New to ducks and chicks, having some issues

[Miss Lydia]

He loved the peas! I put some chicken wire over the windows of our daughters playhouse to give him an enclosed space outside and put him in the tub there. We added a body with shavings for him to sleep in too. He doesn't have any raw open wounds, but there is a big scab. Thanks for the help! Monday we will get the little ducklings.

So sorry for your loss, those can be such hard lessons to learn. Now when ducklings arrive he will need to be introduced very slowly so as not to hurt the babies dog crates work well for this so they can all meet and get to know one another.Then when you babies are at least same size and right before breeding age they can meet in person Since he is still young he may take to them right away it is just hard to know how they will react so always best to be cautious. He is gorgeous. Word of caution chicken wire can be ripped open by raccoons and other predators half inch hardware cloth is best for keeping out preds.

 

[familyties]

I just noticed my phone changed box into body... He has a box of shavings (open on one side).

We have a good system for the ducklings I think. Initially they'll be inside the house but then they go into the top of the little coop with a heating pad so they can get to know the duck. The chicks are in there now but will move to the big coop in a couple weeks.

I was thinking we could put the playhouse inside the electric netting whe we wait so the wire was just for the owl. It's too heavy for us to move on our own though so he may jut need to be inside until the new coop/run gets here.

It will be 10x15, chickens nest in coop on top, duck shelter under the coop, 6 foot galvanized tub in the run for the ducks. Hard wire cloth everywhere. Look good?

 

[Free Spirit]

Sounds like you have a workable plan. Love the big coop - it's beautiful. I don't see why the drake can't be outside during the day as long as he isn't in the same pen as the others until he heals. But definitely get him under shelter at night if you have owls.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just noticed my phone changed box into body... He has a box of shavings (open on one side).

We have a good system for the ducklings I think. Initially they'll be inside the house but then they go into the top of the little coop with a heating pad so they can get to know the duck. The chicks are in there now but will move to the big coop in a couple weeks.

I was thinking we could put the playhouse inside the electric netting whe we wait so the wire was just for the owl. It's too heavy for us to move on our own though so he may jut need to be inside until the new coop/run gets here.

It will be 10x15, chickens nest in coop on top, duck shelter under the coop, 6 foot galvanized tub in the run for the ducks. Hard wire cloth everywhere. Look good?

Looks great, I can't tell what you have on the bottom but if it isn't hardware cloth at least 2-3' up and out from the outside you'll have raccoons reaching in they will try to pull what ever they can get hold of through the fence. If you have hardware cloth up and I just can't see it then good job. But I love your setup. If you have a cover over top now he could at least be outside some daily while your home. If you have a non breakable mirror he would probably love looking at himself and it will keep him company.

 

[familyties]

Looks great, I can't tell what you have on the bottom but if it isn't hardware cloth at least 2-3' up and out from the outside you'll have raccoons reaching in they will try to pull what ever they can get hold of through the fence.  If you have hardware cloth up and I just can't see it then good job.  But I love your setup.  If you have a cover over top now he could at least be outside some daily while your home.  If you have a non breakable mirror he would probably love looking at himself and it will keep him company. 

The mirror is a great idea! I'm sure they will be best friends in no time, lol. I'll get a plastic one.

The coop picture is off the designers web page. He's making ours to order. It's supposed to have a linoleum floor but I'm wondering if buried hardware cloth is better with the pool in there. Dirt and wood shavings? The sides and top will all be hardware cloth. He knows about our predators. We have an electric netting yard now and he goes in there during the day (only if we are home). I think the owl attack happened in the early am. It was still dark out when we left.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The mirror is a great idea! I'm sure they will be best friends in no time, lol. I'll get a plastic one.

The coop picture is off the designers web page. He's making ours to order. It's supposed to have a linoleum floor but I'm wondering if buried hardware cloth is better with the pool in there. Dirt and wood shavings? The sides and top will all be hardware cloth. He knows about our predators. We have an electric netting yard now and he goes in there during the day (only if we are home). I think the owl attack happened in the early am. It was still dark out when we left.

Linoleum floor inside the house is great I have it all of mine, You might want to bury hardware cloth out a foot from the run all way around in case someone tries to dig in you can never underestimate a pred. Then you can place large rocks, gravel or soil over top of it to hide the HC. I think this will be a nice place for your flock will the chickens have their own run separate from the ducks? Not sure I'd want to keep my drake penned up with hens[chickens] Some drakes are prone to trying to mate with hens and it does not end well for the hen.
Looks very nice you have gone to great lengths to keep them safe. As for inside the run you might think of landscapers cloth with sand and river rock over top it drains well and last a long time.

 

[familyties]

Linoleum floor inside the house is great I have it all of mine,  You might want to bury hardware cloth out a foot from the run all way around in case someone tries to dig in you can never underestimate a pred.  Then you can place large rocks, gravel or soil over top of it to hide the HC.  I think this will be a nice place for your flock will the chickens have their own run separate from the ducks? Not sure I'd want to keep my drake penned up with hens[chickens] Some drakes are prone to trying to mate with hens and it does not end well for the hen. 
Looks very nice you have gone to great lengths to keep them safe. As for inside the run you might think of landscapers cloth with sand and river rock over top it drains well and last a long time.

I was planning to have them together. But looks like we could just as easily wall off the duck shelter on one side and open up another 5 feet of run on the other side. That makes it 20 x 10 for 3 ducks and 8 chickens (divided). Then they could range together during the day some within the electric netting but eat and run separately. I was really hoping to have them range much more. And be mobile. This whole owl situation is throwing us off. It's hard to know what's safe now. Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was planning to have them together. But looks like we could just as easily wall off the duck shelter on one side and open up another 5 feet of run on the other side. That makes it 20 x 10 for 3 ducks and 8 chickens (divided). Then they could range together during the day some within the electric netting but eat and run separately. I was really hoping to have them range much more. And be mobile. This whole owl situation is throwing us off. It's hard to know what's safe now. Thanks for all the feedback!

Another reason to have to separate runs is ducks are messy wet where chickens aren't and wouldn't appreciate all the wet. Mine all run together on half acre fenced during the day then have their own houses at night.