New to Ducks - need help with Run ideas ASAP

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cjdurand

In the Brooder
Oct 25, 2017
12
21
39
Hi there!

Someone dropped off several ducklings at my parent's house (not uncommon - they have an acre lake on their property and people think, "oh! Ducks like lakes lets leave them here") but this time they dropped off 3 Pekins and a brown duck. Usually, with the wild mallards, we just help raise them and let them free when they are ready, but these are clearly ducks meant to be kept.

My boyfriend loves duck eggs so we thought we would keep them. I have read numerous forums and a bunch of threads on here, and now I'm even more confused on their run! I was just going to build it on the grass with buried hardware cloth to prevent predators, but now it seems many people are saying to use gravel? and drainage?

I would really appreciate any tips you have for the coop and run in terms of size and what should be in the bottom! I would LOVE to see some example photos. We are trying to make it as low maintenance as possible as we both work full time. I'm pretty sure they will be fully feathered by the time the winter hits here in Maryland (this photo was them Oct 8th).

Thank you!
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Wow...I can't believe someone would just drop off ducks that are so little. If y'all wouldn't have picked them up they could have easily died. We have 2 ducks that I put with our chickens. Inside a 8X8 pen that I can close at night is just dirt on the bottom. I'm struggling with what to put also. I was thinking sand and just scoop out the poo. during the day there is a 50X50 fenced in piece of yard for them to range. It doesn't get too messy in the pen unless it rains all day right now.
 
Hi there!

Someone dropped off several ducklings at my parent's house (not uncommon - they have an acre lake on their property and people think, "oh! Ducks like lakes lets leave them here") but this time they dropped off 3 Pekins and a brown duck. Usually, with the wild mallards, we just help raise them and let them free when they are ready, but these are clearly ducks meant to be kept.

My boyfriend loves duck eggs so we thought we would keep them. I have read numerous forums and a bunch of threads on here, and now I'm even more confused on their run! I was just going to build it on the grass with buried hardware cloth to prevent predators, but now it seems many people are saying to use gravel? and drainage?

I would really appreciate any tips you have for the coop and run in terms of size and what should be in the bottom! I would LOVE to see some example photos. We are trying to make it as low maintenance as possible as we both work full time. I'm pretty sure they will be fully feathered by the time the winter hits here in Maryland (this photo was them Oct 8th).

Thank you!
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Bless your heart for taking care of these cuties! Currently my run is 10x10ft walls (kinda like framing studs) that are covered in Hardwire and on the bottom floor as well. We have a tin roof. We used 55 bags of leveling sand from Lowes/Home Depot for their floor. Everyday i just scoop up their poop with a slotted scooper - it's like a giant kitty litter box - Once all the poop is up I rake it out to smooth it out (i say that i am making their bed :lau). When i get home from work i will upload some pictures. I find that the sand has worked great for my 1st year raising ducks. It doesn't smell and it great on their feet!
 
Bless your heart for taking care of these cuties! Currently my run is 10x10ft walls (kinda like framing studs) that are covered in Hardwire and on the bottom floor as well. We have a tin roof. We used 55 bags of leveling sand from Lowes/Home Depot for their floor. Everyday i just scoop up their poop with a slotted scooper - it's like a giant kitty litter box - Once all the poop is up I rake it out to smooth it out (i say that i am making their bed :lau). When i get home from work i will upload some pictures. I find that the sand has worked great for my 1st year raising ducks. It doesn't smell and it great on their feet!

Can you grow patches of grass in the sand? And would sand only work if it’s covered? How well does it do if it gets wet?
 
Hi there!

Someone dropped off several ducklings at my parent's house (not uncommon - they have an acre lake on their property and people think, "oh! Ducks like lakes lets leave them here") but this time they dropped off 3 Pekins and a brown duck. Usually, with the wild mallards, we just help raise them and let them free when they are ready, but these are clearly ducks meant to be kept.


View attachment 1169389 View attachment 1169390


By the way, your “brown duck” looks like a Blue Swedish to me! Cute babies.

I added some pictures of my Blue so you can compare! She’s always with my Cayuga.
 

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