Need run help

[saddina]

I do have storey's guide for ducks, but i didn't see what I was looking for in there....

I'm getting my ducks in a row so to speak, and need to know how many sqft per duck a run should have (I know, subjective, but give an estimate).

What I have to work with, a 3ft wide 60ft long ledge (we're lower than the houses behing us, and there's a 3 foot retaining wall against the fence, so I'm thinking this is how to use that dead space).

This is mocha, he's in a 3ft wide hutch in the same sort of space (it's dark out I'll post a pick of the area tomorrow).

Would 3 ft tall like my chicken's run work? (planning access doors for cleaning, and a few partitions for broodies, etc.)

We're in the city and beyond spiders there's not predators (the fencing can hold back dogs, and with dogs on 4 sides and my attack cat: litterally, his hobby is slapping around purse dogs who try to pee on his lawn, nothing comes in the backyard.

That's a 16x16 tile he's on.

Im thinking a trio or perhaps a harem of 4 girls, and a section for growing out, but I need an idea of space needed to go further. It never gets below freezing, so I was thinking 2-3 covered sections incase of rain, but even then it's more for shade.

Any hints, suggestions?

 

[DuckLady]

Great idea for using dead space!

In Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks in chapter 14 page 192, Mr Holderread recommends minimum 50 SF per bird in an outside run.

Will they have more space besides just the dead space?

 

[CityChicker]

That sounds like enough room for the number of birds you are thinking. What you use for the substrate/flooring will determine how clean it stays. Also, 3' foot tall is tall enough for most types of ducks.

Don't be fooled though that you don't have any predators because you are in the city. Cats, dogs, owls, and even skunks and/or raccoons are problems in cities. In some places, I have even heard of foxes and coyotes in cities.

 

[saddina]

There's a garden about 10 feet away that is 8X28 and covers the side of the house, they could use some of that area during the cooler months, it's fully enclosed as the last owners used it as a dog run. Thanks for the page number.

And yes I know cities can have as many predators as country, but in this case anything trying to dig in would have to dig under concrete for several feet. Because we're foster parents the gate out of the backyard is padlocked, and never unlocked. The rest of the cats on the block, and dogs as well stay away from Coco. The trees are palms so there's no ability to cross from yard to yard without either dogs or Coco getting to it, and geographically dead center of town, the coyotes don't come 7 miles in. Now if I was keeping them on my grandparent's land outside of town, far more steel and hotwire comes into play.

Our last house was next to the city green belt, a series of parks that snaked thru town north to south, and there is no way I'd even let Coco out there, way too many things went bump in the night thru there.

 

[CityChicker]

Okie dokie...sounds like you have it covered.

 

[saddina]

Oh thank you for asking though. We've considered moving out of town, and all that comes with that, settig up a coyote buffet isn't my idea of a lovely country place.

 

[CityChicker]

LOL! I know what you mean. I currently have a skunk buffet and I live fairly close in the city. Luckily, they haven't gotten a duck yet (knock on wood). I wish I had concrete around my place too, but these darn spotted skunks climb too so they are particularly annoying to deal with.

 

[saddina]

When we first picked the place out i had a love/hate feeling on the huge patios (you can park 2 RV's in my back yard), but it was big enough for the kids to learn to ride without training wheels, and doesn't require mowing. Being a gardener I expected to hate the stuff, but it's worked out pretty well.

3 melon plants in the 2X14 dirt plod next to the garage.

3 more under the swamp cooler

Herb and cherry tomatoes in a similar bed.

 

[CityChicker]

I think I would kind of like that. I have gone mostly to raised planters and containers, so it would be nice to have stamped/painted concrete patios with planters. It would be less mowing and weeding anyway!