space requirements

[sayyadina]

I'm getting 15 ducks & 2 geese next summer, and I'm wondering how big of a house I need to build for them.

I'm getting 10 Runners & 5 Welsh Harlequins, as well as 2 African Geese.

For waterers, I'm planning on using the Nelson automatic waterers. They've worked quite well for the alpacas & didn't freeze last winter. They make a model that sits on the ground and is 11" tall. How many will I need?

I'm planning on having them free range in one pasture during the day, and in the house at night. Though there may be some times during the winter when they could be confined to the house for a few days, due to storms or severe cold.

 

[Duck Keeper]

First off, you might want to look into having their waterer outside, even if it means just using a rubber bowl (those come in handy! just tip and kick the ice out) because the ducks (and geese) will doodle/play with their water and get it all over the ground. I would think they wouldn't freeze to it, but I've heard some nasty stories...

I hope you have LOTS of fun with your babies! Ducks and geese are awesome.

As for space, 4ft squared is the MINIMUM for ducks, I would tack two more feet on there for geese. Especially large ones.

As with all animals though, the bigger space you can give them, the happier, healthier and cleaner they'll be. Because ducks are icky, but I love them anyway.

Make sure you have great ventilation to dry it out, and that it's WATERPROOF! You don't need your coop rotting out from under you one day.

Maybe dirt floor?? With deep bedding.



Ducks and geese don't need water at night, but you MUST remove the food as well or they'll choke on it. (They need water to wash down their food.)



EDIT: http://holderreadfarm.com/photogallery/pen_building_page/pens_buildings.htm
They call their setup (first picture) a water porch, and it looks like the best idea so far to me. Unless you have a pen, which they'll just muddy up anyway.

Oh, and ducks can safely be fed Amprolium medicated feed. My babies are on it now, no problems.

 

[sayyadina]

Thank you.

The reason I want to do the Nelson waterers is so they can have a good water supply during the winter. We have the same waterers in our alpaca barn, and they didn't freeze all winter. Even when it got down around -20. Based on last winter, there are probably going to be days where I can't let them out due to lots of snow & wind, so they should have access to water inside. The waterers do come with covers, so I could cover them at night.

Spring time can get really muddy, so I'm not sure if a dirt floor is a good idea. I was thinking concrete.

We already have Woody Pet that we use on the alpaca's poop piles and will probably use in the ponies' stalls. Can I use that for the ducks & geese too?

Would they be bothered by snow blowing in? We get a LOT of wind, so the snow goes everywhere.


The place I'm going to be putting their brooder is in the quarantine barn, which has a stonedust floor. Is that okay, or should there be something on top of the stonedust?