How much square footage for ducks?

[Soon2BChixMom]

I am sure you know chicken wire isn't the best for being predator proof.
I am not sure what you mean by another fence above? Does that mean your chicken wire is not tall enough?
I dont know anything abo it poultry fencing, but as long as the shock is hard enough, it will deter. If they figure a way over it or around it, it won't be a deterrent.
I am using electric wire around my run. It is strong enough to deter dogs, so anything else that I have around here, it will work on. We don't have bears or anything like that though.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Your ducklings are very cute! And look like you they have lots of personality. How do they like the little red cup things for water does it work well for you?

Those are probably ok, but a duck needs water deep enough to dip their bills and face in. As long as that is provided, the cups are just an extra source.

 

[Cayuga momma]

The ducks actually use the cups better then the chickens, but I have alot of water sources around them. They have the cups, a metal water bowl thats 2 inches deep. My sons metal snow slay and two chicken containers you get from TSC. Plus they have a huge swimming pool.

Poultry netting is suppose to be really good at keeping out predators. My husband wants it. Honestly I would rather get the electric wiring with solar. Either way we will have something in by the end of September.

We don't have any big ground predators here, just raccoons, foxes, and the occasional fisher. (I have already caught and killed 2 raccoons)

Their coop is pretty secure and that's all I'm worried about right now. My rottweiler is with them all day and I'm with them most of the day.

The chicken wire fence is 4ft high. I wanted to put another 4 ft high fence on top of that so it would be a total of 8 feet high and then I could "drape" the netting over that.

 

[Cayuga momma]

Also even though the ducks can use the cups they make a worse mess with them then a regular water bowl. So IMO I think the cups were a waste, because my chickens don't like to peck to refill them.

 

[Cayuga momma]

Sorry to add on, lol. I know the chicken wire won't keep anything out, I use it to keep the chickens in. I only let them free range when I'm out with them.
Even though I haven't had any predators come close on my game cameras, as @Miss Lydia said earlier come winter it will be a different story. So I am gonna be as prepared as I can be. Today I put up the solar sensor lights too. The coop and run are about 20 ft from my bedroom window that's at the head of my bed. My cats already set the run light off and I was blinded sitting on my bed, lol.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is a nice size building you have for them. How many total will be living in there? you have to add in duck math.

Are you talking about the poultry fencing the have at Premier1? suppose to be really good stuff. All I see is making it much safer on the exterior for the ground predators and you named the worse of them in one of your posts.

I have had ducks since 2004 and I am always tweaking something for them still. I did add roost shelfs under my chickens roots this past year so my Runners and scovys can sleep under them and not get pooped on everyone likes to sleep in one house in winter.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Poultry netting is suppose to be really good at keeping out predators. My husband wants it. Honestly I would rather get the electric wiring with solar. Either way we will have something in by the end of September.
We don't have any big ground predators here, just raccoons, foxes, and the occasional fisher. (I have already caught and killed 2 raccoons)

Their coop is pretty secure and that's all I'm worried about right now. My rottweiler is with them all day and I'm with them most of the day.

The chicken wire fence is 4ft high. I wanted to put another 4 ft high fence on top of that so it would be a total of 8 feet high and then I could "drape" the netting over that.

Um, that is pretty much all I read about on the predator forum. So, you have a good reason to not use chicken wire. Racoons can rip through chicken wire.
I have cattle panel, welded wire, and an electric wire. The welded wire is not a half inch, but there would be no sense in using it due to the aviary netting being open.
While we have mink and weasels in the area, none are living in my backyard, so I have to take my chances.
I guess if anything gets through, then I will have to reconsider my set up or reconsider owning birds.
I have thought about getting an electric poultry fence to increase the area the birds can roam in, but it would be open at the top (in my case) - so I haven't looked into it farther.
You might want to post your set up on the coop and run forum, see what ideas people throw your way.

 

[Cayuga momma]

That is a nice size building you have for them. How many total will be living in there? you have to add in duck math

I plan on getting maybe on or two more chickens, but I'm gonna let my ducks have babies so there will be more ducks.

Are you talking about the poultry fencing the have at Premier1? suppose to be really good stuff. All I see is making it much safer on the exterior for the ground predators and you named the worse of them in one of your posts.

Yes thats the stuff.

I have had ducks since 2004 and I am always tweaking something for them still. I did add roost shelfs under my chickens roots this past year so my Runners and scovys can sleep under them and not get pooped on everyone likes to sleep in one house in winter.

I just rated a coop yesterday that had bins under the roosts and I think thats what I'm gonna do so the ducklings don't get pooped on. For now I have their mirror and panda bear away from the roost and they like to sleep with that so it keeps them from sleeping under the roost.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You'll get it all done. You have good ideas.

 

[nao57]

So I was looking back at previous threads. This one was a great question about square footage needed per bird. Rather than create a new thread, I thought it would appreciate the comments and study of others to just add to this one.

How much grass square footage, would you need to support continually maybe 5 or 10 ducks with most of their food coming from that grass? (Mostly when people bring this up they seem to be talking about housing and living space? They aren't talking about food space with the ducks living with their meals coming from the grubs and grass of that space I think?)

What do you think?

Thanks also to so many others asking things in the past that I'm now reading on many threads.