Our Duck Setup

May 28

The Coop

One of the questions we get asked the most is what type of duck setup we have! We didn’t have the ability or the finances to be able to build a custom coop so we decided to purchase a prebuilt coop. We found ours from Tractor Supply. They sell out of the white color quickly, so make sure to order yours early in the season! You can purchase it from the Tractor Supply website HERE.

Predator Proofing

If you use this coop or build your own, you will want to make sure that you add extra protection for predators. The regular chicken wire or large spacing that comes with most coops is not sufficient to protect against predators like raccoons. You will want to get a 1/4” hardware cloth. We got the 1/4 in. x 3 ft. x 100 ft. 23 Gauge Black Vinyl Coated Hardware Cloth, Multiple Use Welded Wire Fencing Roll from Home Depot website HERE. One roll was enough for us to put along the entire bottom of the coop to keep predators from being able to dig underneath to get in as well as along the side walls up to the roof of the coop. You will want to get heavy duty wire cutters as well to cut the hardware cloth.

Ground Cover & Bedding

We decided to add waterproof vinyl flooring to the inside of the coop since it came with plywood. Ducks are very messy and wet so we wanted to try to extend the lifespan of our coop and make it easier to be able to hose down and clean. On top of the flooring we put down pine shavings.

For the outdoor run we decided to go with a pet specific astroturf that we replace yearly. The astroturf is heavy duty and has predrilled holes to allow for drainage to be able just spray it down to clean it. Some people advise against astroturf if you have ducks that eat the material it can be a choking hazard. Our ducks haven’t seemed to had issues with this, but something to be aware of. Other options include straw, pine shavings, dirt, sand, pebbles, etc. You will want to be careful with pebbles as ducks will need a break on their feet from rough textures so it shouldn’t be the only surface they are walking on or they could develop bumblefoot. You want to completely avoid using cedar shavings or landscaping mulch as the oils and chemicals can be harmful to ducks sensitive respiratory systems.

Pools & Drinking Water

You will need a dish for drinking water that is fairly large so that the ducks can fully submerge their beaks under water. You will also need water for ducks to bathe in regularly. We keep a small plastic kiddie pool in the run of our coop for our ducks in the summer. In the winter our temperatures get below freezing most of the season so we have to remove the pool and we have an electric heated water bowl that is fairly large for them to clean themselves and submerge their heads. We also fill up their pool on days that are above freezing using a hose hooked up to a laundry sink inside of our basement. In addition to the small kiddie pool inside of their coop, we also have an extra large durable & foldable pool that has a drain and you can find it HERE. In addition to the pools, in the summer our ducks love their splash pad as well! We have a pink donut splash pad you can find HERE.