How do you keep pedators away from ducks?

[RoosterRehab97]

Well, how do you do it???

 

[1lpoock]

Well...in the run cover it with hardware cloth or chicken wire, but hardware cloth will be better. Also, bury the chicken wire out about a foot from the edges of the run to prevent digging. And don't leave food out at night to attract predators.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I house my ducks in a very large dog kennel. The top is covered with chicken wire. I have done it this way for years and never had a problem with raccoons or other predators digging underneath, or busting through the chicken wire. In the spring I put my ducks into breeding pens made with chicken wire, and I have never had any problems with those either.

 

[~SunSetsWest~]

I have a 15' x 40' pen, it just has bird netting on top to keep the winged predators out but I ran 3 strands of continuous current hotwire, top, middle and bottom, it will light up anything that comes looking for a meal, I haven't had anything even try to get past it...
I love hotwire!!

 

[kawonu]

I keep ours in 10 x 10 dog kennels too but last year and just in the last three weeks I've had several killed by skunks. I didn't believe it until I seen it but they can squeeze through the chain links! Skunks are the only thing I've had problems with.

 

[Trenary Duck Farm]

Great Pyrenees LGD.

 

[cawooduck]

You cant go wrong with a fully enclosed pen of some type. If they are still getting in, hot wires on a timer for the night will keep most critters at bay. You can also run a trapping program, using live traps. If you are afraid that you will catch your own pets or the neighbors cat, and you have a large problem with raccoons, look up a product online called "the egg" for trapping raccoons, its even safe to use around kids because of the way it works.

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Predators really are not a problem here..I live in the city so a stray dog or a stupid person who lets their dog run loose..But they cant get through my cage..
I have welded poles and wire under the tarp nothing underground..I have a petbarn inside there now..Will have to update my pics..

 

[Dances with Ducks]

I live in a city, we have had fox and raccoon attacking our ducks, and have seen a coyote on the bike path next to our house. We didn't want to go with the enclosed pen because it would limit the size too much so we set up electric wires. We have wooden slat fencing along the bottom and electric wires above. A really smart predator could get through but we figure most will decide it's easiest just try to jump over it and hit the wiring. That's when they get an unforgetable lesson.

First we were dealing with a fox who somehow scrambled in over our six foot privacy fence. After we set up the electric fence the fox disappeared, I sure the shock taught him our backyard is a very unsafe place.
Last month a raccoon got in the duckhouse and miraculoulsly only stole a couple of eggs. I heard the commotion at 2:30 in the morning. He jumped out of the duck house when he heard me coming but was afraid to go through the fence to leave the pen. I sprayed him with the hose and watched him as he edged toward an area closer to me where he had found an area above a gate that we hadn't put the wires close enough to each other. We tightend up that wiring and added locks to the duck house and no more problems with him.

This shows a gate area. The wiring is loose as the gate is undone. The wires look a little mangled because we had done some rewiring and reused old wire.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
THree ways
1 gather all the predators up and give them a good talking to.
2 Kill all the predators.
3 provide predator proof enclosures for your ducks to keep the preditors out.
Neither 1 nor 2 ever worked for me but you are welcome to try them. BTW whole book chapters have been written on the third way, i suggest you read at least one.
Sorry for the rant but people that demand easy answers for tough proplems are a pet peeve of mine.