DUCK SETUPS

[brood mother]

I am wondering how people have their ducks setup outside? How old is a safe age to have them live in a coop? How big of a coop do 4 Swedish need? Does it need to b fenced in also?

How will I know that they are old enough for supervised free walks outside? We have a pond and not sure ho old they need to be before being shown th pond. I want them to remotely listen and be just like pets.

 

[foothillsco]

I'm not much more experienced than yourself but in my brief 3 months, I think I can offer some help.

I built a duck house framed liked a tractor coop. Pen on one side, house on the other. One thing I learned is that my house is probably 2x too big for 4 ducks. My total duck tractor is 5.5' x 7' with the house section being 5.5' x 3' for a total sf of 16.5'.

If I were to build it again, I wouldn't even bother with a mobile house. I'd put it on a concrete pad and built it so that two people could pick it up and clean it easily. I would put it on a concrete pad that is "painted" with a hard rubber paint like they use on decks or garage floors. I still like the house/pen part. Ducks sleep in house, wake up and enter pen, I open (or not) doors to pen to my yard.

I put my ducks out at 1 month. They were about 12" high.

Re listening, I'm not sure if your joking or not. Your ducks might be smart but mine aren't. Mine are inseparable from each other, nervous and the only time they would come to me is if I'm holding their food.

 

[brood mother]

That looks nice! I have just 4 ducks so not sure how big my husband would need toake something. And does the pen need to be really big? Because I had initially planned for mine I be able to roam around my yard once big enough. I also have fairly big pond that I was going to try to put their house close too.

 

[Going Quackers]

I have a couple different things, truly depends on how many ducks... you can convert sheds, doghouses.. build small buildings. The minimalist coop from chickens coops for dummies would be nice for 4 ducks...



I built one here for my calls(too big lol) but would certainly work for larger ducks..

In the coop depends on your temps and access to lamps for heat.. i have some month old pekin in my main duck barn in a stall, we've been on/off with a lamp depends on the temps.. if your building is pred proof and temps solid.. a couple of week is fine...

as for outside, that is tricky, i am teaching my pekin where to go and to herd.. it's a process... i wouldn't leave young unattended till much older.. especially without older ones to guide. i had my pekin out in a nice +2°C day playing in the mud while i watched then returned them to the barn with a lamp.

would love to see your ducks! and welcome. There should be a duck house thread too, try a search.