Ducks!

[Mel35]

Hey guys,

I am currently having a bit of trouble with ducks in my chicken coop. The girls have a house that they are locked into at night but they have an open top area off the front but sometimes they free roam also. The problem I am having is with the whistling ducks we get around here, coming down to eat the chook seed and bringing their lice with them which then the chickens get, then spread around the yard to the dogs and then they end up inside‍♀. Now, other then covering the top to keep them out is there any other methods people have used to keep them away from the coop altogether?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Mel.

 

[Debbie292d]

I have no experience with ducks being the issue bringing lice to my flock but I do have the issue of squirrels and chipmunks as well as wild birds. Ours free range with them all, but never get their lice/mites as we've used diatomaceous earth in the coop for years.

For scaring those ducks back, could you try those kiddy wind spinners? Maybe get some cheap feed and throw that far from your coop where they'd eat that instead of your chicken feed?

 

[Mel35]

I have no experience with ducks being the issue bringing lice to my flock but I do have the issue of squirrels and chipmunks as well as wild birds. Ours free range with them all, but never get their lice/mites as we've used diatomaceous earth in the coop for years.

For scaring those ducks back, could you try those kiddy wind spinners? Maybe get some cheap feed and throw that far from your coop where they'd eat that instead of your chicken feed?

Thank you so much for your reply Debbie. I have tried the kiddie wind spinners and they didn't seem to worry them to much. Not much seems to worry the ducks to be honest. I am from Aus so we don't have squirrels or chipmuncks but I have had trouble in the past with wild birds and ducks bringing lice. I have decided to bird net the whole outside of the coop and so far so good on keeping out the ducks.

Thanks again for your suggestion