on to the coop!

[Melodychick]

Now thanks to y’all I know what to feed my ducklings, so on to the coop! I live in a hot, humid climate and as such I don’t have a proper coop, but rather a secure run with a couple of solid walls. I also have a yard for the chickens that is fenced with field fence lined with chicken wire, and topped with bird netting. I let them out in the AM and when I get home,usually @1pm, I open that and let them go to the barn/pasture area. I’m building an extension onto the coop that was originally meant for guineas, but when my neighbor said she was getting a dozen I figured I’d let her deal with them, after all, they’ll be over at my house eating my bugs too! So then the extension was just going to be for a few more chickens, then I thought of ducks I’ve always wanted some so I figured where to put a kiddie pool and turned the coop extension plans into a duck house. As of now it’s 7x7x8 with hardwarecloth walls and a metal roof. I’ve never had a predator try to get into my coop(at least as far as I can tell) but I do have raccoons, possums, & foxes. Now I’m thinking since ducks sleep on the ground things can change, and I should probably put walls at least part way up, maybe if the raccoon can’t see them he won’t be as likely to try to tear the walls down to get to them. How high should they be to deter a raccoon? Any other suggestions? I hope to finish it this week! Thanks

 

[DuckyDonna]

Now thanks to y’all I know what to feed my ducklings, so on to the coop! I live in a hot, humid climate and as such I don’t have a proper coop, but rather a secure run with a couple of solid walls. I also have a yard for the chickens that is fenced with field fence lined with chicken wire, and topped with bird netting. I let them out in the AM and when I get home,usually @1pm, I open that and let them go to the barn/pasture area. I’m building an extension onto the coop that was originally meant for guineas, but when my neighbor said she was getting a dozen I figured I’d let her deal with them, after all, they’ll be over at my house eating my bugs too! So then the extension was just going to be for a few more chickens, then I thought of ducks I’ve always wanted some so I figured where to put a kiddie pool and turned the coop extension plans into a duck house. As of now it’s 7x7x8 with hardwarecloth walls and a metal roof. I’ve never had a predator try to get into my coop(at least as far as I can tell) but I do have raccoons, possums, & foxes. Now I’m thinking since ducks sleep on the ground things can change, and I should probably put walls at least part way up, maybe if the raccoon can’t see them he won’t be as likely to try to tear the walls down to get to them. How high should they be to deter a raccoon? Any other suggestions? I hope to finish it this week! Thanks

Ok, for my least favorite subject, have you thought of snakes?

 

[Melodychick]

Yes, I have rat snakes occasionally. They’ve gotten in the chicken coop, through the open door and eaten some eggs. Are you thinking of a snake getting the ducklings? That’s a worry I always have with babies! My chicks are kept in a hardware cloth brooder in the coop and so far so good, this is the third batch I’ve raised this way. The chicks should be out of it by the time the ducklings come, so the ducks can be raised in it. It’s pretty secure, I guess a snake maybe could get in, but I’m not sure how...

 

[DuckyDonna]

the only way a snake can get in a coop that is "snake proof" is to keep the door to the coop open. THAT was the huge mistake I made a year ago. I had hardware cloth etc all all around evey square inch but when you don't shut the door and you lock the snake in with your little ducks you will have a problem.

THAT is exactily what I did! If I could turn back time and undo that I would be so happy but I wil never get the sight of that huge king snake wrapped around my little Ranger killing him/her. Rat snakes are the same and the thing that kills me is that the same snake had been in my duck run before and I told my husband "this is a good snake don't kill it" so he let it go into the field out back and it came back to kill my little one.

Oh, it won't kill again but it killed my precious little duck, the one I had to help hatch! I've never liked snakes but I tried to be "responsible" with that one but I don't care how "good" a snake is, if it's killing my ducks there is no part of it that is good! And that is all I have to say about that! Just call me Forest, Forest Gump!

 

[Melodychick]

I’m sorry for your loss Donna. Yes every time I put babies out I worry about that, but I can’t keep them inside forever. The brooder is hardwarecloth inside the hardwarecloth coop, so if a snake gets in the coop, he’s still not with the babies. Sooner or later I have to let them out of that brooder too though...
I’d really like some thoughts on the walls. I’ve been trying to read all I can so I’m ready, but there’s not much info out there. I know they sleep on the ground, but I’m just learning that they move around some even after dark and that worries me as it will draw attention to passing critters unlike my chickens that roost up high and are quiet. Would 2’ walls be enough? 4’? I’m going tomorrow to get materials to hopefully finish, but ducklings won’t be here until later in May, so I have a bit of time for modifications.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I’m sorry for your loss Donna. Yes every time I put babies out I worry about that, but I can’t keep them inside forever. The brooder is hardwarecloth inside the hardwarecloth coop, so if a snake gets in the coop, he’s still not with the babies. Sooner or later I have to let them out of that brooder too though...
I’d really like some thoughts on the walls. I’ve been trying to read all I can so I’m ready, but there’s not much info out there. I know they sleep on the ground, but I’m just learning that they move around some even after dark and that worries me as it will draw attention to passing critters unlike my chickens that roost up high and are quiet. Would 2’ walls be enough? 4’? I’m going tomorrow to get materials to hopefully finish, but ducklings won’t be here until later in May, so I have a bit of time for modifications.

