Ducks at night.

[thumper650]

Hi Everyone!
As some may know, I have 4 drakes. 2 Pekins and 2 runners. This is their first summer all together. Last winter when everyone got along, they lived in their large house. Since it's breeding season, they fight. Pekin vs runner. The pekin usually win. The run is divided so they can see and not touch.
I'm wondering if now that it's warmer out, is it ok for them to just be inside their run, and not in their houses. The run is covered in hardware cloth, and there's a skirt of pavers around it.
I'm wondering if them being exposed will attract predators. I live in New England and my neighborhood borders a wooded area, and a large nature reserve. We have raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyote (hear them never seen them) and I believe a fisher cat.
I know the ducks prefer outside, they once would not go in for the duck sitter once and were out in a blizzard.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

As long as your run is secure I would not make them go in personally.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

X2

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I wish i had a covered run for my ducks!
I would leave them their will and force them in only if severe weather is forecasted.

 

[thumper650]

I wish i had a covered run for my ducks!
I would leave them their will and force them in only if severe weather is forecasted.

Thanks for the replies, I'm leaning towards this. I'm going to go over their run today to make sure it's completely secure.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

My 4 ducks (2 kc’s and 2 pekins) have a pretty big pen, I would say 25x15 with a 10x10 section jutting out, they have netting on their pen because we lost two to owls. They have a small 4x3 house, but only use it to get food in the winter and rainy days, and to lay eggs. They stay outside all year round, they really don’t like their house. Last winter we had a week with wind chills dropping into the -40 so I took a cattle panel and fastened a tarp on it and made a very small space just in front of their house, but then the snow got about 18” deep and the wind was so bad I couldn’t get out there, so I put them in a playpen in the storage room of my chicken coop. If I hadn’t done something they would have just slept outside in the snow, because ducks are not so smart. We live in the country and have owls, hawks, cats, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and my cat even brought me a least weasel! But none of my pens are secured, I know we have those predators, but they must be well fed because the only predator I have problems with is red tailed hawks

 

[Callender Girl]

My runners live year-round in a large, converted chicken tractor. It is essentially a 3-foot-by-10 foot wooden-framed box, wrapped in hardware cloth with a metal roof on one half and two wooden doors -- one opens to the side and one to the top.

In the Iowa winters, when it is ridiculously cold and windy here in the northern part of the state, I place straw bales or unopened bags of pine shavings around the outside of the shelter for insulation. And, everyone is fine. In fact, they seem to relish cold, windy and wet weather.

Only my three youngest ducks have ever had the "luxury" of a real house, and that was just until they could integrate into the flock. Nine of them sleep together in the shelter at night and are either loose in a pen that I can see from the house or free range (when I'm home) during the day.

Predators here include most of yours, so hardware cloth is my best friend.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Duckworth]

My pen is now as secure as my duck house and I leave it to theducks to decide where to sleep. Most prefer the pen unless we have a big storm. Then, the go into their house to escape the wind and rain. There is a tarp over the pen roof, but it just slows the rain down, since much of our rain “falls” sideways.

 

[Cayuga momma]

Thanks for the replies, I'm leaning towards this. I'm going to go over their run today to make sure it's completely secure.

You can always test it first. Hang a piece of raw chicken in the run over night and see if anything gets it tonight.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Unless you have bears! then you may have to rebuild. lol