thinking about raising ducks

[Zigapor]

I had planned on getting babies, but I think with the cats, adults would be more suitable. We don't live in town, we are on the outskirts of a tiny village (pop 300!) the birds are allowed to run freely as long as they are housed behind our house (weird property zoning doesn't allow livestock in the front yard, lol) I am going to take pictures of both sheds, maybe you guys can help determine which would be best. The main shed has a poured cement floor, the smaller one has rocks, but we have skids and plywood to build it up. That should keep proper air flow under the floor and stop it from rotting, right? As for the larger shed, would bedding directly on top of the concrete be sufficient?

How big (or small I guess) does the metal mesh need to be? Is chicken wire ok? Should the holes be smaller than an inch, or is an inch ok?

going to take pictures now!!

 

[Zigapor]

ok, so the little shed is 7 by 11 (feet) and the bigger one is 15 by 17 (feet)

the first picture is off the larger tractor shed (i call it that cause the previous owner built it for his tractor btw)


this is a picture of both sheds


this will be the area we plan on using for the birds. We will fence it in on all sides and add the wire mesh


the doors of the smaller shed, the tractor shed has no front wall or door


this is a pic of the latch system in place. We have a long metal pole that fits in, and all the way across both doors. Will that be enough to keep predators out of should we add more protection?


the inside of the smaller shed (which i am thinking will be the one we use, less work to convert it, lol. Would the egg boxes be ok on that back shelf? or is that too high off the ground? We will give them a ladder to access it. Would ducks be happy lower with chickens above?
And how about the floor? it's just rocks at the moment, was thinking opf adding skids and some sort of flooring over the plywould over the skids... any suggestions?

 

[Zigapor]

oye, my spelling isn't top notch this morning, time for more coffee... sorry about that!

 

[Zigapor]

if we do end up using the smaller one for our birds... do you think birds and goats could live in the same little yard if the goats are housed in the tractor shed at night?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Don't house your goats with the birds they can kill them. Goats can lay on them or if excited can thrash them and injure or kill. Sharing pasture space is OK (if enough room for everyone to moves about freely). The smaller shed would be fine for 3 hens and 3 ducks. The hens would nest in 1 nest box they share you can mount up hip/waist high. The ducks nest on the floor, you can give them a small dog house type box for laying. They may or may not use it.

Never use chicken wire for securing an opening. Always use hardware cloth 1/2" x 1/2" openings. Anything larger and raccoons can still reach through and grab and pull birds out bit by bit.

Make sure the bottom (ground level) of the smaller shed is protected from predators digging in from outside. trenching and adding wire attached to the building and buried into the ground, or corrugated roofing panels buried then back filled with dirt would help.

 

[Zigapor]

oh ok, I didn't know there was mesh with holes smaller than chicken wire. We have a country farm store in town (the only store in town)... would they carry it do you think? I supposed I could just go in and check, lol.

ok, i've been reading more, mostly about poop trays and such... do chickens always poop on their little ladder thing (forget what it's called) or do they poop all willy nilly? How about ducks, what's their pooping preferance?


Do ducks use the same kind of feed and watering system as chickens do? are they s messy with their water? If i give my ducks a little pool, will the chickens use it or mess it up? can the chickens drown if they gt in it by accident?

There is a big rick within the area we plan on using... can the ducks/chickens fly up and use it to get over the fence? Should we pen them with the rock on the outside? will that make it easier for predators to get in?

Do free-range chickens do well if "stuck" in a run while I am not there to supervise? how about ducks, do they need a run too or would they be ok outside without it?

is there such thing as a rooster that doesn't crow first thing in the morning? (my sister told me about late morning roosters, but idk if she knows what she is talking about) Would a rooster help protect the ducks like they do their hens?

I've also read that ducks are great for gardens, but not so much when the plants are little... how far along should the garden be before they gain access to it? garden season here only lasts for june to september... would mid-summer be good, or wait till later in the season? (our garden will be mostly to teach the kids to grow their own food more so than to feed us all so if there is plant loss it's that a big deal)

is there anything else I should read up on or know about ducks and chickens?

I had planned on waiting till spring to get my birds... but if I can get this shed converted soon, would bringing them in in the fall be ok? Can i just add ducks to my chickens without problems or do they need to be slowly introduced?

 

[Zigapor]

do you think racoons could drop from the trees and into the bird area? should I cover it somehow? is that even possible? lol

 

[Amiga]

do you think racoons could drop from the trees and into the bird area? should I cover it somehow? is that even possible? lol

Yes, I do. I have fence across the top of the day pen to prevent foxes from jumping in.

 

[Zigapor]

so in other words, they really do need a safe chicken run for when I am not right there watching them, right?
I plan on getting myself a nice comfy chair to position right close to the birds so I can do some reading while they are out free ranging

how big would a run have to be? and will the ducks be happy in a run with chickens or do they need their own contraption?

just curious... can ducks and chickens learn their name? We hand raised a squirrel from infancy a few years back, and she still comes when called even though she's been released for a while (helped tremendously when trying to trap her to be transported to the new house a few months ago)... so I'm hoping maybe the birds can too???

You know those little battery operated lights you can get at the dollar store that are turned on when you push on them? could the birds be taught how to push them on so they can control their own lights? Just a little pat with the beak would power the lights... and since i don't have electricity in my coop I thought that could be good for lighting on long winter nights, well, if it would work, that is

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

Yes they can learn their name. Every time one of my chickens hears his name, he responds. I was talking to my sister about something (don't remember what) and when he heard his name he lifted his head, started clucking, then walked over and climbed on me.