Need Coop

[Farmer4Chickens]

Please help!!! I am a first time duck owner with two runner ducks. How can I make a coop that will fit in my small backyard but that will do the job. By the way, I might also get two more but they would be Cayuga ducks or another nesting type. I may show them. Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were to make the coop today but we don't know what to include in it. (we saw a hawk in our neighbor's yard two houses over.

 

[ocap]

we had a cooper hawk actually fly into the open door of our coop

Welcome to BYC

 

[Farmer4Chickens]

Wow. That's bad. I am in Florida but I think we still get hawks.

 

[AmandaVirus]

A lot of people use dog houses or similar style "coops". For my three to sleep in, they have a three by two and two foot high (for runners they would need at least three feet high) house, with a plywood door that slides sideways over the door. We only spent a small amount of money because it was built out of old pallets and scrap plywood we had sitting around. They really don't need anything special. To keep hawks away you would need to build a secure run around the coop.

 

[girls and guineas]

I use a dog kennel for 2 of my ducks, and a dog house igloo for 3 more. I put a house gate in front of the igloo dog house, and prop a flat, 10/12" brick against it. Both of the dog houses are inside a fence, so it's double protection. It has worked well so far!!

 

[Zombified]

We're building an 8ft by 4ft by 3-3 1/2ft tall(the roof slants from 3 1/2ft down to 3ft) coop for our five ducks. I don't think it really needs to be that big, but oh well lol. It'll sit up on 6inch legs. The door will be able to open up like a drawbridge, so it'll double as a ramp for the ducks to walk up. As my ducks aren't going to get super tall, the doorway will be a foot wide a two feet tall. I agree that for a runner, you might want to make it taller than that.

My neighbor just used a couple of large dog houses and dog runs(to separate their drake from the ducklings). For Texas, that really works well. If you have really cold winters, investing in a heating lamp might be a good idea.

 

[Farmer4Chickens]

Thanks guys. I made one this weekend and the ducks like it. My babies only stay out there during the day right now but I am hoping that we can keep our runners outside soon. Do they get loud? If so, I can't keep them outside at night. Thanks!

I might post a pic of them so you guys can tell me if they are boys or girls. I think the bigger one (Duke) is a boy and the smaller one (Juliet) is a girl. Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!

 

[AK Baha]

My chickens lived in an igloo until I got there coop built. Look on craigslist for a dog house or something that will work for you.