How to protect ducklings in an outdoor pen?

[TorchwoodMindfreak]

My ducks are in an outdoor pen with hardware cloth around the bottom half of the pen; however, there is a gap at the bottom where the dirt has run out so there is just the two inch spaced wire at the very bottom. There is also a hotwire around the bottom and the enclosure has a covered top. I let my duck hatch ducklings this past summer and something got in there and killed them. One survived for about two weeks and I thought it was going to make it, them something killed it too. I just discovered one of my ducks has been hiding a nest of about 18 eggs so I've going to let her hatch them again. My question is how can I secure the fence so that these ducklings survive? I know I need to separate the female from the other ducks once her ducklings begin to hatch (another problem I had last time). Her nest is now in a three sided shelter but the fence runs along the side where her separated part will be. Any advice is appreciated, thanks

 

[tankerman]

Set a Haveaheart trap outside their pen.

What type of animals live around your house?

Rats, fox, raccoon?


If you're not sure what's getting them, go buy a hunter's game camera from the local sporting goods store. The cam will snap pictures of everything that visits the pen at night.

 

[TorchwoodMindfreak]

I've never seen any of these on my property but I have seen opposums, racoons, and once a fox around here. We do have snakes every once in a while.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've never seen any of these on my property but I have seen opposums, racoons, and once a fox around here. We do have snakes every once in a while.

You'd be surprised what is lurking around outside at night, and if theres a tasty duck dinner waiting for them with in easy reach or crawl or over the top, they will find a way. Can you staple hardware cloth or wire across the lower part of your coop where the earth has reseeded and then down into your coop so it covers the whole bottom and up the other side? 1/2" thats about the only thing that will keep out Minks, weasels rats, skunks, snakes etc. you get the pic. it would be costly but worth it to not have to worry about your ducks/ducklings being eaten.

 

[Amiga]

I sandwiched coated chain link fence between two 1"x6" boards lying flat under the fence for the Day Pen. That would keep anything larger than a rat or weasel out. Half inch metal hardware cloth keeps the smaller varmints out. Electric fence is helpful, also. Concrete pavers have been used, in various ways.