How to keep my ducks safe at night in a free-range coop?

[BuckeyeFoodie]

OK, so I am trying one last time at keeping ducks, as I have many co-workers who want eggs. I have tried to have ducks several times before, but they have always always eventually been killed by something - usually our former neighbor's dogs (no longer a problem after the Great Massacre -and divorce- of 2017), but also once by what we think may have been a fox.

I have a nice spacious coop (12x16 feet, divided into two enclosed sides) but it is primarily set up for my chickens who free-range on our 6 acres. The coop has a large enclosed run attached to the back door, but also has a doggy-door on the front door for my chickens to hop in and out of that the ducks couldn't get through, but a predator like a fox could easily.

No one lives on the farm, and because of how late I work I don't really have the option to go back out and close up the coop every night. Is there something I can do, maybe something I can build inside the coop to give the ducks, and maybe some Silkies, a safe place to roost at night?

When I don't have the one side locked off as my brooder, the coop is generally wide-open, with perches built into corners, and nesting boxes spread around. I do have a large rabbit hutch that I use for storage/sick-birds on the brooder side that is about 3x6ish, with about 18 inches of clearance from the floor that I currently have blocked with chicken wire to keep the babies from hiding under there, but in the past has been a favorite hide out for ducks and chickens alike. Maybe I can do something with that space?

Any help would be great!

 

[chickens really]

Don't free range if concerned about predators..They are always around when you least expect them. Large covered enclosure or don't have any or only keep pets.

 

[Jpat]

if they ducks can come and go as they please then everything else can, No way around that

I have thaught about making automatic coop doors because as soon as its dark they go to bed. but sometimes theyre napping and sleep outside past bedtime and i have to put them inside. thatd be the worst thing with an auto door

Dunno what to do

 

[Gray Farms]

I agree with @chickens really. Sounds like a large covered pen is your only option.

 

[Duckworth]

Having recently had a predator breach a sturdy hardware cloth-covered/wrapped enclosure and kill or injure all of my ducks, I would wholeheartedly agree. I live in a city neighborhood and a raccoon or other wild predator got in last week. We have dogs, who we think interrupted the attack when we let them outside. Out on a farm, there is much less to deter predators--especially if no humans and dogs are living there.

Ducks don't roost off the ground and are especially vulnerable to attack. To be kept in a predator-proof enclosure, ducks will need some kind of regular care because there won't long be adequate naturally occurring food and water in the enclosure to support them. They are also messy and require routine maintenance of their enclosure, which you might be able to keep up with on weekends if you could resolve the security, food and water supply issues.

 

[Sundevill11]

I'll be the turd in the punch bowl and just say it. To anyone who intends on having ducks or chickens, it is YOUR responsibility to protect them at all costs. If you don't want to put in the time and effort in affording them all protective measures then DO NOT KEEP DUCKS OR CHICKENS. Now, having said that, I'm not suggesting that chickens and ducks have to be caged up all day. If you have them free-ranged then that's fine but you have to supply them with a fully protected coop or shelter at night so that they are safe. And, you have to ensure that any door or entrance is closed behind them at night. (Even in freezing weather). This goes back to the time and effort statement.

DUCKS AND CHICKENS ARE NOT THROW-AWAY OR DISPOSABLE ANIMALS.

 

[Jpat]

I'll be the turd in the punch bowl and just say it. To anyone who intends on having ducks or chickens, it is YOUR responsibility to protect them at all costs. If you don't want to put in the time and effort in affording them all protective measures then DO NOT KEEP DUCKS OR CHICKENS. Now, having said that, I'm not suggesting that chickens and ducks have to be caged up all day. If you have them free-ranged then that's fine but you have to supply them with a fully protected coop or shelter at night so that they are safe. And, you have to ensure that any door or entrance is closed behind them at night. (Even in freezing weather). This goes back to the time and effort statement.

DUCKS AND CHICKENS ARE NOT THROW-AWAY OR DISPOSABLE ANIMALS.

Just to add to turd punches post its a criminal offense to not provide proper shelter and food for any pet
Thats basicaly a place where they can escape the elements

 

[3bird]

We have an elevated ~4x8 duckhouse attached to our ~16x8 run for our six silver Appleyard ducks. The entire thing is covered with a roof, and we have hardware cloth all around the run and over the windows in the duckhouse. Both doors have dual locks. There is a 3-foot predator apron around the entire structure, which is situated inside a small fenced area (post and rail with rabbit fencing). The ducks have 24/7 access to the run via a ramp. We keep their food and water (large heated bucket) in the run. We spend about 15min 2/day spot cleaning, and we add additional bedding as necessary (we use the deep litter method in the duckhouse). Once a year we do a big clean out. We also have security cameras with motion sensors.

We're on about 4 acres on the outskirts of town. We do have lots of predators, including foxes, coyotes and hawks. Luckily we have a very vigilant murder of crows that keeps the raptors on edge. During the winter, we give our ducks about an hour in the morning and the evening to free range and forage (although when it's super cold and deep snow, they prefer to just have their soup and go back up into the duckhouse!). In the summer, they are out with us when we are working, and they generally stay close.

It sounds like you don't have the flexibility to watch them when they are free ranging. I would be nervous to let our guys roam unsupervised. Have you consider a guard goose? In terms of locking them in for the night, even if you figure out a guard goose situation for the day, I don't see any responsible way to appropriately care for them if you can't be there to make sure everyone is set for the night. Having said that, we're still relatively new to ducks, so someone else may have an amazing idea.

Good luck!

 

[bluemerle]

Some people have built mostly self-sustaining duck enclosures - with big auto-feeders, auto-waterers, swimming sources w/ easy drains, and a big beefy fence to keep predators at bay. But it's a lot of money and effort and time to do so. Probably not worth it if you just want ducks to provide some eggs for friends.

I do agree that if you get prey animals (& ducks are, arguably, one of the most preyable animals you can keep) it is your responsibility to keep them safe. Maybe now is just not the time for ducks! There's always the future, where your circumstances may change.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’ll speak about guard geese and maybe it’s just mine but when a predator comes around my geese do not make any noise and are just as terrified as the chickens and ducks. We had a hawk swoop in and kill one of our Bantam roosters a few weeks ago and not one sound was made and when I came outside to check everyone I knew something wasn’t right everyone was hiding out. Now if we drive up or anyone else our geese sound off. About all they are is bluff when it comes to predators.