Keeping ducks in a pen only?

[agregg15]

Hello everyone I was planning on building new pens in a better location and I'm going to separate the drakes from the girls because they are way too aggressive. I was wondering how I could build predator proof pens that will not require them to go into a coop at night, but inside of dog-loos or hay bales that are stacked on top of each other. I also want to do this because my ducks tend to make nests outside and then they would be able to actually sit on them. My plans were to have 1 inch chicken wire be the main part with it buried about 1 foot then have 1/4 inch hardware cloth be around the bottom buried at the same depth and about 2 feet high. The top would be covered with the chicken wire as well. I figure that this will keep out weasels, raccoons, dogs, and possums. Then I was planning on having electrical fencing about 2 feet high, then 4 feet high. There would also be solar lights surrounding the pen to keep the ducks calm and deter predators. Does this sound good enough or should I add more. Any tips would be appreciated .

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Raccoons can rip through chicken wire with little to no problem.

 

[agregg15]

Raccoons can rip through chicken wire with little to no problem.

That is why I was going to have the hardware cloth on the bottom half of the chicken wire.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is why I was going to have the hardware cloth on the bottom half of the chicken wire.

Raccoons can climb and if theres a will theres a way they will find it. The only way your ducks will be truly safe from preds to to be locked up at night.

 

[agregg15]

Raccoons can climb and if theres a will theres a way they will find it. The only way your ducks will be truly safe from preds to to be locked up at night.

That's true. Thanks for the help

. I'll think about it some more then. I'll probably end up just building another coop unless I think of something though when I get some more money I could use chainlink....

 

[PetesMom]

We have a shed, then a chainlink dog kennel attached to it, then a fenced in area in the yard. They get let out into the fenced in area and we run them into the dog kennel at night, it is roofed.

 

[Oregon Blues]

My guys have a night run. They can go in and out of the coop at will because their night run is very secure. So, whether they should be locked inside a building at night depends upon how predator-proof their run is.

 

[agregg15]

Does anyone think instead of chicken wire I could use deer fencing?

 

[NovaAman]

you could get 50 ft of 6 ft fencing for about 75 at FFH...

 

[billw]

You could do something like our "Fort Dux":

(Please excuse the mess - the projects never end.)


It is enclosed in welded wire fencing on the top, sides, and 3 feet in along the bottom.



In addition, the sides have three feet of hardware cloth along the bottom to frustrate the raccoons and their grubby little paws.


Although we occasionally let them out to forage and probably will do more of that in the future once the whole garden area is fenced, they spend almost every day in the fort. It is 28x16, which I figure will house a maximum of 36 ducks. The goal is to keep the laying/breeding population at 12-16, only rising above that when we are raising more ducks for meat.

They seem perfectly happy with the accommodations. They spend most of their time outside, going into the shelter only on warm, sunny days.