- Feb 28, 2010
- 7
- 0
- 7
Hi Duckxperts!
I'm new to this forum and have been learning so much from reading posts. Ducks seem like so much fun!
We fed and cared for my daughter's teacher's ducks last week and just feel in love. My husband and I would love to have ducks and have been scheming and planning, trying to figure out how we could accommodate ducks and we think we have a good, workable plan. We've been reading all the duck/poultry/waterfowl books we can find, but I would love to run our plans by a group of people with a variety of experiences, to see if it sounds good and try to get whatever advice we can. Above all, we want our ducks to be happy, kept in healthy humane conditions.
So here's the plan, theoretically for 4 ducks, but please advise on all points:
duck coop, 4'x6', between 42" and 48" high, attached to
secure hoop house made of 4 cattle panels, so approximately 9'x17'. (both coop and hoop house would be as predator proof as we could make them - we live in the woods in Western MA surrounded by thousands of acres of wildlife-protected land). Inside hoop house, we'd have a 100 gallon, 70"x15"x18" pool with drain
attached to approximately 1/3 to 1/2 acre of fenced yard, including our small vegetable garden which we'd close up in the spring when everything's tender and delicious, but hopefully open up for free duck weeding later in the season. I would use this area only when I'm home and able too keep 1/2 an eye on the ducks.
the area has a nice mix of sun and shade and borders some wetland, which I have mixed feelings about. I'd love to let them swim in it when there's enough water, but I've read that botulism can be a risk in such swampy areas. I need to find out more about this, but I'd want to be able too keep them out of the swamp if it were necessary. It it's not necessary, I would let the ducks free-range when I'm outside.
These ducks would be pets/layers. We'd get all females. We have a four-year old daughter who is very good at remaining calm and quiet around animals and a 7 month old baby who we will probably not subject the ducks to until her behavior is fairly predictable. We are looking for calm ducks who don't need tons of water and who like to stay close to home - any breed suggestions?
So there it is! If you've stayed with me through all that and can spare a minute, I'd love some feedback - basically, I want to make sure it isn't too small/confining, but really all advice is welcome.
Thank you!
I'm new to this forum and have been learning so much from reading posts. Ducks seem like so much fun!
We fed and cared for my daughter's teacher's ducks last week and just feel in love. My husband and I would love to have ducks and have been scheming and planning, trying to figure out how we could accommodate ducks and we think we have a good, workable plan. We've been reading all the duck/poultry/waterfowl books we can find, but I would love to run our plans by a group of people with a variety of experiences, to see if it sounds good and try to get whatever advice we can. Above all, we want our ducks to be happy, kept in healthy humane conditions.
So here's the plan, theoretically for 4 ducks, but please advise on all points:
duck coop, 4'x6', between 42" and 48" high, attached to
secure hoop house made of 4 cattle panels, so approximately 9'x17'. (both coop and hoop house would be as predator proof as we could make them - we live in the woods in Western MA surrounded by thousands of acres of wildlife-protected land). Inside hoop house, we'd have a 100 gallon, 70"x15"x18" pool with drain
attached to approximately 1/3 to 1/2 acre of fenced yard, including our small vegetable garden which we'd close up in the spring when everything's tender and delicious, but hopefully open up for free duck weeding later in the season. I would use this area only when I'm home and able too keep 1/2 an eye on the ducks.
the area has a nice mix of sun and shade and borders some wetland, which I have mixed feelings about. I'd love to let them swim in it when there's enough water, but I've read that botulism can be a risk in such swampy areas. I need to find out more about this, but I'd want to be able too keep them out of the swamp if it were necessary. It it's not necessary, I would let the ducks free-range when I'm outside.
These ducks would be pets/layers. We'd get all females. We have a four-year old daughter who is very good at remaining calm and quiet around animals and a 7 month old baby who we will probably not subject the ducks to until her behavior is fairly predictable. We are looking for calm ducks who don't need tons of water and who like to stay close to home - any breed suggestions?
So there it is! If you've stayed with me through all that and can spare a minute, I'd love some feedback - basically, I want to make sure it isn't too small/confining, but really all advice is welcome.
Thank you!
