I need ducks!!!

[ThePhoebeFive]

I'm trying to convince my mom to let me get ducks. I've wanted ducks for sooooo long and I'm getting closer to convincing her. If/when I do, I'll be getting Khaki Campbells and possibly a white call (just cos they're cute).

I'm thinking about turning this chicken coop into a duck coop. I've got 5 Marans in here right now, but they'll be moving out soon. What about this pen do I need to change to make it good for ducks? (I plan to get a baby pool for them, of course.)

Do ducks even need roosts?

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

@New duck mommy 2021, @Miss Lydia, @Youngfarmer2019
Y'all are the only people I can think of off the top of my head who I know have ducks.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Ducks don't use ramps in my experience. My first flock slept under the coop, and my current group doesn't sleep with the coop birds

 

[JacinLarkwell]

How large is the pen and where are the marans going?

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

How large is the pen and where are the marans going?

Ugh. Can't remember the size of the pen. I think it's maybe 12'x24'.
I'm giving the roo to a friend and putting the girls in my larger flock.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If there was a way to lower the coop till it's about a foot or lower to the ground it would work fine.

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

If there was a way to lower the coop till it's about a foot or lower to the ground it would work fine.

Hm... Not sure if we can. I mean, we can, but I'm not sure if I can get somebody to help me. Let's just say I'm the only one in the family even remotely interested in ducks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Then build a wide ramp and put something on the ramp to give them traction. With the coop sitting that far off the ground you'd have to cover the sides of the ramp so they don't fall off or jump off and injure their legs.

 

[ThePhoebeFive]

Then build a wide ramp and put something on the ramp to give them traction. With the coop sitting that far off the ground you'd have to cover the sides of the ramp so they don't fall off or jump off and injure their legs.

Okay, thanks!

 

[HeritageFan]

Hm... Not sure if we can. I mean, we can, but I'm not sure if I can get somebody to help me. Let's just say I'm the only one in the family even remotely interested in ducks.

Hmm
If you can’t lower the coop, can you perhaps figure out a way to make the door and ramp wider?
I would remove the perches inside (ducks won’t use them), and if possible double the width of the door and ramp. The ducks like to go to be -all together- and if someone falls off the ramp.... because they get pushed out by the rest of the flock.... they will probably hesitate to use it again
My ducks put themselves to bed at dusk every night. ...I don’t have an elevated coop, but, from the look of your setup, they would probably need / enjoy the shade (or shelter in the winter) under the coop.

I only put their feed inside their coop, twice a day, so they know that is
- where the food is
- where the safe place is

....you also will need to dump the pool and re fill it daily (every other day in cooler weather can work but it’s best to do it daily...)
Will that work in your yard?

My property is steep, so the gross water runs away from the run easily. I’ve never had a flat spot to keep any of my birds so I can’t speak to that.
.....you might consider fly predators to spread around the outside of the coop by next summer if you can pull this off

Also. My first duck flock was a mix of Khaki Campbells and Welsh Harlequin.

My KC ducks were very light bodied.... and very good fliers. They could fly over my 5’ fence through any hole in the top netting that they could find.
Now I only have Welsh Harlequin ducks.
They are “cousins”, temperament is very similar, they lay -almost- as many eggs/ year, and can’t fly over the fence in their yard.

....you might want to look them up as an alternative