Vacation?

[NewAtThis8]

How does everyone handle vacations with ducks? The chickens put themselves to bed and I think I can comfortably confine them to their coop and attached run for the long weekends we are away. (We go away almost every weekend in the summer and for holidays, could be 3-4 days but never a week or more).

The coop and run are fully enclosed by a larger run that the duck house is located in. It’s got 4” metal and vinyl fencing attached to the bottom and buried out about a foot around the perimeter.

The ducks won’t be able to also be confined in the smaller run with the chickens, which has wire that is much smaller than chicken wire almost like hardware cloth so nothing can stick a hand in and grab anyone.

They aren’t really fond yet of their house and while I put them to bed there nightly, they won’t go in willingly like the chickens.

Anything that I can do besides just having the house open and available to them to go into at night or run to if something tries to grab through the chicken wire?

Food and water for both chickens and ducks isn’t an issue- we have large buckets with dispensers for water and food that won’t run out over a weekend, though the little pool for the ducks will likely be super dirty by the time we get home on Sundays.

I’m mostly concerned about predators.

 

[TesoroSena]

See if you have a neighbor who could check on things for you, that is what i do. I don't think anything would try to grab through the chicken wire, but you can never be too safe.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You mentioned chicken wire? that stuff will keep poultry inside but not predators out. Your set up sounds good other than that.
It would def be a good idea to have someone check on the say sometime on Sat?

Oh yes raccoons are awful about reaching into chicken wire and grabbing a duck then trying to pull said duck through the fencing I have read about it many times here on BYC.

 

[NewAtThis8]

You mentioned chicken wire? that stuff will keep poultry inside but not predators out. Your set up sounds good other than that.
It would def be a good idea to have someone check on the say sometime on Sat?

Oh yes raccoons are awful about reaching into chicken wire and grabbing a duck then trying to pull said duck through the fencing I have read about it many times here on BYC.

Alright, I think I’ve added another barrier for my babies- I have hardware cloth from ground to 10” high on top of the chicken wire around the perimeter where they’d be most likely to hang out (I ran out of the roll, so eventually the whole thing will get wrapped 10” high). I already had the ground fenced so nobody can dig, the gaps filled and ceiling covered, but was most worried about something reaching in. Those darn raccoons. We do have a 6” privacy fence around our property but things can come in from a tree over
The shed or we’ve had groundhogs dig underneath

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good for you always better to overdo than not do enough. I don't know why ducks like to sleep right next to the fencing but seems they do. Mine do it during the day. But they are locked up at night. we have tons of predators.
Sounds like you can enjoy your vacation now and at least know you've done all you can to protect them.

 

[Pollo Blanco]

Food and water for both chickens and ducks isn’t an issue- we have large buckets with dispensers for water and food

Can you tell me more about your food dispenser?

 

[NewAtThis8]

Can you tell me more about your food dispenser?

Well for the chickens and ducks we have two big TSC food grade buckets that we got a kit from Amazon to drill holes and install water cups for one and food dispensing cups with caps for the other. That has worked well just by itself.

Then since the ducks eat the chicken food but also need their duck food for the vitamins (they’re still growing) we got a pvc-type dispenser that hangs right off the chicken wire that fills from the top and dispenses into a little tray at the bottom
that lasted the week.

I also have a second water dispenser from rent a coop that is the same type of system as the duck food dispenser. This we got so we can keep giving the ducks vitamin b water that we were giving due to a deficiency in one but it’s not necessary the original water bucket gives them enough room to clear their sinuses out and drink next to the chickens.

All from Amazon!

 

[Pollo Blanco]

Well for the chickens and ducks we have two big TSC food grade buckets that we got a kit from Amazon to drill holes and install water cups for one and food dispensing cups with caps for the other. That has worked well just by itself.

Then since the ducks eat the chicken food but also need their duck food for the vitamins (they’re still growing) we got a pvc-type dispenser that hangs right off the chicken wire that fills from the top and dispenses into a little tray at the bottom
that lasted the week.

I also have a second water dispenser from rent a coop that is the same type of system as the duck food dispenser. This we got so we can keep giving the ducks vitamin b water that we were giving due to a deficiency in one but it’s not necessary the original water bucket gives them enough room to clear their sinuses out and drink next to the chickens.

All from Amazon!

Nice!
I'm trying to find something automated for food so that no food is available at night due to rodents.

 

[NewAtThis8]

Nice!
I'm trying to find something automated for food so that no food is available at night due to rodents.

If you find something let me know because that’d be ideal! I am nervous leaving the caps on the feeder open 24/7 while away for that reason, I usually go in and close them at night when they start going into the coop. I do think they sell kits that have the same pieces that install on a bucket or PVC that allow food out, but no rodents in.

 

[Pollo Blanco]

If you find something let me know because that’d be ideal! I am nervous leaving the caps on the feeder open 24/7 while away for that reason, I usually go in and close them at night when they start going into the coop. I do think they sell kits that have the same pieces that install on a bucket or PVC that allow food out, but no rodents in.

I can't have excess food anywhere, so it needs to dispense a given portion and be done.
Water is easy with so many timers and pumps available.