Need mobile Duck coop ideas

[whittleah]

We have had chickens for quite a while now. We house them in a chicken tractor at night, but free range during the day. I’m needing ideas for a similar setup for ducks. I’m new to ducks, so I feel like there’s a lot I need to learn. Do they need protection from predators as much as chickens? As in, does their coop need to be able to totally lock up tight at night and be protected from predators that could dig underneath? I’ve seen quite a few ideas for A-frame duck tractors, but all of them leave the ducks vulnerable to anything that could slip or dig underneath.

 

[CoriM]

Yes, absolutely! Ducks have zero defenses and are pretty clumsy and slow. My coop/run has hardware cloth that is buried two feet deep and wrapped around concrete blocks to prevent digging, plus a secured wood enclosed area that they sleep in and I latch the door there each night. They free range when I'm watching them, and I have a portable tractor that is less secure, just chicken wire and bird netting over pvc, that they can stay in in my yard when I'm at home and keeping an eye on them.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

We have had chickens for quite a while now. We house them in a chicken tractor at night, but free range during the day. I’m needing ideas for a similar setup for ducks. I’m new to ducks, so I feel like there’s a lot I need to learn. Do they need protection from predators as much as chickens? As in, does their coop need to be able to totally lock up tight at night and be protected from predators that could dig underneath? I’ve seen quite a few ideas for A-frame duck tractors, but all of them leave the ducks vulnerable to anything that could slip or dig underneath.

I would say need more protection because they can’t get off the ground. I lost a whole flock of Peking’s my first time around. My experience though it is difficult to get them to home down…they like to go where they feel safe. My duck out of the fenced area in the mornings comes back at night but rarely go into the coop. I would do electrical fencing at night, turn it off & open it up in the morning then turn it back on after they are in in the evening. If that works let me know I have a new flock that I am going to try this with when they have their feathers. Just a small coup to keep stationary and then open the fence larger and larger until they can free range and go back to the coup or at least close enough I can shut the fence.

 

[addctd2plnts]

We use a movable walk in tractor for daytime for our ducks but at night they need a Ft. Knox of coop or predators will kill them all. Our neighbors tried free ranging and repeatedly had whole flocks killed so we knew we had to protect them. Ducks are much dumber and slower than chickens and white ones are a neon sign to predators. We already had a barn with extra stalls so we predator proofed two stalls with extra heavy gauge 1/2" hardware cloth. There are predators that try to get in almost nightly. We have been very lucky with our movable tractors but I think it's because I keep them at least 100ft from any woods or place predators could hide and keep the grass cut short. They don't like crossing the open areas. And we have dogs in large dog "pastures" around where duck tractors are. I wouldn't leave them outside unless they were inside a coop or pen of 1/2" hardware cloth with a predator apron.