Coop and run

The most common duck housing setup is a coop for the night and a run for the day.

Pros

• Both the coop and run can be completely predator-proofed.
• The coop and run can be any size, as big as your budget allows.

Cons

• Ducks are very hard on vegetation. Building a run big enough that the ducks won’t destroy the grass can be expensive, especially if the run is fully predator-proofed.

Coop and multiple runs

Sometimes two or more runs are better than one. I think this is an underrated duck housing method.

Pros

• With two or more runs, you can rotate your ducks from one to the other to minimize or prevent the grass from being damaged.
• You can separate ducks from each other if you need to.

Cons

• Building more runs can be more expensive, but each individual run can be smaller, so the cost difference should not be much.

Run and shelter

If your run is predator-proof, why use a coop at all? Most ducks would rather not have to spend the night in a coop, most of the time. A three-sided shelter, dog house, or similar may be all they need.

Pros

• Your ducks will love it.
• It’s cheaper, since you don’t have to build an entire coop.
• You don’t have to take the time to lock the ducks up every night, and you’ll probably also spend less time cleaning the shelter.

Cons

• You’ll probably need to put more money into predator-proofing the run.
• Your ducks might lay eggs in their pool or other places other than their nest or coop.
• In extreme weather, the shelter may not provide sufficient protection.

Coop and free-range

Free-ranging isn’t an option for everyone. In some areas, you’d just be offering a buffet for the local predators. But in other areas, there aren’t many predators to worry about, so letting your ducks free-range for the day (a coop or pen for the night is still recommended) may be worth it.

Pros

• This is what ducks like best. Ducks love freedom.
• Your ducks will be able to find a lot of their own food.
• You may not have to build a run, or at least it doesn’t have to be as big.

Cons

• Your ducks are likely to be at risk of predation.
• Ducks that can fly will need to have their wings clipped or they could fly away.
• The ducks may wander places they shouldn’t, such as nearby roads, your neighbors’ properties, your porch, your garden, etc.

Mobile pens

“Chicken tractors” have become popular in recent years. They usually have a small coop in the back and a small run in the front, and they are usually moved by hand or by tractor/ATV, depending on their size and weight.

Pros

• They’re good if you don’t have much space.
• They provide constant access to fresh grass.

Cons

• Their size is limited, since they need to be light enough to be movable.
• They’re more difficult to predator-proof.

Predator protection

First and foremost, coops need to protect from predators. That’s the primary purpose of a coop anyway. Many predators prowl by night, so your ducks’ nighttime quarters often need to be more secure than their daytime area.

Here are some tips on predator-proofing your coop:

https://www.tyrantfarms.com/17-tips-to-keep-your-ducks-and-chickens-safe-from-predators/

https://backyardchickenproject.com/predator-proof-chicken-coop/

https://the-chicken-chick.com/11-tips-for-predator-proofing-chickens/

Weather protection

Ducks don’t need as much weather protection as chickens, but they should still have a dry, draft-free area to bed down.

Most ducks don’t mind rain, but they like sleeping where it’s dry, and wetness in a coop can cause moldy bedding and other issues. Be sure the coop stays as dry as possible.

The coop also shouldn’t be drafty. Windows should be over the ducks’ heads.

As for winter, as long as snow and drafts stay out, your ducks are probably fine, at least down to -30 Fahrenheit. They do not need heating. In fact, heating may do more harm than good. Insulation is also likely unnecessary, but if it gets very cold where you live, you may want to consider it.

Ventilation is actually one of the most important things to have in a duck coop during winter (or any time of year). Ducks create a lot of moisture, and if the moisture can’t escape, the ducks are much more prone to getting cold or even getting frostbite. Open-air coops are much better than closed ones.

So: give your ducks as much ventilation as possible while still keeping out rain, snow, drafts, and predators.

Coop size

Each duck needs at least 4 square feet of space, minimum. Large breed ducks need at least 5 square feet. More space is preferable. Ducks are active during the night, unlike chickens, so they need more space.

Try to build your coop big enough to hold more than the number of ducks you have. Ever heard of chicken math? In this case, we’re talking duck math. Flock size just…increases…somehow.

Another reason to make your coop larger than necessary is so your ducks will be more comfortable in it if they ever have to spend full days in it, such as if it’s extremely cold (duck owners usually lock their ducks in a coop when it gets somewhere between 15 F and 0 F). In fact, if you anticipate your ducks will have to spend a lot of time confined indoors, give each duck at least 10 square feet of space.

