Questions about coop build..

[tadpole98]

I am a complete newbie in this area of poultry. This spring, in a month or two, I am getting my first ducklings! (Anconas)
I will be building a coop before the ducks, because you never buy the cart before the horse.

I am building this coop to be capable of 8 ducks.

Do they need a poop board? Only muscovies roost from what i heard so I wouldnt think so..

How tall should the coop be?

how far off the ground?

What kind of bedding can I use, straw?

How big do the nest boxes need to be?

what do you use for waterers?
something like this?




or a bucket?


i think thats all for right now, thanks!

 

[Going Quackers]

I am a complete newbie in this area of poultry. This spring, in a month or two, I am getting my first ducklings! (Anconas)
I will be building a coop before the ducks, because you never buy the cart before the horse.

I am building this coop to be capable of 8 ducks.


how fun! make sure to update with pictures! we love pictures here!

Do they need a poop board? Only muscovies roost from what i heard so I wouldnt think so..

I own Muscovy i don't have one lol

How tall should the coop be?


well that varies, some use say a doghouse height others like myself? it's walk in, winters are long and harsh here i want to be able to get indoors thank you very much ... I would look through this section and even the coop sub-forum there are many ideas, key point? good ventilation and predator proof, plus think of yourself you have to clean this a lot so ensure you can as easily as possible.

My design has several windows to allow natural light in. The building goes off to the side as well into 'stalls' basically mine is a mini barn, houses 10 right now soon to be 12 come late May plus unknown as i have a nesting duck due in Mar.




how far off the ground?

Again, depends on the design, ours is slightly elevated so it actually has a porch now one thing to keep in mind ducks are not like chickens climbing ramps and so forth so don't go to high that the birds cannot access the home.

What kind of bedding can I use, straw?

You can, i don't, i completely dislike it. I use a combo of wood shavings and horse wood pellet bedding.

How big do the nest boxes need to be?

They don't really need them IME, i don't have any and i have had several 'nests'(producing ducklings) there is an area under the shelf that the girls usually use to brood, but being Muscovy and as you know they roost i have a differing situation, all that said most of the girls for regular egg laying just build a cute little nest of the shavings lay and leave lol

what do you use for waterers?
something like this?




or a bucket?

Buckets and rubber pans, ducks MUST be able to dunk their heads in those they cannot, the rubber pans, those are carried in any farm supply in the bucket isle.


i think thats all for right now, thanks!

Okay, hopefully i helped, at least a little!

 

[Amiga]

To follow up with Going Quackers,

my experience has been pretty much the same. Considerations I used in designing our duckhouse were

height of ducks (runners are tall, entering and exiting the shelter)
my height and reach - I am not tall for a human, and have short arms. I need to be able to reach ducks, eggs, and areas to clean and maintain
where will the water go? not in the sleeping area, and out where it will drain and not cause mold
how deep will the bedding need to be in winter?
how will I insulate the house? The short answer to this was - in spite of my best efforts - I won't be able to insulate it enough. In winter, the ducks are in the walkout basement pen where it stays above freezing. I have a few ducks who are not winter-hardy and I was not willing to sacrifice them.

Here is what I came up with for an outdoor house. It works very well, and if I didn't have my little frail flower girls (runners), this would work fairly well with one exception: Twice since we got ducks, we have had to deal with over three feet of snow. With the ducks in the basement pen, I don't have to shovel to get to them. That is a relief! And it is not the solution for most people, I get that. But it is an up-side. I also am extremely diligent in keeping their pen clean

Anyway, here's a photo of the duck house.




The Dutch door is a back-saver.
There is a sliding door on the right-hand end of the house into the veranda, where the water is kept (flooring is sawdust over sand over half inch hardware cloth - metal - over soil).

 

[Carcajou]

Here are some photos of the coop I built last year (after some management mistakes with a smaller one). It is 4 x 6 and I house six Khaki Campbell's with no issues. It is vented on three sides with no vents on the windward side. All vents are covered with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. The door also has a vent on the top half that I uncover in warmer weather. It is built so I can walk in and manage their bedding and collect eggs. The white pipe was originally to pipe water in from my spring that I had set up as a free flow system so it had an exit pipe as well. I do not recommend this as they will make a mess inside the coop if there is water in it. Good luck with your ducks and your coop!







This is a little hutch I built to hang their feeder in during inclement weather. The feeder hangs on the flower hook on most days.

 

[tadpole98]

Thanks everyone!

I am going to put it a foot off the ground, and use for water and food. Except it will be bigger and a different brand.. Thats the closest i could find on google though

In the corner I think I am going to put 'nest boxes', which will really be just the normal floor but with a lip in front. (does that make sense?)

and the back of the coop will have a removable piece for easy cleaning. The door is going to be 2' by 2' so I cant clean much out of that..

Estimated costs so far is $450..

i might have to just get a dog house for half the price, but it wouldnt be as big!

 

[Going Quackers]

Thanks everyone!

I am going to put it a foot off the ground, and use for water and food. Except it will be bigger and a different brand.. Thats the closest i could find on google though

In the corner I think I am going to put 'nest boxes', which will really be just the normal floor but with a lip in front. (does that make sense?)

and the back of the coop will have a removable piece for easy cleaning. The door is going to be 2' by 2' so I cant clean much out of that..

Estimated costs so far is $450..

i might have to just get a dog house for half the price, but it wouldnt be as big!

Sounds good, i have a feeder like this in the barn



It feeds 8 to 9 of the ducks it depends, sometimes the one duck goes in with the one drake, i house the drakes separately, i switch out the bucket to a heated one in winter.

As to cost, i do understand we were lucky the industrial skids our barn is on were free, windows are all antique and the wooden siding was free but the plywood walls were not and i still need to get the metal roofing this year...

now this is during the build and before the edition(dumb duck math lol) but gives you an idea of the main layout, this picture was taken from the front. Two windows are on either side as well just like you saw in my earlier picture, plus the window installed already, they all open and are covered with hardware cloth. We also put rubber stall mats down on the floor. Our door is wood, it was from a guy around here who is a collector lol only 5$

 

[tadpole98]

That is a nice coop!! Mine wont be nearly as nice..

 

[Going Quackers]

That is a nice coop!! Mine wont be nearly as nice..

Nah, don't be discouraged. Thank you though, it's been a long process... of coarse continuing to add ducks didn't help, we only started with 4, i have 10 now but will have 12 soon and whatever the current duck has(nesting) but i have had almost in the 20's, i pared back last fall.

 

[tadpole98]

Quote: im only getting 8, starting with three, then maybe letting them hatch out one or two. and in a few years getting 3 more, lol!

 

[Going Quackers]

im only getting 8, starting with three, then maybe letting them hatch out one or two. and in a few years getting 3 more, lol!

Duck math already at work.