Tree Roost!

[Danragg]

Hi guys dont know if anyone else has ever done or considered this, i am due to be getting 4 muscovys soon and am wondering if i would be able to keep them at night in a sort of modified tree house out of the reach of foxes. another idea would be to susspend the coop from 2 tree branches to keep it out of reach would loe to hear peoples opinions on this would this be possible and would the drake be able to fly high enough to get into this if i was to create it? thanks (ill attach a pic of the garden and the trees that i have to choose from what one do you guys think would be best thanks again Dan.) the plan is what the suspended idea would look something like.

 

[Danragg]

.....

 

[Bigwig]

I suggest that you put a removable ramp up to the coop so the ducks can get to the house and than you can remove it after the ducks have gone to bed.

 

[Danragg]

great idea, was wondering if muscovys are such good foragers if i was to let them hatch say some runners would those runners grow up to become as good foragers as the muscovys that raised them?!

 

[centrarchid]

Place roost on ground directly below where it is to be when elevated. Confine birds to it for a few days so they imprint on it. Then release them about an hour before dark so they can come back out briefly. The following day release them earlier in the day. After a couple days of this you should be able to release birds all day. Once they go back to roost each night, then begin raising it up about a foot each day. Imprinting is usually the hard part.

Birds being vulnerable on ground during early part of this also a consideration. I do similar multiple times each year and use electrified poultry netting to protect birds while roost is on ground. In the end you will still be vulnerable to Great-horned Owls unless door closed t night or you use dogs.

If you have issues with birds not flying in once roost a few feet up, then be prepared to modify opening as it may be too tight. Foxes can sometimes jump a good 8 feet if they learn to so keep that in mind as well.

 

[Danragg]

Thanks! nice to know someone has had the same idea (and that it has worked HAHA)
but a few other people have said that if i had a Muscovy drake he would not be able to get that high, is this true?
thanks Dan

 

[centrarchid]

Here is setup I used a couple of years back. Multiple used and in pasture protected by dogs. Birds flew vertically up into it. American Dominiques had trouble going up more than 6 feet in one single flight. They were roosting in such by age of 10 weeks.

 

[centrarchid]

Thanks! nice to know someone has had the same idea (and that it has worked HAHA)
but a few other people have said that if i had a Muscovy drake he would not be able to get that high, is this true?
thanks Dan 

That is beyond my experience.

 

[alldembirds]

well if you only raise it a foot every week or so you will eventually see how high is too high......

 

[Bigwig]

great idea, was wondering if muscovys are such good foragers if i was to let them hatch say some runners would those runners grow up to become as good foragers as the muscovys that raised them?!

Runner ducks are very good foragers but I would not count on them nor any other breed of duck to learn from the muscovies. The foraging skills of a duck are usually genetic, making one breed of duck better than another breed at foraging. The most noticeable difference of allowing ducklings to be raised by mother is that they are healthier due to the bugs and grass that the mother feeds them. The ducklings won't be as friendly towards people though.