Will my ducks be okay outside? I'm a worried duck mom.

[lyssi]

Chicken wire will be breached right away, and ducks will be killed. 1/4" welded wire hardware cloth is the best way to go to keep out snakes and larger predators. Remember your ducks are like you walking down the meat isle to a predator. That predator has all night to dig and bite through the wire. Make sure you read the articles here on how to predator proof your babies. I ordered mine though Academy Fencing because they are often out of good hardware cloth near me. They have rolls of up to 48" high and 100 ft long. https://weldedwirefence.com/welded-wire/mesh-size/1-4inx1-4in-mesh-size/ Just saw they even have 1/8" hardware cloth. I may use that over vents to keep snakes out of their house. Black Racer Snakes can climb anywhere here and they fit through tiny holes. Neighbor found a 6 ft one inside her hallway the other day! I think it was on here where I read a sad story about somebody that left the coop door OPEN during the day. The snake got inside and she locked her poor chickens in with it all night! They were so terrified they didn't want to use the house again. It made me vow to never leave the coop door open and to check it every night before I put my babies away....

Oops I meant hardware cloth, I get confused between chicken wire and that lol. I live in a suburban area so luckily there aren't any snake threats. Thanks for easing some of my worries!

 

[lyssi]

They do not need a light if your temperature is warm enough. Can you guide them into something where predators can not get them for the night.

I have a sturdy coop that I've kept them in for at least one night, so I think it'll be okay. I have a tiny yard light out there for in case anything happens though.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

Is this one of the chicken type coops like tractor supply sells with a steep narrow ramp? I have had 0 luck getting my ducks up anything less than a gradually pitched superhighway of a ramp, at that often as not,po someone falls off the side and cant seem to figure out how to get back on. Not sure how much success you will have with a chicken ramp.

 

[lyssi]

Is this one of the chicken type coops like tractor supply sells with a steep narrow ramp? I have had 0 luck getting my ducks up anything less than a gradually pitched superhighway of a ramp, at that often as not,po someone falls off the side and cant seem to figure out how to get back on. Not sure how much success you will have with a chicken ramp.

Oh man, yeah it is a chicken ramp. I guess I'll have to modify it or literally buy another coop. Thanks!

 

[Yardmom]

My ducks have learned to use a ramp. I'm not sure how steep the prefab are compared to mine.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

My ducks have a very wide ramp with a gentle slope and they still tumbled off it all the time--we ended up having to build tall railings on either side. Ducks are super cute but not exactly graceful.

 

[lyssi]

Ah yes thank you! My ducks have tried climbing it already but just keep falling off lol.

 

[lyssi]

My ducks have learned to use a ramp. I'm not sure how steep the prefab are compared to mine.

Thank you! The ramo isn't really steep at all, they jsut keep knocking each other off lol.

 

[Duck Lady1]

This is what I do, and my ducklings are 5 weeks old now. And they have and "auntie" (a 1 year old duck) that hangs with them.

I'm in SC so the weather is warm. So as long as it's over 70 during the day I let them hang out with auntie duck in my fenced in back yard. I'm in a neighborhood with very few predators, but I still watch them carefully. I let it go pretty much during the day and let them roam within the fenced in yard, but at night I have a bunny hutch I use. It's actually a terrific hutch. https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/tuc...-small-animal-hutch-with-ramp-w002968279.html

I had it reinforced with some wood strips to make it withstand the weather better - the lid is very solid and I don't think the average animal could lift it or even understand it needs to be lifted, but if you worry about that - you can put something heavy on it.

When the weather got cool and wet in the past week (around 55 at night) I knew the young ones had to be inside and now auntie duck does't want to be without them. So they all slept inside in my bathtub. (I just washed it out with bleach afterwards).