Help with duck shelter ?

[svh]

Sorry, hit the wrong button ! Stand by .....

 

[svh]

I know zero about ducks.

I live on/near a 160 acre lake, and earlier this year someone abandoned 5 ducks. Two survived, and have become attached to a neighbor who has been feeding them at the waters edge.

This neighbor wants/needs to build a shelter, but neither one if us has any idea what to build.

This shelter needs to accommodate 2 quackers who have spent most of their lives in the lake.

PLEASE help us by offering up any solutions to help keep these sweeties alive during the coming winter. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Im assuming you are talking about abandoned domestic ducks, then. Poor things... They really don't require much, honestly. Mine have a structure I built out of old wood. It resembles a large dog house. It will need ventilation high up so that they don't end up in a draft and get chilled. For warmth, you can fill it with straw. And they'll need a door that can be closed up at night for predator protection. Any ventilation should be covered with hardware cloth, too, if predators are a concern. Ducks are messssssyyyyyy creatures, so it will need to be cleaned frequently.

Is your neighbor looking to keep them penned at all, or will they be free ranging /swiming on the pond during the day?

Here's a link to the coops page. It's mostly about chicken coops, but it has duck house info in there and tons of good ideas:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/chicken-coops.12/

Good luck!

 

[DukesDucks]

Take a look at the thread Coop & Runs : Design, Construction and Maintenance for ideas. Coops can be poultry palaces or purely functional. Do what you are capable of and can afford, and know that at least the ducks are being cared for.

 

[svh]

Im assuming you are talking about abandoned domestic ducks, then. Poor things... They really don't require much, honestly. Mine have a structure I built out of old wood. It resembles a large dog house. It will need ventilation high up so that they don't end up in a draft and get chilled. For warmth, you can fill it with straw. And they'll need a door that can be closed up at night for predator protection. Any ventilation should be covered with hardware cloth, too, if predators are a concern. Ducks are messssssyyyyyy creatures, so it will need to be cleaned frequently.

Is your neighbor looking to keep them penned at all, or will they be free ranging /swiming on the pond during the day?

Here's a link to the coops page. It's mostly about chicken coops, but it has duck house info in there and tons of good ideas:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/chicken-coops.12/

Good luck!

Thank you.

Yes they are domestic ducks.

The plan is to leave them as free as possible, just offering shelter and food, especially when the lake is frozen.

I'll go check out the coop page, thanks again.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

As far as a shelter for ducks, it can be pretty simple since they don't need a ramp. 4 walls, a door, and ventilation. For 2 ducks you really only need 8 sq ft. But, more is always better. I made my duck coop out of a child's playhouse. I have it sitting on a pallet covered with a piece of wood. The windows are covered in hardware cloth. I have a coverings so that I can provide more shelter from the wind or open them up.

 

[Quatie]

If you leave them free, there is a good chance they may never use the structure. Ducks naturally spend most of their time on the water. They do not roost at night like chickens. For domesticated ducks, the best thing would be to pen them up. They can't survive on their own and are dependent on people. Mine are use to their coop, and they often hate being put to bed.

It is great that you are trying to help these poor duckies! I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

[svh]

Well, these have been living on the lake for the past 3 months, with handouts from people, mainly the neighbors I spoke of earlier. They have a 12ish year old daughter, who feeds them daily, and the ducks hang around their lakefront property.

The dad just wants to build a 2x4, elevated, (as it can flood) lakefront open shack, with an open door facing the lake. I seriously doubt the ducks will go willingly into any structure, and I don't believe the neighbors have the wherewithal or motivation to do more than build a simple open "coop", and call it good.

I'll pass on the information to them, and hopefully it will all work out.

 

[igorsMistress]

My ducks don’t like being cooped so I leave the doors op n and they do as they please. I suspect the ducks may find their own place to sleep at night when temps drop, but may just stay on the lake if it doesn’t freeze over.