Ducks In Chicken Coop

[Espresso]

Can ducks be taught to climb up a raised chicken coop ramp? If they won't, what do you do about it?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can ducks be taught to climb up a raised chicken coop ramp? If they won't, what do you do about it?

It depends on how steep and how wide, you have to take into consideration ducks are wider and need a wider ramp than chickens, and they don't do well with steep ramps. 2 of my houses have ramps going up them but they aren't steep and they are wide to accommodate the wide waddle of my ducks.

 

[StBob]

Hi - I got a purpose built "Quack House" for my duck Wendi but she chose the nesting box of the chicken coop over it. Probably because I took her first few eggs away and she looked for somewhere safer. She brooded 6 duckling eggs in the coop but I raised them inside. Next lot she went in the Quack House though only 1 duckling made it. I recently noticed her checking out the chicken coop again, going up the ladder to have a look see a few times. Her 3 week old duckling even followed her up ("Mama, where's my bedroom?", "Let's talk about that later"). But she has started laying again in the Quack House.

My only suggestion would be to take her eggs from where ever she lays them so she moves as her instinct is that it is not a safe place. She is a 1 year old Pekin so may not work for other breeds or even other Pekins.

In the photo she is sticking her head out of the green coop box where she was brooding. The blue Quack House (a small dog house) is in the background which she now uses. At first I was a bit annoyed she didn't use it but was actually easier to get the eggs out of the coop. The chickens stayed laying until she was real broody and kicked them out. Guess where they started laying instead? Right, the ducks Quack House.

 

[Espresso]

Haha. I love that picture.

Maybe I could get a wider ramp. The coop was free and has a wonderful attached run so I couldn't pass it up.

 

[StBob]

My ducks have no problem getting up a normal steep chick coop ramp. They can actually jump up about a foot or more if they want to. Don't be fooled by their ungainly waddle!

 

[StBob]

you have Muscovies right? They are bigger than most breeds aren't they? My Pekin has no trouble getting up the chicken coop ramp - she can even jump up with no ramp if her eggs are in there and I have taken her off the nest when she is broody!

 

[Espresso]

Haha. I am actually exclusively raising anconas.