When we built our first coop we built it kind of small and in an open area in the back of our barn where I'm guessing the former owners may have parked a tractor or trailer in that space.

I can't stand up in this coop and constantly hit my head. You've thought I'd stop doing that after a while but I don't. You've got to have lots of ventilation and you 100% have to have it totally enclosed.

Here are some pictures of mine. This is the short one and it's hard to clean when you are all hunched over. The entire top is hardware cloth. They love that little divider thing in the middle. I think it makes them feel safe so I put it in both pens.

This is my other pen. I can stand up in it and it's so much nicer. It was built on 2 pallets with a full sheet of plywood on top of them. Then framed out from there. We did put a full sheet of plywood for the top because it was easier than trying to work with the hardware cloth and as you can see there is plenty of ventilation as it is. Husband recently put lights in both pens and in the middle between the 2 pens which is so nice! I clean up the big poops every morning and I used to have to try to do that holding a flashlight so I highly recommend doing that!

Here you can see both pens and the middle where I like to sit and watch my little gang. I always keep that white towel in case I feel like holding someone.

 

[Melodychick]

Thanks Donna. It helps to see pics. I’d love to see more set ups, especially from any duck owners in the south. My coop is 8’ tall, so walk-in. It’s not a coop like many here have in that, while it’s fully covered in hardware cloth and has a metal roof, it doesn’t have a wooden structure to lock the chickens (or ducks) into at night. It’s very hot and humid and so they sleep out in the run at night. I’ve never had a predator try to get in as far as I can tell, but since the chickens roost up high maybe the raccoons just walk on by. I’m worried the ducks will be on the ground and may be moving around at night and that will definitely get a raccoons attention, so I’m thinking I should have wooden walls, but with the heat and humidity of summer I’m hoping I don’t need to go all the way 8’. Here are some pics of my set up. I started with one 10x10 structure

Then I added a 10x7 run addition with a full hardware cloth wall between and a chicken door so I can separate if I need to, but it’s pretty much always open

Now I’m adding another 7x7 area that was going to be for guineas, and so far is all hardware cloth but will have a metal roof. It is attached to the coop by a solid hardware cloth wall, and as of now no door between it and the old coop, but I will probably add one when this section is finished. Since I’ve decided to get ducks instead of guineas, I’m trying to decide how to modify it. This is it, so far. Roof and people door is going on this week. I have to decide how highto make the solid outer walls since I’ve just learned I should have them. I’m thinking 4’ (up to the unpainted 1x6) should be good. The top 4’ would stay hardwarecloth so lots of ventilation.
Any thoughts? Thanks again for your input!

 

[DuckyDonna]

yes, I think that would be fine. I used to live in Destin, FL which is probably on the same latitude that you're on so I understand your climate. HOT & HUMID for sure. The humidity slaps you right in the face when you open the door in the morning.

Actually where we are in Dallas, GA and it isn't that different. We may get a bit colder but it gets really cold in Destin too. I did the back part of my pen with boards up about 4' but just in the back of the pen. In the front, most of mine is wide open with hardware cloth all over. The back boards are there only for the cold weather we have and I know you get a bit of that too. I think it makes them feel cozy. This winter I went to Sam's club and got some big pieces of cardboard that they have between the pallets and put that up in the back of the pen walls to block out the cold and hopefully to make it a bit warmer for them. I think it helped some.

I've got that same green plastic netting over the top of a good bit of my run. I really like it and want to get some more for my outside run. Last night I was sitting out there with them just watching and a big flying whatever swooped down and I was sure glad to have it! I think maybe an owl?

 

[Melodychick]

Ah Destin! Had some good times there in the distant past....
Yes I had planned on a solid 4’ panel on the north side, but now I guess I’ll go on the three sides. The side adjoining the chicken coop will be left open. I think I’ll add one of those half wall dividers like you did too. It’ll give them some cozy privacy to sleep, lay eggs or whatever it is they do! Thanks for your input!

 

[Melodychick]

One more question I hope you can help me with @DuckyDonna how big should the pop door be? I plan on having Swedish ducks, and maybe some Cayuga if things go well...