Hoop coop idea for overwintering my garden boxes

[Floof]

So I was at tractor supply and I ended up walking out with 7 ducklings for $2. I need a place to put them when they outgrow the brooder and I'm thinking of making 2 "hoop coops" to go over my unsuccessful garden boxes and over wintering them there. Our soil was poor and didn't hold water and didn't have enough nutrients and everything I planted is stunted and sad. Duck poop and bedding can't hurt the situation. I would make them 10 feet long and 3 feet wide, housing 3 and 4 ducks each. I originally was thinking to make them as short as possible to make them lightweight so come spring I can move them off more easily but is it worth making them tall enough for me to get into if need be? Sick bird, turn over bedding, retrieve an errant food container? I just wanted some opinions while I kick around the idea. Factors to consider: Im pregnant and due in December with no family support besides my other kiddos so I need something inexpensive and easy. I also don't want to have to let them out and close them up every day so I'd prefer it double as their house and run.

 

[cavemanrich]

Im pregnant and due in December with no family support besides my other kiddos so I need something inexpensive and easy. I also don't want to have to let them out and close them up every day so I'd prefer it double as their house and run.

I do not see an easy solution that I can suggest.
Hoop coops require cattle panels, which are not exactly cheap. Then you need to deliver home. You may need more than your family car to do so.
Then there is the clear plastic tarps for roof. You would need such,,,, as you would need light when growing things in your garden boxes. The ends need to be securely closed, and the cattle panels need to be secure with hardware cloth,, which is outrageously expensive.
Clear plastic is also pricey. Without proper securement, predators will snack out on your ducklings.

Where will your ducks be when spring gardening starts??
Also you state that your help is limited.
No idea of your location, so not sure what winter conditions your ducks will face.

Can you possibly get a used coop from someone, that is discontinuing poultry keeping??

Ducks do need fresh water and in somewhat deep containers. Are you able to provide that during winter cold weather.
I know you are expecting an Angel in December.
Lets see what others suggest.


WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Floof]

I do not see an easy solution that I can suggest.
Hoop coops require cattle panels, which are not exactly cheap. Then you need to deliver home. You may need more than your family car to do so.
Then there is the clear plastic tarps for roof. You would need such,,,, as you would need light when growing things in your garden boxes. The ends need to be securely closed, and the cattle panels need to be secure with hardware cloth,, which is outrageously expensive.
Clear plastic is also pricey. Without proper securement, predators will snack out on your ducklings.

Where will your ducks be when spring gardening starts??
Also you state that your help is limited.
No idea of your location, so not sure what winter conditions your ducks will face.

Can you possibly get a used coop from someone, that is discontinuing poultry keeping??

Ducks do need fresh water and in somewhat deep containers. Are you able to provide that during winter cold weather.
I know you are expecting an Angel in December.
Lets see what others suggest.


WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I live in a rather temperate part of oregon. At coldest it gets down to the mid teens but our average winters get into the 20s. I think the cattle panels are overkill for putting them in the garden boxes. I have a 12x8 hoop coop on the lower part of my property but what I learned the hard way is that in the winter it becomes a dangerous slippery mess getting down to it. I wont risk it while heavily pregnant (I have fallen half a dozen times walking down that side of the hill in poor weather).

 

[Floof]

I was thinking something like either of these with hardware cloth ends to keep the air flowing. If I make them domed, like a hoope coop, theres the issue of how to access the birds/food/waterers.

 

[cavemanrich]

If I make them domed, like a hoope coop, theres the issue of how to access the birds/food/waterers.

You can keep the food, and water close to one of the end caps. Your ducks will not drag it to the middle. As to getting one of your ducks out,,,, a long handle broom should work.
I understand you need the coop near where it is safe for you to walk to.
Stay safe and protect your little angel,

 

[paintedChix]

I used cattle panel & HWC to make raised garden beds. I cut 2 - 16' panels in half horizontally. Due to "changing" wire distances, i matched the 2 bottom halves & the the 2 top halves together. This will give you 2 garden beds or pens for the ducks of slightly different heights (one pair will have longer prongs that go deeper into ground).

Might be easier to attach HWC before bending pieces. Not sure. Would be 4 sections - 2' tall x 16' long. I bent the panels first - used a 2x4, stood on top of it & "rocked" the end of the panels "up". I made the bend @ approximately 36". Definitely easier w/ at least one extra person. So you now have one CP shaped like an "L" - about 13' long on one side, 3' on "short" end & 25" tall w/ cut ends you can stick in the ground to hold it up & secured. Bend the matching panel on the opposite end. Then match together, poke into the ground & secures the ends. I used a combination of hay string & plastic zip ties. You could use paracord, steel zip ties or wire...

Attach the HWC to the inside. If I remember right, I put a partial roll of 1/4" inside & rolled it around the enclosure, cut & then secured to CP.

I filled bottom w/ pruning from our trees & some smallish log from trees being topped the year before. Added compost litter from chicken pens, shredded cardboard & paper, lawn & weed clippings, leaves, some hay... Chickens will stir it up. Not sure about ducks. I used a varity of "lids" for the beds. The worst was just 2x4 welded wire - not sure if deer stumbled into/over it, but wire unattached/ripped away on one side, pushed down into bed & a quad of juvenile chickens let loose. Other one i used was a "broken" dog kennel that our vet clinic was going to throw out. The pieces were wider than 3' feet, but I strapped along one side of the bed so it could be lifted. Then made ties to hold other side. Worked pretty well, actually. Each section could be raised individually to access chicks & water. I dumped feed into bed & let them scratch.

You could do a top in a varity of ways to allow you to access the duckies! Google & Pinterest "covering raised garden beds", building a top for raised garden, building a top on garden bed for chickens/ducks - etc. If ducks are not babies, (they wont be), they should handle cold weather better than chickens. Beds can be protected/roofed w/ a variety of materials.

Shoot, you could even make a long a-frame "tent" from free pallets or again from CP.

You can drive rebar into the ground @ edges of your garden beds, hoop pvc or conduit pipe & push down over rebar. Add wire over the top, roof w/ tarp(s). Make a gate on each end.





CP A-Frame - 2x4 base. 5'x8'.



An unused puppy x-pen used w/ a rabbit cage.



Not my pics - Pinterest or Google



There is a REALLY nice build of a "topper" made to fit on a garden bed. Thought I had a Pic on my phone, but don't... I will try to find it - it could present ideas, even if it itself is too expensive.

EDIT - added last sentence on 1st paragraph. Adjusted photo, deleted & put back up cropped one under puppy x- pen & rabbit cage.