old and I were at tractor supply and saw the cutest little baby ducks......came home with 6. Worst impulse decision ever! Never thought about the mess! BIG learning curve. My kids and I love them now but we were ripping our hair out for a while trying to figure out how to handle them.

 

[CarleeAnn]

Haha my husband HATES the ducks. He's ready for them to go to the freezer lol! I impulse bought them this spring. I originally only wanted 2 and was going to buy them with our chicks this spring (have to buy 6 at a time here). Well the place I got our chickens didn't have ducklings.....then my 3 year old and I were at tractor supply and saw the cutest little baby ducks......came home with 6. Worst impulse decision ever! Never thought about the mess! BIG learning curve. My kids and I love them now but we were ripping our hair out for a while trying to figure out how to handle them.

My husband always tells me the ducks are mine but I know he loves them too! I clean their pond, coop, and let them out in the morning. Occasionally he will put them to sleep. I’m glad we only got two!! He was especially regretting the ducks when it became hard to find a rental house that would accommodate them. I kept insisting that I do not want to rehome my babies, and we finally found a place!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Roof or no roof? Should we pull it back halfway and add hardware cloth on the top so they get some sun? Or will the get enough from the sides? We would probably cut the fencing to make it flush with the shed door and have access through the gate, perhaps add boards so there are no gaps in the gate door, line the bottom with lattice work or hardware cloth so no heads get stuck, and surround with cinderblocks to deter digging of predators.

Thoughts?

P.S. We cannot dig ourselves to make a skirt in the ground to prevent digging of predators as we are renting the property. The ducks will be locked in the shed at night (or anytime we aren’t home really) and the shed is on a cement slab so we aren’t too concerned about things digging in.

Yes we did just finish our run and housing for our ducks. Ours is WAY overkill for what they need, but as we live in city limits of our small town we wanted something that looked nice as well as functional. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-progress-pics.1201917/page-45#post-19309819
I do recommend covering your run with something be it a roof or wire or bird netting to deter predators.
Cinder blocks around the bottom would be fine if you have them. . but you can do a predator apron if you like without burying it. Just lay it right on top of the ground and let the grass grow through it. You can secure it to the ground with some tent stakes or something like that

it can be chicken wire or whatever you have it doesn't have to be hardware cloth.

 

[CarleeAnn]

Yes we did just finish our run and housing for our ducks. Ours is WAY overkill for what they need, but as we live in city limits of our small town we wanted something that looked nice as well as functional. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-progress-pics.1201917/page-45#post-19309819
I do recommend covering your run with something be it a roof or wire or bird netting to deter predators.
Cinder blocks around the bottom would be fine if you have them. . but you can do a predator apron if you like without burying it. Just lay it right on top of the ground and let the grass grow through it. You can secure it to the ground with some tent stakes or something like that View attachment 1220262 it can be chicken wire or whatever you have it doesn't have to be hardware cloth.

Yours is beautiful!
We will work on making it look nice after we get settled in, ours will be seen from the road, or at least by the neighbors and I don’t want it to be an eye sore. But first priority is functional! If we pull the roof half back and cover the exposed half with chicken wire, we will definetly do the predator apron, but if we just decide to stick with only the tin roof we will probably do cinder blocks.

What is your opinion on a completely covered run roof? Do you think ducks need a lot of sun/ will get a lot of sun?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Yours is beautiful!
We will work on making it look nice after we get settled in, ours will be seen from the road, or at least by the neighbors and I don’t want it to be an eye sore. But first priority is functional! If we pull the roof half back and cover the exposed half with chicken wire, we will definetly do the predator apron, but if we just decide to stick with only the tin roof we will probably do cinder blocks.

What is your opinion on a completely covered run roof? Do you think ducks need a lot of sun/ will get a lot of sun?

Well.. . I don't really know about that. I know they need light but direct sun I'm not sure. For your convenience a full roof would be nice. I was very glad we covered at least half of our run when it snowed. Keeps the food dry and gives them a dry place to warm their feet without staying inside all day. I wanted the pool area to get some sun so that it can help dry it out from all the splashing.
@Ravynscroft
@Miss Lydia
How much sun light do ducks need to be healthy?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Evidently not a lot because in winter from Nov till end of Feb we have about 2 hrs of sun and it's so far away they don't get to enjoy much of it. Being outside whether in sunshine or not keeps them healthy. Same as us.

 

[CarleeAnn]

Okay! I’m sure they will get plenty of sunlight from the sides too. On the subject of light, should I provide artificial light in the shed if they are in there for an extended period of time? If so, what’s recommended? LED, flood light, diffused, etc..

 

[Ravynscroft]

Even fully covered on top, as long as sides aren't solid, they'll still get tons of sunlight from all sides...

But like Miss Lydia said, they do fine in winter anyways, lol...

Personally, I would still leave a section uncovered... mine love to play in snow, as long as they can get away from it again to warm up when they want...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't use lights inside although I have power to 2 of our houses. So it's up to you if you want to give them light .I use LED in my light fixturess when cleaning some members put a night light in their houses I have never done that either. When it gets dark time to sleep. unless of course there is a good show on NGO wild they like to watch