Muscovy Duck Breeding Pen question...

[blackbeard68]

Good evening!

First time posting, short time lurker. Living in Suisun City, CA.
I have a question about Muscovy duck pens. I want to breed them in my backyard and I have an old truck shell.



I was thinking about taking out the windows on one side so that they could enter in and have a place to nest or just get out of the elements. I plan to put it up on a 2 foot deck that will be built to hold it.
The back end that opens will be made opaque by any means I can think of and the window on the other side will be left a little open for ventilation.

Questions are, do you think they will use it? Will having it a couple feet off the ground (mostly to avoid water build up under it.) will be an issue? And if they will use it, should they need individual nesting boxes?

Hoping that my neighbors won't mind.

Thanks and have a fantastic weekend!

Brian

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good evening!

First time posting, short time lurker. Living in Suisun City, CA.
I have a question about Muscovy duck pens. I want to breed them in my backyard and I have an old truck shell.



I was thinking about taking out the windows on one side so that they could enter in and have a place to nest or just get out of the elements. I plan to put it up on a 2 foot deck that will be built to hold it.
The back end that opens will be made opaque by any means I can think of and the window on the other side will be left a little open for ventilation.

Questions are, do you think they will use it? Will having it a couple feet off the ground (mostly to avoid water build up under it.) will be an issue? And if they will use it, should they need individual nesting boxes?

Hoping that my neighbors won't mind.

Thanks and have a fantastic weekend!

Brian

I think they will make nice nesting and housing for some Scovy's but first you need to think about predators and decide how your going to secure these especially where the windows are. to make it safe they will need to be close in and locked at night and plenty of ventilation. How will you clean these out lifting them up and cleaning that way? ducks can make a mess of their sleeping quarters and will need to have fresh bedding often. I don't have nesting boxes for my Scovy's they just like to get into the pine shaving make an indention and lay and brood when the mood hits them. Hardware wire is the best stuff for using around windows to protect from predators, and I would secure the boxes [shells] somehow to the deck to keep predators from coming in from underneath. Muscovy's are quiet ducks so other than maybe them flying into your neighbors yards[which might not go over so good especially if they have dogs] when the girls start laying offer up some eggs to your neighbors that usually pacifies just about anyone.

 

[blackbeard68]

Well, the plan is to build a 15x5x6 enclosed pen for them so that they can't get out and get hurt. Several neighbors have dogs, and so do I actually. The windows facing out of the pen will be covered with metal wire to keep them safe from predators. Luckily, other than possums and cats, we don't have to many predators in the area, but I'm still not going to take any chances. The 2 foot deck that the shell will sit on will be covered with the same wire to prevent anything from being able to chew through the 2x4's. The shell itself is so heavy that I don't see anything picking it up to get at the ducks.
As for cleaning, will it disturb the ducks if they are sitting on eggs if I lift it to clean? I don't want them abandoning their eggs.

Really appreciate the information. Thank you for the quick response! Reading all I can on raising them. Really looking forward to getting this set up.

Brian
"Be excellent to each other!" - Bill S Preston Esq.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well, the plan is to build a 15x5x6 enclosed pen for them so that they can't get out and get hurt. Several neighbors have dogs, and so do I actually. The windows facing out of the pen will be covered with metal wire to keep them safe from predators. Luckily, other than possums and cats, we don't have to many predators in the area, but I'm still not going to take any chances. The 2 foot deck that the shell will sit on will be covered with the same wire to prevent anything from being able to chew through the 2x4's. The shell itself is so heavy that I don't see anything picking it up to get at the ducks.
As for cleaning, will it disturb the ducks if they are sitting on eggs if I lift it to clean? I don't want them abandoning their eggs.

Really appreciate the information. Thank you for the quick response! Reading all I can on raising them. Really looking forward to getting this set up.

Brian
"Be excellent to each other!" - Bill S Preston Esq.

Broody's most of the time will not soil there nest if they can get out to do their business. So that part will stay pretty clean. but if others will be sleeping in there with her which she won't like [they like privacy when brooding] and it's usually a good idea to keep mama and ducklings separate from the rest of the flock anyway until they are at least 3-4 weeks old, I use the plastic poultry fencing and those fiber glass fence posts to give them time where they can all get use to each other but ducklings are safe. I go in and clean around them and most of the time they just sit there. They may get a little spooked out by having the shell lifted up though. so you may have to have a designated broody shell and the other one for the rest. Opossums will eat eggs and ducklings, and I bet you have raccoons. Get ducks you'll find out soon enough. Once you get it all set up please post pics because we're all the time looking for ideas on housing and using discarded items. This sounds interesting.

 

[blackbeard68]

Hmm. The plan was 3-4 female and 1 male. I saw a Muscovy breeder using food grade plastic barrels cut in half to create little private nesting areas. Might rethink this a bit though as this might get really hot and dark. Given me a lot to think about and will post pictures when I have them. I think my main concern was winter time and rain,etc. But the summer and spring might get to be an oven in there. Don't want baked eggs. Might prop it up on one side to make sure that it's just a water shield/sloped roof.

Will send pictures when I get it built.

Brian

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hmm. The plan was 3-4 female and 1 male. I saw a Muscovy breeder using food grade plastic barrels cut in half to create little private nesting areas. Might rethink this a bit though as this might get really hot and dark. Given me a lot to think about and will post pictures when I have them. I think my main concern was winter time and rain,etc. But the summer and spring might get to be an oven in there. Don't want baked eggs. Might prop it up on one side to make sure that it's just a water shield/sloped roof.

Will send pictures when I get it built.

Brian

Look forward to it and seeing your ducks too.

 

[eggsellentfarms]

Not sure how old your muscovies are, but once they are able to fly, they love roosting up high. I struggle to get some of mine locked up at night because they would prefer to roost on top of the coop or somewhere else high up.
Has anyone else figured out a good way to make a secure high roost for them?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Not sure how old your muscovies are, but once they are able to fly, they love roosting up high. I struggle to get some of mine locked up at night because they would prefer to roost on top of the coop or somewhere else high up.
Has anyone else figured out a good way to make a secure high roost for them?

don't have any idea how you could do something like that, as soon as I see mine getting those ideas that on the roof or in a tree looks more fun than their secure house they get a wing clip. Too many preds around here for them to be left outside.

 

[eggsellentfarms]

Yes, I agree. It would have to some kind of huge, wire enclosed structure. Not very practical or easy to make. Unfortunately, I just lost on of my big guys to a predator. He kept trying to roost up high for so long, he finally convinced me he would be alright. A few nights ago we found out the hard way that he wasn't safe. So now everybody gets locked up, no exceptions. But I would love to come up with a design for a coop/pen that would get my muscovies to be more likely to head in on there own at night like the other birds.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, I agree. It would have to some kind of huge, wire enclosed structure. Not very practical or easy to make. Unfortunately, I just lost on of my big guys to a predator. He kept trying to roost up high for so long, he finally convinced me he would be alright. A few nights ago we found out the hard way that he wasn't safe. So now everybody gets locked up, no exceptions. But I would love to come up with a design for a coop/pen that would get my muscovies to be more likely to head in on there own at night like the other birds.

If you had the money you could probably build something and use downed trees and such like others do when keeping their ornamental ducks in. that way they could go in of a night roost and have protection over and around, so sorry for your loss. It's something I don't want to have to deal with, but all my birds go in on their own to their individual house with out me having to do much other than walk behind and close their doors, the older ones have taught the young ones. I have had them fly up to the coop roof[when youngsters] thinking they were going to sleep there at night but the hose with the spray nozzle convinced them other wise.