Quick Duck coop/house

[So Many Everything]

Hi all -
I wasn't planning on having ducks this year so I didn't have a lot of time to prepare. I am looking at the following 2 options for a possible duck house, in addition to a fenced run. I am in Ontario, Canada and it can be cold, but is always windy!

Which would you think would work best?

Option 1: Convert this plastic playhouse. Perhaps a pallet with flooring underneath, hardware wire the openings. Maybe cover the openings for the winter except the top vents?

.

Or Option 2: Wooden playhouse. It has some venting.

I have a rubbermaid shed I can probably clean out and use this winter if I have to then change next year.

What do you recommend? Thanks!

 

[Aunt Angus]

How many ducks we talking about here?

If it were me, I'd go with #2 because it will be easier to modify.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I have a plastic playhouse and while you can modify, it takes some ingenuity. The wood one would be easier to modify as Aunt Agnus stated. I also like the idea of using the shed - you would have more room and not have to bend down to clean. You would have to add ventilation to the shed. If the shed is an option go with that.

 

[So Many Everything]

How many ducks we talking about here?

If it were me, I'd go with #2 because it will be easier to modify.

Maybe 2-4 at the moment.

Modify? What were you thinking? I thought the coop didn't need much, just some straw really, & cover the vents with hardware cloth. I just have small chicken coops and everything else in the run which I cover for the winter for my chickens and I thought it might be similar for ducks. I'd put everything else out in the run and have access to the yard if they wanted as well on nice days.

 

[So Many Everything]

I have a plastic playhouse and while you can modify, it takes some ingenuity. The wood one would be easier to modify as Aunt Agnus stated. I also like the idea of using the shed - you would have more room and not have to bend down to clean. You would have to add ventilation to the shed. If the shed is an option go with that.

There are ventilation holes on the sides. Would I need to add a few more to the front and back as well? I was going to put it inside a run and didn't think I had to modify much. What else should it have?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

There are ventilation holes on the sides. Would I need to add a few more to the front and back as well? I was going to put it inside a run and didn't think I had to modify much. What else should it have?

Are we talking about the shed? Yes. I can find some threads that have the same or similar shed. Generally they add a bigger vent or take out the fake window area and make that the ventilation. Ducks produce a lot of moisture even if you don't pure feed and water in there.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

This thread, but the op didn't add ventilation- but this poster did.
Post in thread 'Rubbermaid Storage Shed as Coop' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rubbermaid-storage-shed-as-coop.857067/post-13589532

This one added windows, which I would cover in hw cloth so they can be open.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/plastic-shed-chicken-coop.67752/

There are probably others, but these give you some ideas.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Here is a pic of my playhouse coop for ducks that I took the other day. The 2 front windows can stay opene or I close it off with the plastic. The south side window is hw cloth and I open or close the pink shutters. The north and east (back) have hw cloth and corrugated plastic to keep it protected and closed off as they didn't need all of the windows to be open for ventilation.
I do have issues with rain depending on how the wind is blowing.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Maybe 2-4 at the moment.

Modify? What were you thinking? I thought the coop didn't need much, just some straw really, & cover the vents with hardware cloth. I just have small chicken coops and everything else in the run which I cover for the winter for my chickens and I thought it might be similar for ducks. I'd put everything else out in the run and have access to the yard if they wanted as well on nice days.

Didn't look like it had much ventilation, but maybe it doesn't show in the pics.

 

[So Many Everything]

Are we talking about the shed? Yes. I can find some threads that have the same or similar shed. Generally they add a bigger vent or take out the fake window area and make that the ventilation. Ducks produce a lot of moisture even if you don't pure feed and water in there.

ah, ok. Thank you. I understand making more vents. I didn't realize how many. Thanks