However, in general, if you have ten medium-sized ducks, the coop needs to be at least 40 square feet, at minimum. 50 square feet is better; more is better yet.

As for height, remember that they need to be able to flap their wings. Their wings rise several inches above their heads when they flap. 24 inches is the minimum pen height for ducks. However, unless the coop is very small, you may want to make it tall enough for you to stand up in, for ease of cleaning.

Nest boxes

Coops should provide your ducks a place to lay their eggs so they’ll be clean (hopefully) and easy to find. Some ducks won’t lay in nest boxes, but many do. Ducks don’t use raised nest boxes, so nest boxes in a duck coop need to be on the ground. Here are some ideas on how to make a duck nest box:

https://www.lifeisjustducky.com/make-your-own-nesting-boxes/

https://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/time-to-prepare-those-duck-and-goose.html

https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/coops/chicken-nesting-box-ideas/

https://www.raising-ducks.com/hidden-nest/

In general, you need about one nest box for every four ducks.

Flooring

Coop flooring can be dirt, wire mesh, concrete, or wood.

Dirt floors only work with well-drained soil. You’ll likely also need to add a thick layer of sand over the dirt. It may be necessary to bury the coop walls a few inches underground to prevent predators from digging their way in. Dirt is cheap, easy, and is the best flooring if you’re planning to use deep litter bedding.

Wire mesh floors are especially common in brooders or raised chicken coops. They are supposed to allow poop to fall through the floor to the grass below, so, if done right, they tend to require less cleaning. However, you’ll still need to either move the coop or clean the area below it, and it’s difficult to make a wire floor that both is sturdy and protects from predators but still has large enough holes to allow poop to fall through. Wire floors can also be hard on ducks’ feet. And they are not a good option in cold weather.

Important note: Raised coops are not ideal for ducks. They are clumsy and don’t like ramps. If you do have a raised coop with a ramp, it needs to be wide and the incline should not exceed 45 degrees.

Permanent coops often have concrete floors. Concrete is durable, easy to clean, and keeps predators out. In many cases, it’s the best flooring option.

Wood floors are simple and cheap, but can be difficult to clean and may rot.

Bedding

There are many coop bedding options, but the most common, best options are sand, pine shavings, and straw.

Sand is easy to clean and, if done right, is better at keeping smell down than most other types of bedding. However, it doesn’t compost.

Pine shavings are absorbent and easy to clean.

Straw is the best option for deep litter bedding, which is ideal in winter conditions, as it’s warm and insulates well. It’s also easy to find. But it can be difficult to keep clean and smell-free.

Cleanliness

Believe it or not, duck housing should not smell. If there’s a smell of ammonia strong enough to be detectable to a human nose, then it has already started harming your ducks’ health.

If you are around any livestock operation, regardless of species, and you smell manure—you are smelling mismanagement.

Joel Salatin

Coop smell can be caused by three problems:

• There is insufficient ventilation.
• The coop isn’t being cleaned often enough.
• The ducks are overcrowded.

“Farm animals = smell” has become normalized, but what has actually become normalized is overcrowding and other problems.

Ducks need more space and more ventilation than you might think.

Tip: deep litter bedding is the least smelly. It works best with chickens, since they will scratch and turn it over, but it’s good for ducks as well.

Ventilation

There is no such thing as too much ventilation in duck housing. It is an absolute must.

You should have at least one square foot of ventilation per duck. More, of course, is better. You just don’t want drafts blowing in your ducks’ faces.

Ducks will do fine even in open-air coops even when temperatures reach 0 F (-18 C) or even lower.

Be sure to cover all ventilation holes with 1/2” hardware cloth.

Water and food in the coop

Ducks + water + bedding don’t go together well. Almost inevitably, ducks will put the water in the bedding, creating a soggy, stinky mess.

Food isn’t so bad, but ducks must have water with their food. If you offer food in the coop, you must offer water too.

To minimize mess, put your ducks’ waterer over a raised wire platform. That way spilled water can either fall through the floor to the ground or fall into a bowl beneath the wire platform.

Chicken drinkers may actually be messier than buckets, because ducks like to filter water through their bill and out near the base of it, and the troughs of chicken drinkers are often too small and narrow to catch this water.

Buckets can be a good option, although ducks may try to bathe in them. They also may need changed more often because ducks will make the entire bucket of water dirty, rather than just what’s available in the little trough of a chicken drinker. Also, they may not be able to reach the bottom of a bucket.

Ducks can easily go without food during the night. There is no need to provide food in the coop. It can attract mice and other unwanted creatures. However, you can provide food if you want to.

