Minimum space per duck in housing?

[whaleykale]

Hi all, how much space per duck would you recommend for pasture-raised Pekin ducks in their housing? We have mobile chicken tractors that are 7X7 (49 sq feet), which would ONLY serve as nighttime shelter - they would otherwise have a pretty huge pasture area to forage during the day. How many ducks do you think is a fair number to have hunker down in one tractor for the night?

I'm planning on raising 40 birds, so I'm trying to decide if I need to build more tractors. I've seen pretty far-ranging minimums (anywhere from 1sq foot to 10 sq ft per duck), so I'd love to hear what y'all think is reasonable given this will just be for sleeping.

 

[Ratchnick]

4-6 sqft depending on the size of bird, so 6 sqft for pekins. Double that will cut down on your cleaning.

 

[whaleykale]

4-6 sqft depending on the size of bird, so 6 sqft for pekins. Double that will cut down on your cleaning.

The tractors are floorless and will just be on grass and get moved daily when the ducks get a new paddock, so cleaning isn't a worry. You'd say 6sq ft even if it's just for nighttime?

 

[Ratchnick]

Yes, that's the published number that seems most widely accepted. You could do less when they are not full size.

 

[3bird]

The tractors are floorless and will just be on grass and get moved daily when the ducks get a new paddock, so cleaning isn't a worry. You'd say 6sq ft even if it's just for nighttime?

For a large breed, five to six sq ft is the number I see quoted most often. We have ~32 sq ft in our duckhouse for six large breed (silver Appleyards), but they very rarely are locked in at night. Still, 5.33 sq ft seems like enough space. Here are our six snuggled in on a cold morning.

With a floorless tractor, how are you going to handle nighttime predators?

 

[whaleykale]

Yes, that's the published number that seems most widely accepted. You could do less when they are not full size.

Okay, good to know!

For a large breed, five to six sq ft is the number I see quoted most often. We have ~32 sq ft in our duckhouse for six large breed (silver Appleyards), but they very rarely are locked in at night. Still, 5.33 sq ft seems like enough space. Here are our six snuggled in on a cold morning.

View attachment 2523035

With a floorless tractor, how are you going to handle nighttime predators?

Pretty birds! Alright, sounds good. We're going to have electric fencing up around them to make paddocks. I'm thinking about getting a couple of geese as well, but I'm not totally set on that yet.

My partner had raised a batch of broiler chickens in the tractors before (with no fencing) and we had zero loss to predators, so I'm not too worried, but it something I want to keep in mind. We could try installing flooring into the tractors, but I'd rather not start from scratch with new ones if we don't have to.

 

[3bird]

Okay, good to know!

Pretty birds! Alright, sounds good. We're going to have electric fencing up around them to make paddocks. I'm thinking about getting a couple of geese as well, but I'm not totally set on that yet.

My partner had raised a batch of broiler chickens in the tractors before (with no fencing) and we had zero loss to predators, so I'm not too worried, but it something I want to keep in mind. We could try installing flooring into the tractors, but I'd rather not start from scratch with new ones if we don't have to.

We use a predator apron around our run, but that would be a pain on a tractor, as you would have to stake it down again after every move. We have a hardware cloth floor in our "annex," but we've covered it with dirt because it's not good for their feet to be on the wire.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Duck poop is really wet and will quickly create a nasty mud-like surface. I have 6 ducks in a pen that is 40 square feet, just at night, and have to put down new shavings at least every other day. You will need a lot more room for the number you are planning if you do not want them laying in their own waste which would be unhealthy.