what sort of housing do ducks need?

[kdcrws]

Thinking about getting ducks if not soon then in the spring. Do they require a coop like chickens or just some sort of shelter to get into at night? We have a good size pond in our back yard and have wild ones flown in a few times we tamed a pair one time only to have them eaten by something so want to know the best way to keep them safe.

 

[Wildsky]

Mine live very happily with the chickens in the coop - I even had one sitting on the roost this evening

 

[kdcrws]

Quote:
Wow!

We'll have to make them there own place. My tractor is (or will be when the girls get older) capacity.

 

[corancher]

Ours go into the coops with the chickens. The problem is they play in the water and make quite a mess. They are getting their own coop very shortly. The coop is being put on hill side so water will drain away thus we hope keeping things a little neater.

We don't put our baby ducks with chicks, guineas, or turkeys. Ducks are just too messy and get things wet no matter how we try to set up their brooder.

 

[Katy]

I have dog houses in the pen for mine, but they very rarely use them even in the coldest worst weather.

 

[kdcrws]

so would just a three sided shelter be ok? Or does it need a door on it?

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
Depends on what kind of hungry animals you have roaming around at night!
We have coyote's and racoons and things, I'm sure they'd be DELIGHTED to find a warm meal in the snow!

 

[kdcrws]

Quote:
Depends on what kind of hungry animals you have roaming around at night!
We have coyote's and racoons and things, I'm sure they'd be DELIGHTED to find a warm meal in the snow!

Not to much snow in FLA

....But we do have foxes panthers raccoons opossums the occasional gator.....pretty much anything that would find a duck yummy. So I guessing that we need to lock them in @ night.

Thanks for the info!

 

[sara]

Quote:
I agree. Mine prefer to be outside. They don't roost and sleep all night like chickens.

 

[tmb3fan]

I have been contemplating this same question. I noticed that my Rouens gather under a lawn chair by the pond when it rains. I am planning to build a little A-Frame for them to get under. Ours have been out all the time since we got them in July. We lost one to a preditor the first week. I do a head count every morning, not that I can do anything if one is missing. I have more on the way and I hope that the security in numbers rule will help.

The people up the road have about 20 around their pond and have only lost one in the last year.

Ever since my one disappeared, the others won't go more than a foot into the water.
Ducks scared of water, go figure!

Teri