Indian Runner ducklings - what to expect?

[MerryMeridional]

That's going to make a wonderful duck house just be sure to cover all the cracks and holes with hardware cloth NOT chicken wire! I wonder if that one window will be enough ventilation? Maybe someone else could chime in on that. Where the wasps are you could actually use for a vent, just cover it with HWC. In fact, after looking at the picture of the wasps again I'm wondering if you could cut out that whole triangle of wood and had that could be your vent. I hope that makes sense.

You've got to have good ventilation or they will get frostbite. When they breathe they expel a lot of moisture and if it's got nowhere to go it makes the hay damp, it freezes and so do their little legs and feet. Where do you live? Wondering about how much longer you'll have winter.

When I told you yesterday that they don't need food and water in their pen I wasn't thinking about them being babies. I always kept both in the brooder when they were little but once they were feathered out and they got to go to the big kid's house they didn't have either.

Yep! The roll of hardware cloth is out there and ready to be used to cover the 2 eaves that are currently open. The door, which has a vertically opening door on tracks for the ducks, has a hardware screen the size of a dog door on the top for more ventilation (originally it was a dog door, I flipped the door upside down from the way it was originally hanging). The window on the backside of the coop can be slid open vertically - I will cover that with hardware cloth too, so I can open it safely without critters coming in. Can raccoons break glass? Do you think between the two small triangles and an opening on the door for ventilation about 8"x10" is enough, or do you think I should still open up the triangles like you're talking about?

The big project I have for the hardware cloth is making an apron along the bottom but with the snow on the ground, that'll be some of the last work done.

Oh, I see what you mean now about the food and water. I was thinking at first I could feed or treat them in the coop to get them used to going in at night. Are runners easily trained to go back in at night? Their door is currently manual but I would like to automate it, so that means they need to reliably put themselves away.

Will post up to date pics later today when the sun is up.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Yep! The roll of hardware cloth is out there and ready to be used to cover the 2 eaves that are currently open. The door, which has a vertically opening door on tracks for the ducks, has a hardware screen the size of a dog door on the top for more ventilation (originally it was a dog door, I flipped the door upside down from the way it was originally hanging). The window on the backside of the coop can be slid open vertically - I will cover that with hardware cloth too, so I can open it safely without critters coming in. Can raccoons break glass? Do you think between the two small triangles and an opening on the door for ventilation about 8"x10" is enough, or do you think I should still open up the triangles like you're talking about?

The big project I have for the hardware cloth is making an apron along the bottom but with the snow on the ground, that'll be some of the last work done.

Oh, I see what you mean now about the food and water. I was thinking at first I could feed or treat them in the coop to get them used to going in at night. Are runners easily trained to go back in at night? Their door is currently manual but I would like to automate it, so that means they need to reliably put themselves away.

Will post up to date pics later today when the sun is up.

I don't think raccoons can break glass but I'm not positive. I'm not really sure if you'll have enough ventilation either. Once you post more pictures it will be easier to tell. If the eves are currently open along both sides of the roof that will certainly be good. I didn't see that in your first pictures.

With your door going horizontally how are you going to get in to clean it out and collect your eggs? They will mostly lay inside but occasionally you'll get a "yard or pool" egg. I might not be understanding what your set up will be as far as the door goes. Pictures!

I doubt you'll have a problem getting your ducks to go in at night. They will most likely want to when it starts to get dark. It will be their safe place and they will be fenced in so it's not like you'll have to hunt them down to put them to bed.

 

[MerryMeridional]

@DuckyDonna
Please excuse the work in progress.
I measured: Door's window covered in HWC is 11"Wx17"H. The two small triangular vents are 2.5" tall and 7" wide at the bottom. The back window that has glass is one I did not measure, but it is at least as big as the window in the door. It slides open from bottom to top. I will cover the outside in hardware cloth and it can be opened for additional ventilation.

The window I am replacing faces my garden and is outside the run/pen area they will have access to. It will be attached with a set of hinges so that it can swing out, and will be latched/locked closed. Turns out the other hinges I have won't work either so I need to make a trip to the hardware store. Need a new latch for the door as well. With the placement of that hinged garden-side window, I could reach in for eggs, but more likely I'll have to walk through the pen to the main door for collection since I hear they aren't too particular about where they lay. I may buy some ceramic dummy eggs to place under the window to see if that helps.

Cleanout will be from the main door. I will do deep litter so cleanout will be less frequent, with as-needed sprinkling of new straw daily. The building is off the ground a bit, maybe by about a foot in the front (incline), so when it is time for cleanout I should be able to bring my wheelbarrow to the door, tip the front down, and rake it into the wheelbarrow.

I've got a charger, polywire etc and that will be installed to protect the coop and run further. I do not intend on having predator or rodent (worst nightmare bleh!) problems. My dad has told me that is overkill. Safety is my #1 priority for the ducks though. My thought process is that the glass might not be perfect 100% against raccoons but that between the PM charged wires and the physical barrier, they will not stick around to harass my ducks or garden.

Thoughts? Obvious things I've overlooked or need to plan or account for?

Thank you so much for your replies and ideas

 

[DuckyDonna]

Oh nice! I get the door thing now. Back in the old days we used to call that a "Dutch door". Perfect! I think you're doing a great job and the ducks will be very happy.

I wouldn't bother with fake eggs though. Runners are not particular about where they lay. Some times they'll just drop one on the run in the yard. My 6 girls will 95% lay in their pen and usually in the same nest but sometimes not. I guess they take a number to decide who will go next! The make a new nest most everyday but sometimes will use the same one twice. They must like variety.