DUCK
COOPS
10 TIPS TO BUILD THE
PERFECT DUCK COOP
DUCK COOP LINKS
BACK TO TOP
SECTION 1
10 TIPS TO
BUILD THE
PERFECT
DUCK COOP
No matter the duck breed, remembering these 10 duck coop tips will
give your ducklings the perfect home they'll love!
Thinking about raising ducks? Get your duck house right on the first
try with these 10 tips for the most perfect duck coop.
Ducks are a really great option for a backyard flock, but duck house
musts are a little different than backyard chickens or other poultry.
Here are 10 tips for the most perfect DIY duck coop so you can get
ready to raise ducks or improve your current duck living quarters.
Remember: the better the duck coop, the healthier and happier the ducks!
1. Straw Bedding
Straw bedding is best for your duck coop. It insulates well, it composts
easily, it produces little dust, and it makes a great duck nest. Large
flake wood shavings or pine needles also make good duck coop bedding.
2. Tarp or Floor Tiles
For easy cleaning and to preserve your coop floor, put a tarp down before
any bedding or some peel and stick floor tiles on the floor and walls.
Also, be sure to paint or stain the outside of the coop to help protect
the coop and extend its service life.
3. Low Down Duck Nests
Nest boxes in your duck coop should be about 14 square inches, on the floor
level, and give you easy access to collect eggs from the coop door or from
an external nesting box access door. Ducks do not need or use hanging nesting
boxes like chickens.
4. Ground Level Coop
Your duck coop should be pretty much ground level. Not comfortable with having
it directly on the ground? At most, you can raise it on cement blocks and have
a gently sloping ramp into the coop.
5. Wide Coop Door
Ducks like to do things in groups, including going through duck doors (watching
a duck run is so delightful!). To prevent a stuck duck, make the duck coop door
two or more ducks wide. They're not fans of single-file, and they really might
get stuck or at the very least jostled. A wider coop door makes for calmer
entrances and exits as well as calmer birds.
6. Water
Ducks don't need actual duck ponds or swimming pools, but they do need (at a minimum)
to be able to dip their entire head into the water. Ducks dunk their heads into water
in order to clean their eyes and groom themselves (and sometimes use it as drinking
water).
Provide water with a couple of large buckets, a kiddie pool, or better yet, a wading
pool or stock tank (each of which needs a duck ramp). Since ducks like to splash,
keep water some distance from their food and away from coop bedding to prevent water
spillage.
7. Feed
Many ducks eat chicken layer feed and forage for insects and plants. Keep in mind that
duckbills are quite different from chicken beaks and make sure feeder openings are large
enough. Keep food and water some distance from each other to reduce the mess ducks can
make mixing water and food.
If you can't store feed inside your coop, you can use galvanized metal trash cans to
store food outside or in your garage to keep it safe from vermin and weather.
8. Ventilation
Like chickens in a chicken coop, ducks need good coop ventilation and protection from
the prevailing wind.
Ducks produce a lot of moisture through breathing and through their manure. Unless this
moisture is carried out of the coop with good overhead ventilation, it can cause bedding
to mold, respiratory issues, and frostbite in cold climates.
Your ducks need a dry coop, not a damp coop. Provide a dry duck coop by having plenty
of ventilation overhead (to provide airflow), but be sure to shelter your ducks from
wind and drafts. In New England, we site our coop facing south with ventilation
overhead and to the south side of the coop. You may want to consider locating the duck
coop near a compost pile so it's easier to clean out the coop and compost bedding.
9. Predator Protection
The duck coop should be a safe place for your ducks and secure from predators,
particularly at night.
A duck's main predator is likely raccoons, but they can also fall prey to weasels,
foxes, and other animals. Raccoons are smart and can open latches. Ask at the
hardware store about a secure raccoon-proof latch.
Predator-proof your duck house with secure window openings covered with hardware
cloth wire mesh (not chicken wire - never use chicken wire as a protection against
raccoons) and either shut them in at night with a coop door or a securely fenced
duck pen that can keep out predators. A secure fence is dug well below ground and
provides overhead protection from climbing predators.
