Hi - I have three 3.5 week old female Runner ducks who have been living in a 6 sq foot baby playpen in my basement. My husband is building a coop for me and I had a few questions. (I've searched the forums here for duck coops and got some answers but so many of them seem so big as they're for more than 3 ducks.)
1. My initial plan was to build a duck tractor and move it every few days, and let them out to free range for an hour or so during the day, under supervision. According to Storey's guide it needs to be at least 6 sq feet, correct?
2. As they get older, I'd increase the time they free ranged. My backyard is totally fenced, but we have racoons and a hungry looking feral cat, and I'm nervous something will happen to them if I just let them free range without supervision.
3. I was originally going to just leave them in the duck tractor at night, but now I've fallen so much in love with them I couldn't stand it if anything happened to them, so I'm thinking of putting them back in their playpen at night in the garage, with a little light for warmth? Is that a good idea? We're planning on making the coop raccoon proof, but how do you know for sure it's racoon proof? I don't want to lose any of them. Is there a test I can do, i.e. put a frog in there and see if something gets in? (sorry to all you frog lovers).
4. We're in SE Portland, in a regular city block - do I need to worry about hawks?
FOR THE COOP:
1. I was thinking of using a couple large covered cat litter boxes for the nests so they'd be easy to rinse out. They like to snuggle together, so should I just get one big one or do I need more?
2. Do you need flooring above and beyond those litter boxes or can the rest be open to the ground? I saw some people using wire on theirs but it looked hard to clean.
3. If there needs to be a floor, what's your opinion? Wire or plywood? Which is more pleasant for the ducks and easy to clean?
4. Does anyone have auto waterers hooked up to a hose? If so, where do you buy them? How do you ensure they have a constant supply of water if you're gone all day? Right now I check on them every couple of hours so I'm constantly replacing their Cool HWhip container full of water.
Thank you so much for your help - these boards are a lifesaver!
1. My initial plan was to build a duck tractor and move it every few days, and let them out to free range for an hour or so during the day, under supervision. According to Storey's guide it needs to be at least 6 sq feet, correct?
2. As they get older, I'd increase the time they free ranged. My backyard is totally fenced, but we have racoons and a hungry looking feral cat, and I'm nervous something will happen to them if I just let them free range without supervision.
3. I was originally going to just leave them in the duck tractor at night, but now I've fallen so much in love with them I couldn't stand it if anything happened to them, so I'm thinking of putting them back in their playpen at night in the garage, with a little light for warmth? Is that a good idea? We're planning on making the coop raccoon proof, but how do you know for sure it's racoon proof? I don't want to lose any of them. Is there a test I can do, i.e. put a frog in there and see if something gets in? (sorry to all you frog lovers).
4. We're in SE Portland, in a regular city block - do I need to worry about hawks?
FOR THE COOP:
1. I was thinking of using a couple large covered cat litter boxes for the nests so they'd be easy to rinse out. They like to snuggle together, so should I just get one big one or do I need more?
2. Do you need flooring above and beyond those litter boxes or can the rest be open to the ground? I saw some people using wire on theirs but it looked hard to clean.
3. If there needs to be a floor, what's your opinion? Wire or plywood? Which is more pleasant for the ducks and easy to clean?
4. Does anyone have auto waterers hooked up to a hose? If so, where do you buy them? How do you ensure they have a constant supply of water if you're gone all day? Right now I check on them every couple of hours so I'm constantly replacing their Cool HWhip container full of water.
Thank you so much for your help - these boards are a lifesaver!
