We needed to expand our duck house so that some of our ducks would stop walking off to the neighbors house. Photo by J&J
We have been having a problem with our free range Muscovy Ducks expanding their range of their own volition. We did not have much of a problem with this when they kept coming home each night.
However, as time went on, less and less ducks were at home. Either we were loosing them to a predator or they had moved. Thankfully, we found most of them – next door at the neighbors house.
My theory is that the ducks were enjoying the benefits of our neighbors horses. Not only were they probably getting whatever feed the horses dropped, but I am sure they were sifting through their manure as well.
Duck House / Chicken Coop Expansion
We decided that the duck pen needed to be expanded to provide a place for these roaming birds to go. Most of them are adult drakes and too big to fly. All we would have to do is enclose them.
It seems simple, but this is a big deal for us. We would much rather have them be free range, but we aren’t raising them for the benefit of our neighbor, we are raising them for our supper.
Building a Duck Run
This would be fine for a chicken run as well, if you were so inclined. If we ever worry about predators we will use crop netting over the top of the run.
We are using 4/5, 8′ long poles for the corners. I like them fine, but they taper. If you can afford it, using metal poles or straight wood poles might make the job easier for you when it comes to tightening the fence wire.
We are using 2″ x 4″ welded fence wire. We used an air powered staple gun to attach the wire to the posts.
The gate is a section of sheep/hog panel cut to a 4′ length. It is hinged using fence staples on 1 side and attached using a carabiner style clip attached to a pole by left over electric fence wire.
Capturing Ducks
We captured the ducks using a portable dog fence and kennel. We opened up on the of the hinges so that the fence could be expanded. Placed it in a large “U” shape, dumped duck feed inside and then closed the fence around them.
Then transferred the ducks, one by one, into a large kennel, which we drove back to our house and placed the ducks in the new duck run we just built.
Trimming Duck Wings
Just to be sure that the ducks don’t manage to fly out and go back to the neighbors house, we trimmed the right wing of each duck. You only trim one wing so that when they try to fly they fly in an awkward circle instead.
We have seen chickens get used to wing clipping, but we hope the ducks will not. If they do, we will add the crop netting over the top of the pen so they cannot get out.
Also, by doing this, we can let all of our ducks co-mingle. The ducks that have been staying on our property will still be able fly out, which is okay for now. If we find any ducks trying to leave again, we will clip their wings and put them back.
Watch our progress as we made this Duck House or Chicken Coop Run Expansion by clicking the link or watching below:
i have ducks in a contained fence, about 20 wide by 60 long. it was previously woods, with the silt mud plus am in KY so it is always wet and muddy here.
to try to keep the eggs clean i went with a rock underlayment cloth, then topped with the limestone sand. it cleans fairly well. i have about 70 ducks and now some geese. i am looking for ideas on how to keep the coop clean. they mess alot and i hose it out best i can. still with the expansion i did, they have mud again (did not put the rock fabric down yet. Have any idea on what i can use to keep them out of the mud, and keep the pen where i can clean it fairly easily? they go out during the day and in at night. the nursery set up of the pen i put down straw so the babies feet are not so much on the limestone sand that can be bother some i think to new feet.
please send any info to my email thanks
Linda, we only used the coop for babies and now we don’t use it at all. They “mess” around the yard, which is rarely noticeable or in the way. Sorry I couldn’t help more.