Ducks can also go without water for the night if they don’t have food either. I think it’s best for them to have water available 24/7, but if you do withhold water for the night, try to let them out of their coop early in the morning.

Fencing types

Chicken wire is often the first thing people thing of, but it’s the worst fencing option. The only thing it does is keep chickens (and ducks) in, and sometimes it doesn’t even succeed at that. It’s flimsy and easy to break. However, if all you want to do is keep your ducks out of your garden, it will suffice.

Galvanized hardware cloth is the most secure type of fencing. If you want to make a fully secure run that will keep all predators out, hardware cloth is the way to go.

Electronet will keep out most predators, except aerial predators and digging predators. It’s also easy to move. Many people have a mobile coop and with a fenced Electronet yard around it, and both are moved weekly or as often as necessary.

Chain-link is extremely sturdy, but it’s expensive.

Hog fencing will keep ducks in, but many small predators will be able to fit through it.

Fence height

A three-foot fence will keep most ducks in.

Pekin ducks and other heavy breeds, being heavy, can usually be contained behind a two-foot fence.

My Muscovies, with clipped wings, can be contained behind a four-foot fence. Some of them could probably get over it if they were really determined, though I’ve only seen them do it once. I don’t think a three-foot fence would reliably keep them in. I should note that I give their wings a light clip. A heavier clip would keep them down better.

Run ground cover

All this fencing can be quite expensive, which means that many covered runs are not large. As a result, the ducks usually destroy all the natural green cover. If you’re not careful, they’ll soon be living in dirt, mud, and feces, which, of course, is unsightly, unhygienic, unhealthy, and deprives the ducks of their favorite thing: foraging.

To prevent this, you have several options.

1. You can keep your ducks in a mobile run instead, so they have constant access to fresh grass.

2. You can build two or more runs and rotate your ducks through them so each run has time to recover and grow back before the ducks are returned to it.

3. You can have two runs: a smaller bedded one with a roof, and one larger one with grass. Ducks do the most damage to ground cover when it’s wet. During these times, confine your ducks to the bedded run so they don’t damage their grass run. This is what Dave Holderread mentions he does in his book, Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks. He says his bedded runs contain gravel, topped with sand, topped with coarse cedar sawdust.

4. You can have a really large run — at least 100 square feet per duck.

5. You can put sand or gravel in the run so it doesn’t get muddy, and then bring your ducks grass clippings and other entertainment since they can’t truly forage.

Shade

It’s essential to have shade in your ducks’ run. Bushes and trees usually make good shade, and you can also rig up small structures to provide shade. Be sure there’s enough shade that all your ducks can share the space at once.

Shade cloth doesn’t provide sufficient shade for ducks if it’s hot and sunny.

Furthermore, if your run isn’t covered, shade sources are also your ducks’ best protection against aerial predators. If they’re hidden under something, hawks and other birds can’t see them. Or if they’re close to cover, they can sprint to safety if they see a hawk—and they do try to. They often keep a wary eye on the sky if they’re in the open.

A windbreak is also a good thing to have in your duck run, especially during winter.

1. Provide cover

Provide ample cover. Aerial predators are one of the main dangers for free-range ducks. However, if they have a lot of cover, they can’t be seen from the air so easily, and even if they are, they may have time to sprint to safety. I think this is one of the main reasons we’ve been able to free-range our ducks with barely any losses. We have many buildings, trees, and bushes, and the ducks are rarely more than fifteen feet from something to hide under. Many times, I’ve seen them spot a passing hawk or other large bird, freak out, and vanish under something in the blink of an eye.

2. Geese

Geese can help to protect ducks—or a goose, I should say. Two geese are likely to stick with each other and abandon the ducks (or even attack them), but one gosling raised with ducklings will bond with the ducks and stay with them. Geese are large and will sound an alarm at any sign of danger, so they make good protectors for ducks. Some geese may even try to attack intruders.

3. LGDs

Livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) are even better, so if you’re serious about free-ranging and have a large flock, an LGD might be worth it. However, they are a major commitment and need training.

4. Stay alert

If you can, stay alert and keep your ear out for sounds of distress from your flock when they’re free-ranging. They will likely cry out if they’re attacked, and you may be able to run outside and intervene.

5. Electronet

Rather than letting your birds go completely free, consider using Electronet fencing.

To learn more about the ups and downs of free-ranging your ducks, click here: Free-Ranging Your Ducks Safely: Everything You Need to Know.