Mesh covered frame with heavy duty tarp sufficent for duck coop?

[porcupine73]

Hi, I need feedback on this duck coop idea. Basically it would be say a 10 foot square by six foot high wooden frame from 2x4's. It would have 1/2" hardware cloth all over (including the bottom, or I would dig down and embed the cloth at least 18" into the ground. Of course there would be a hinged entrance door.

Then the structure would be covered with a heavy duty tarp. In good weather, I could roll back the tarp to leave it say half uncovered (shade/sun/protection from rain). In bad weather and in the winter, it could be left mostly covered (though I'd have to figure out ventilation.)

In good weather there would also be a large electronet fenced area they could go into during the day, but be secured in the coop at night.

What do you think? Would this structure work and be suitable for ducks (Saxony or Silver Appleyard)?

My location is Buffalo, NY (basically zone 6 but near the lake so it's sometimes says zone 5b). Winters can be long but usually the lowest temperature here is around 20F. Sometimes it gets down to 10F for a few days.

Other ideas:
Have metal or plastic roof instead of just mesh.
In the winter, fasten on a couple of sheets of plywood on the side(s) facing the prevailing winds.

Thanks.

 

[cosbackyard]

I'm in colorado so I imagine our weather is somewhat similar. I'd definitely have a coop for them, even if it's just a box then can all nest in. As I understand it the drafts are the worst part of being outside all the time and they have to have a place they can get out of the wind.

Otherwise I'm building a similar setup to yours right now .I've got three ducks arriving in a week (last ones were raccoon'd.) I'm building a 3x6x3' high coop attached to a hardware clothed run.

 

[conny63malies]

I used to live in NE Ohio, Youngstown. My ducks "house" was a sheet of corrugated PVC roof, bricks and two 2x4s .All that stacked against the garage and the sides and half the front covered. It was anything special but the did just fine. THey dont go in until its real bad anyways. Our lowest temp i saw was -25F in the morning.(we got the canadian lake effect weather). BTW i had muscovies.