Getting ready to put the "kids" outside, help?!?

[USMCwifey]

My husband is about %90 done with out duck coop and we're also %90 ready to have them be outdoor ducks, but we have to wait till the weather gets warm at night for 24/7 outside ducks. Until than I plan on bringing them back inside before dark! My question is when they are finally %100 ready to stay outside should I build a door on the coop to lock them up at night from predators or build a small run with a closing door so they can still come outside at night? I plan on letting them free range threw out the day, but until they are %100 I'm gonna make a temp chicken wire fence so it's easier to bring them in at night. I'm really scared to let them be free rangers, but I really want them to enjoy our land and pond freely... it's just scarey to think of loosing one or more of them.

Any tips, ideas, help?!

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Many years ago when we got our first flock of chickens my husband wasn't finished building our coop when the chickens were ready for day time play time, so he built an A frame tractor to put them in outside during the day to keep them safe. It was just thrown together w/ materials we already had on hand, but has really come in handy. I would definitely put a door on the coop to keep them safe from predators at night even if you have a run.

 

[USMCwifey]

Smitty's Farm :

Many years ago when we got our first flock of chickens my husband wasn't finished building our coop when the chickens were ready for day time play time, so he built an A frame tractor to put them in outside during the day to keep them safe. It was just thrown together w/ materials we already had on hand, but has really come in handy. I would definitely put a door on the coop to keep them safe from predators at night even if you have a run.

Thanks! I think I'm gonna def put a door on the coop than just add on a little basic run so if by chance the door isn't closed they have some sort of protection at night and during the later day.​

 

[DuckiesAndBees]

I would definately put a door on the night-time coop. We bought a wooden dog house and put in a wooden frame door with hardware cloth in the center. It just has a simple hook and eye latch and was pretty easy to do. When we had our chickens we forgot to lock them in just one night and the next morning they were all dead

 

[mominoz]

Most predators come out at night. Raccoons will work all night, they have "hands" and they are smart. Someone said , think "little bears". Besides if they" go out at night, and see a predator, they may start waking the neighborhood". I lost full grown geese years ago at night to raccoons working together .Best piece of mind, "hotwire."

 

[USMCwifey]

Quote:
Is it hard to round them up a night? We have a pond the coop is going by so they can enjoy the water whenever they want. Is it gonna be difficult to get them back inside at night to lock them up?

 

[DuckiesAndBees]

Quote:
Is it hard to round them up a night? We have a pond the coop is going by so they can enjoy the water whenever they want. Is it gonna be difficult to get them back inside at night to lock them up?

I've only had mine outside for about a week, but they are pretty easy to get in at night. The other night I went out there an hour or so before sundown, just to give them snacks and watch them, and they all went inside right when I got there! So I think they are learning pretty quickly that twilight means time to go inside.

 

[USMCwifey]

Quote:
Is it hard to round them up a night? We have a pond the coop is going by so they can enjoy the water whenever they want. Is it gonna be difficult to get them back inside at night to lock them up?

I've only had mine outside for about a week, but they are pretty easy to get in at night. The other night I went out there an hour or so before sundown, just to give them snacks and watch them, and they all went inside right when I got there! So I think they are learning pretty quickly that twilight means time to go inside.

Ok, thanks!

I'm so nervous, lol

 

[Smitty's Farm]

USMCwifey~ We have our first 3 cute little Pekin duckies and it's new territory for me. They are a little over 2 weeks old and inside the house in a make shift plastic tote. I did have them brooded w/ the day old chicks that were purchased at the same time, but separated them last night b/c it's been too hard brooding them together. The ducks are growing so much faster than the chicks, seem to already need different heating needs and they get so wild w/ the water and splash the chicks. Ducks & chicks are much happier today. I'm still trying to figure out what outside set up will fit our needs best to keep them safe and happy. I don't have a raising duck book yet, so been reading on the net, this sect and the "Sticky Topic" at the beginning of the duck sect has a duck housing and pen sect w/ some examples of some members set ups. I think I've decided to let them have their own coop w/ some type of sunken pool or very small pond w/ a run that encloses the whole set up. I would like to use some type of solid roof over at least some of their run to keep part of their run dry and probably galvanized hardware wire over the rest or the whole top of the run to prevent pesky predators from entering the run as well.

DuckiesAndBees & mominoz~ I am so sorry to hear of your both of your losses. ((((hugs)))))

I've had my share of loss of chickens to predators over the years. I know how hard it is to lose a loved pet.

I've heard you can train them to coop up at night just like chickens and eventually they will coop up on their own....... That was a big selling point to me.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

 

[RaZ]

Mine have been outside for a few weeks now. At first I had to round them up for bedtime, For about 3 days I had to catch them and put them in the coop. Same with the chickens. But then the chickens started going into their coop on their own. A few days later the ducks got the idea. Last night the chicks decided that they wanted to be in the duck coop, they went in first then the ducks did. That's how they spent last night.

I hope it works like that from now on. It is much easier to clean one coop. Especially since the chicken coop is really the garage.

I've also read on another thread here that people feed their flock at bedtime so they are all ready to go into the coop for their treats. I'm letting mine free range all day today and have not put out any crumble.