10. Space Requirements
How big does your duck coop need to be and how many ducks can it hold? How much floor
space does each bird need in the coop? Plan for four to six square feet of floor space
per adult bird (two feet by two or three feet). The minimum space necessary is three
square feet per mature laying duck in your duck coop (about 18 inches by 18 inches
per bird).
Buy or build as big a coop as you can. If your coop is too small, you'll likely have
to expand at some point. While we are on the topic of space, it's best to let your
ducks free-range when possible instead of keeping them in a yard all the time.
10 Tips to Build
The Perfect Duck Coop
https://www.wideopenpets.com/duck-coop/
10 Considerations For
Your Backyard Duck Coop
https://insteading.com/blog/duck-coop/
BACK TO TOP
SECTION 2
DUCK
COOP
LINKS
12+ DIY Wood Duck Box
House Plans [Free]
https://www.mymydiy.com/wood-duck-box-house-plans/
19 DIY Duck House Plans
https://insteading.com/blog/diy-duck-house-plans/
22 Free DIY Duck
House Plans with
Detailed Instructions
https://www.itsoverflowing.com/diy-duck-house-plans/
23 Duck House Plans
With Tutorials That You
Can Build In A Weekend
https://thepoultryguide.com/duck-house-plans-you-can-build-this-weekend/
37 Free DIY Duck House
Coop Plans & Ideas that
You Can Easily Build
https://morningchores.com/duck-house-plans/
37 Free DIY Duck House
Coop Plans & Ideas that
You Can Easily Build
https://www.allselfsustained.com/37-free-diy-duck-house-coop-plans-ideas-can-easily-build/
43 DIY Duck Houses
Plans and Duck Coop
Plans to Build Now
https://homesthetics.net/duck-house-plans/
Build a duck nest box
https://www.ducks.org/media/Conservation/Conservation_Documents/_documents/duck_box_plans.pdf
Build an Easy to
Clean Duck Coop
with Attached Storage
https://diydanielle.com/build-duck-coop-with-storage/
Building a Duck Coop
for (Basically) Free
https://ozarkmountainjewel.com/building-a-duck-coop-for-basically-free/
BACK TO TOP
DIY Duck Run: How to
Build a Predator Proof
Space for your Ducks or Chickens
https://diydanielle.com/diy-duck-run/
Domestic Duck House Plans Free
https://www.midotrust.com/domestic-duck-house-plans-free/
Duck Coop: The Beginner’s
Guide To Housing Ducks
https://rosevinecottagegirls.com/duck-coop/
Duck Coop Plans
https://myoutdoorplans.com/animals/duck-coop-plans/
Duck Coop Plans
Woodworking Plans
https://www.toddvwolfson.com/duck-coop-plans-woodworking-plans/
Duck Housing And Duck Coops
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/duck-housing-and-duck-coops/
Free Duck House Plans
https://thefrugalchicken.com/free-duck-house-plans/
HOW TO BUILD A DUCK COOP
https://hellohomestead.com/how-to-build-a-duck-coop/
HOW TO BUILD A
LONG-LASTING, PREDATOR-PROOF
DUCK COOP AND DUCK RUN
https://www.tyrantfarms.com/how-to-build-duck-coop-and-duck-run/
How To Build a
Mess-Free Duck Pen
https://ecetohomesteading.com/how-to-build-a-mess-free-duck-pen/
A Well Designed
Duck Coop To Make
Your Life Easier
https://www.lifeisjustducky.com/a-well-designed-duck-coop-to-make-your-life-easier/
BACK TO TOP
Guide
To
Profitable
Livestock
https://www.guidetoprofitablelivestock.com/
Handbook on
Poultry
Diseases
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/55/handbook-on-poultry-diseases
Animals:
Common and Scientific Names
http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/swetc/azso/back.1_div.3.html
American Society
Of
Animal Science
ASAS
https://www.animalimagegallery.org/
BACK TO TOP
Feedipedia
http://www.feedipedia.org/
POULTRY INDEX
AGRICULTURE INDEX
FARMING INDEX
FOOD INDEX
RURAL INDEX
HOME
BACK TO TOP