How big should my duck house be?

[rosiesgirls]

I want to get 6 Muscovy ducks and don't know how big their house should be. They will be free ranging during the day and have access to our pond. I plan to house them only at night for the most part but, in upstate NY, they may want to stay inside on some of the colder winter days. Is a 4'x6' house big enough? Also, will 1' off the ground be ok? I know they don't like to be too high, but I'll want them up off the ground in the winter. Also, I've heard that Muscovies actually like to roost, rather than sit on the floor...how tall should I be making this? Most of the duck houses I've seen are pretty short but if I'm going to put roost bars in, I imagine it'll need to be taller. Does anyone have experience with Muscovies? Do yours roost or sit on the floor? (And I thought chickens were hard to figure out!)

Thanks for your help!

 

[rosiesgirls]

I saw a duck house for sale that said it was "for up to 6 ducks." It is 4'x3'...is this really big enough for 6 ducks??

 

[atomic]

Are you building it yourself? It does seem awful small. I'd make it as big as within my capabilities and budget if possible.

 

[rosiesgirls]

I will be building it myself (with Hubby's help). I want it to be big enough, but not so big that they'll have a hard time being warm in the winter. We have free access to a ton of barn wood, so I'm not concerned with cost. I'll only need to buy the hardware (hinges, etc.).

 

[chickens really]

I used an extra large Dog house for 3 Calls and 3 standard Appleyard...I locked them in at night....It worked...They were fed and watered outside and had straw to keep their feet warm out in the covered run....

 

[BantyChooks]

I saw a duck house for sale that said it was "for up to 6 ducks." It is 4'x3'...is this really big enough for 6 ducks??

No. Ducks need closer to 4--6 square feet of space.

 

[rosiesgirls]

No. Ducks need closer to 4--6 square feet of space.

OK...so at least 4x6, then...is there an advantage to making it bigger? Again, I'm concerned about their ability to be warm in there during the winter...smaller space will be easier for them to warm up with their body heat, but also want to be sure they're comfortable.

 

[BantyChooks]

OK...so at least 4x6, then...is there an advantage to making it bigger? Again, I'm concerned about their ability to be warm in there during the winter...smaller space will be easier for them to warm up with their body heat, but also want to be sure they're comfortable.

They'll be happier and the coop will stay cleaner if they have more space. Where are you located? Ducks do quite well in cold; even better than chickens do. They can handle down to, oh, I'd say at least -30. That's just what I've seen and experienced.

 

[gilbert2]

In my experience, ducks are surprisingly adaptable. If you are suggesting a house whose dimensions are 4 feet X 6 feet, that would be more than enough, since the square footage is 24 square feet. Frankly, I think it is too big. In the cold months, I used to have three ducks staying in an uninsulated wire dog cage, and it was only 2' X 3'. And they didn't even fill the whole cage, since they tended to huddle together in the rear.
Again, in my opinion, a 4' X 3' house would be PLENTY of room for a sleeping house. I'm not considering any roosting arrangements, since I believe they could sleep just fine on the floor, huddled into a mass.

 

[BantyChooks]

In my experience, ducks are surprisingly adaptable. If you are suggesting a house whose dimensions are 4 feet X 6 feet, that would be more than enough, since the square footage is 24 square feet. Frankly, I think it is too big. In the cold months, I used to have three ducks staying in an uninsulated wire dog cage, and it was only 2' X 3'. And they didn't even fill the whole cage, since they tended to huddle together in the rear.
Again, in my opinion, a 4' X 3' house would be PLENTY of room for a sleeping house. I'm not considering any roosting arrangements, since I believe they could sleep just fine on the floor, huddled into a mass.

The key here is for sleeping.
Unless you're either willing to spend a large wad of cash on making a covered run, or live way down south, your birds are going to be cooped for several months. I'm assuming you live down south due to you saying that your birds stayed in a dog cage in winter? In that case, I'm sure you can get away with a tiny coop. Depending on where the OP lives, it's quite probable she can't.