Intro and Duck house floor question

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Hello! we have our first ducks!!! they are currently in a quarantine in our barn while we finish our duck house. LOVE Them love them love them!! (Ancona ducks)

we were looking at items we already have around the farm to use and were discussing the idea of using plastic lattice as flooring (built on a frame).

thoughts??

thanks
Catherine

 

[lomine]

Do you mean you want to build a raised floor/coop?

If it is the same product I am thinking of, I can think of a few issues. First is cleaning it would be a pain as the poop would not just go through the holes. Second, I don't think it holds up well to use. My parents used it to skirt a deck. By the next summer much of it had cracked. Plus you would need a lot of framing to keep it stable as it's not very strong.

If you want to do a raised floor that isn't solid you'll need to think about keeping it warm in winter. I previously had a raised coop with a floor that was made from trex decking and hardware cloth (to keep the shavings from falling through). In winter, the wind would flow under the coop and blow everything around. Even with tarp covers it still made it's way in. If I were to do another raised coop I would go with a solid floor.

I have found that ducks prefer to be on the ground versus in a raised coop. My preferred method of flooring is deep litter on a dirt ground. But I know not everyone likes the deep litter method.

 

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yes I was thinking of doing a raised floor. mostly worried about something digging in. Our winters are not brutal. I was worried about them having a dry place as my climate is wet! so that is what I was pondering.

 

[lomine]

If you keep the food and water out of the coop, you shouldn't have too much trouble keeping it dry. Many folks also use plastic tubs and such around their waterers to catch the water.

As for keeping predators out, it would depend on what you have to deal with. If the floor is only the lattice and predators can get underneath the coop, many could reach right through the holes and pull legs or necks out. Then they would just eat what they could reach. You'd have to use something with holes small enough that a predator can't get it's paws in or block off the underside of the coop. I guess it would depend on your design.

 

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Okay good consideration. I think we will go with the plywood with vinyl floor covering it and see how it goes. re-build if needed, nothing on my property is flat and a good location for the duck house is somewhat sloped I don't want rain to run into their house which could happen in a hard rain.

 

[lomine]

They wouldn't mind.

 

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They wouldn't mind.

totally true! they love the wet! but figure a dry place to sleep is good

 

[chickens really]

My Chicken Coop has a raised floor with plywood and vinyl flooring....works great...My One Duck pen has a Doghouse and is placed at the top of the slope so water runs out of run...My Other Duck pen is in the wet zone where water runs down the hill from my pasture at times...The Coop is up off the ground so the Ducks use the ramp to get up out of the rain and wind....

 

[CarleeAnn]

Here in rainy, humid Louisiana we have our duck coop on the ground. Lay wire mesh down first (stop predators from digging) ground level, then make a dirt floor raised so water runs off. We then put pine shavings on the dirt to make it easier to clean and comfier. Sure, a little water gets in but the shavings absorb it and the ducks really don’t mind. It’s also aerated so the humidity isn’t a problem.

 

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totally true! they love the wet! but figure a dry place to sleep is good

LOL got it ahahahah