Information on ducks and the proposed duck enclosure

[Apopka Cluckers]

I'm going to have to make an enclosure for the 3 ducks that I have and I was wanting to ask a few questions to the knowledgable people here.

I'm going to make a small duck house to accomodate them but I keep reading that you have to lock then up at night. Why is this?

I'm going to give them a 27' by 28' enclosure and I was thinking about putting a 4 foot fence around it. Will this keep them in? I have 2 Muscovies and a Khaki Campbell. Someone told me that ducks can't fly but I really can't believe that at all. We don't have a large bird of prey population down here so I don't think that I need to worry about that but will a 4' tall fence be enough to keep them in?

I would appreciate any tips that you all might have as well on the enclosure, pond (kiddie pool buried with a drain), and the duck house.

Thanks

 

[Fancie]

I'm not sure about khakis but the muscovies can fly.

You lock them up so predators don't get them... cause at night they are literly sitting ducks.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Your Khaki Campbell probably can't fly very well - but Muscovys are flyers, so I'd suggest putting some sort of netting over the enclosure if it doesn't have a roof. I use cheap plastic deer mesh from the garden section of Menards.

I lock my ducks up at night because that's when all the really nasty predators come out (i.e. raccoons, weasels, and coyotes). The poor ducks would be toast if I left them outside.

I love the kiddie-pool buried with a drain idea for a pond. I always meant to bury mine and rig up some sort of piping for a drain, but I've just never got around to it, juggling school and work and a ton of animals

Maybe this summer.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Ducks have to locked up at night so they dont become food.
muscovies can fly and khakis can get some wind under their wings and get up
I would put up a taller fence if you can, since birds of prey arent the only thng that will tey to eat them

 

[headred]

My khakis can get about 2 feet off the ground and fly about 2 ft. And yes, predators at night!

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Here is a pic of my ducks home just need the house part my husband is going to build it if he ever gets a day of work...My ducks stay in here at night to..The top is covered with welded pipes and wire then the tarp for shade..I dont have really any predators around here since I live in the city..Maybe a racoon who loves to play in my dumpster or hang out with 3 cats that are wild..

 

[Apopka Cluckers]

That enclosure looks great. It looks like a dog crate that they sell for a large amount of money at the local big box home store.

The fencing that I have is the small welded wire fencing which is 4' high. I found some bird netting to go over the enclosure now but it will only be 4' high which will make is super hard to clean out or do anything in for me.

I have 3 GP that roam the yard all night and bark. I would hope that that would keep the predators outs and nothing has happened to my 18 chickens but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry in the end. Maybe I can get a 12' 4X4 and hang the net off of that to the 4' sides around the outside?

I need to get it all done this long weekend because they are getting too big for thier present cage.

Will ducks roam far or are they more likely to remain within a certain area. Their enclosure is going to be 27'X28' and the rest of the back yard is a little over an acre.

Thanks

 

[jrleader99]

I also used the 4 ft high welded fencing but rigged a 1/2 inch PVC arched top similar to a green house to hold deer or bird netting above the duck area. It was fairly inexpensive and easy to do. I had it done within a couple of hours.

 

[Apopka Cluckers]

That looks like a great idea. What size PVC did you use and how did you attach it to the metal posts? I have round wood posts so I guess I could strap the PVC pipe to the posts. How sturdy is the roof? I'm in Central Florida and it gets really windy here especially during the summer months.

 

[hendrix25]

This is my pen and house. The house now sits just beside the pen. We will be putting the pen around the house, just for easier access. My husband used scrap wood he got from an old boat dock. I also have three ducks and this seems to be a good size for them. The house is 64" x 32" and the pen is 6' x 10'