ssfarmky
Hatching
- May 15, 2015
- 6
- 0
- 7
Hello everyone! I am new to this so please bear with me if I ask silly questions...
I would like to start raising ducks for eggs. I'm thinking 2-4 ducks to start with. I am located in central KY so we do have pretty cold winters and occasional heavy snows. I have an 11 acre farm with honeybees, a large garden and fruit trees. The ducks will be my first "livestock" (unless you consider bees as livestock). Here is what I am thinking for my setup:
Approx 12'x30' fenced in "run". I can't roof it so maybe barbed wire around the top to keep predators from going over the fence? My fencing material is about 4' tall and will be buried into the ground about 6". I also have access to plenty of cut cedar trees so I thought about lining the bottom of the fence to deter predators from going underneath.
I would build a duck house out of pallet wood and cedar posts.... approx 6'x8', elevated, with straw bedding I want to set up a rainwater collection system off the slanted roof using gutters and a 275 gallon IBC tote.
Now for the water... I'm considering putting in one of those black plastic pond liners like you can get at lowes... would hold about 50 gallons (approx 5' x 3'). I would put in a plug and a drain so I could empty it out.
My biggest questions initially are:
1. Is the above set-up sufficient for 2-4 ducks, with the potential to add more ducks later?
2. Will my ducks be safe at night? I do not live on the farm, but I visit approx 4-5 days a week to do chores and upkeep.
3. How often would I need to change out the water with a pond that size and 2-4 ducks using it daily? I am hoping most of my water for this will be rainwater I have harvested.... but if the 50 gallon pond needs to be emptied and refilled more than once a week, this wont be practical as the 275 gal IBC tote will be emptied too quickly. My farm is "off the grid;" I do not have running water so storing rainwater is my only option. There is a nearby creek that I can pump water out of to fill up the IBC totes in the case of emergency, but in the winter the creek tends to freeze.
any help/suggestions will be much appreciated! we are excited to get started but we want to have all our ducks in a row before we get in over our heads... no pun intended... haha
Thanks!
I would like to start raising ducks for eggs. I'm thinking 2-4 ducks to start with. I am located in central KY so we do have pretty cold winters and occasional heavy snows. I have an 11 acre farm with honeybees, a large garden and fruit trees. The ducks will be my first "livestock" (unless you consider bees as livestock). Here is what I am thinking for my setup:
Approx 12'x30' fenced in "run". I can't roof it so maybe barbed wire around the top to keep predators from going over the fence? My fencing material is about 4' tall and will be buried into the ground about 6". I also have access to plenty of cut cedar trees so I thought about lining the bottom of the fence to deter predators from going underneath.
I would build a duck house out of pallet wood and cedar posts.... approx 6'x8', elevated, with straw bedding I want to set up a rainwater collection system off the slanted roof using gutters and a 275 gallon IBC tote.
Now for the water... I'm considering putting in one of those black plastic pond liners like you can get at lowes... would hold about 50 gallons (approx 5' x 3'). I would put in a plug and a drain so I could empty it out.
My biggest questions initially are:
1. Is the above set-up sufficient for 2-4 ducks, with the potential to add more ducks later?
2. Will my ducks be safe at night? I do not live on the farm, but I visit approx 4-5 days a week to do chores and upkeep.
3. How often would I need to change out the water with a pond that size and 2-4 ducks using it daily? I am hoping most of my water for this will be rainwater I have harvested.... but if the 50 gallon pond needs to be emptied and refilled more than once a week, this wont be practical as the 275 gal IBC tote will be emptied too quickly. My farm is "off the grid;" I do not have running water so storing rainwater is my only option. There is a nearby creek that I can pump water out of to fill up the IBC totes in the case of emergency, but in the winter the creek tends to freeze.
any help/suggestions will be much appreciated! we are excited to get started but we want to have all our ducks in a row before we get in over our heads... no pun intended... haha
Thanks!