Housing of ducks-considerations for building duck pen

If you have ducks as pet, you will need to take proper care of them while examining their way of living. Ducks need to have a secure place where they can live and can be safe from any predators and it is easy to clean their housing area. Ducks do not prefer spending time inside their housing area as they prefer roaming outside for most of the time, regardless of the weather or the season.

There are many people who want to know how to build a duck pen? If you are looking forward to build a nice yet practical duck pen then you need to follow the guidelines that are discussed below.

First of all, you need to make sure that the structure of the duck pen offers proper protection to the ducks and is a defensive structure actually. It is important to keep your ducks safe from other animals and predators. You can allow them to roam about during the day time and lock them later during the night. Ducks love to spend their time in water and you can make a small pool near their pen and allow them to beat the heat of sunny days.

The design of duck house is just similar to chicken house design except some minor differences such as it doesn’t require roost, nest boxes and need some large door with some steps and it must not be so high from the ground.

There are two basic designs of duck coop plans. One is knows as the intensive pen design and the other one is called the semi-intensive design.

• The intensive pen design

The intensive pen design is structured to keep the ducks safe during the day time and night they are locked totally. The shelter is made quite tough to shield the ducks from any pending danger or threat.

• The semi-intensive design

In the semi-intensive design the ducks are allowed to roam freely within specified boundaries during the day time.

When we talk about chicken coop flooring and bedding material we’ve several options to explore. While constructing the duck pen it is important to give proper attention towards the flooring. To manage litter and to provide cushion (while they are laying and protecting eggs) a wooden flooring or hay is preferred in most of the cases. Choose a flat area for constructing the duck house but the system of drainage must be very good as you need to prevent the chances of any disease out break or any other health issue. The area of duck pen will depend on the number of ducks that you have actually as you need to provide proper ventilation and sunlight.

Just like your house, you need to consider the best material for construction. Wood is the preferable item as it is durable and long lasting. For the shape of the duck pen, you can opt for the rectangular one as it will allow more space to the ducks to roam freely.  Duck housing designs will help in giving a comfortable environment to the ducks and they will remain healthy and happy. The entrance and the outer limits of the duck pen need to be designed carefully as with the passage of time ducks will continue to grow and will require more area.

How to construct a proper duck pen

1- As told above the enclosure needs to be well protected and shaded and it must be dry.  If, you are planning to construct a pen on DIY basis you need to select the appropriate wood posts. It means that the dimensions of the plywood must be well suitable for a spacious pen. Other accessories that you will need are tarps, wheelbarrow, gravel, cement, straw bedding, cement blocks, well secured latch, vertical hinges, wire mesh, hardware cloth, staple gun and some heavy duty staples.

2- For a common or ideal measurement ground you must allow 11/4 square yards of space for three ducks. The location must be well ventilated and must have the features of a good drainage system. On the floor place a good quality hardware cloth and then place gravels on it and for the last touch you can include the straw bedding. It will provide comfort if you are raising ducklings in the pen.

3- While erecting the plywood for the pen, you need to bury them at least two feet deep in solid ground. When the posts have been erected properly you can staple the wire mesh to provide proper fencing. This will prevent invaders from entering the pen through any side once the protection and construction has been done properly. There are different duck house plans and you can choose one according to your requirements, area and the amount of ducks you have.

4- Backyard duck pens are very successful for Rearing ducks, that is, if you have ample space and can look after the ducks easily. If you’ve already chicken coop and thinking about Raising chickens and ducks together in the same coop than it is not a difficult task at all, you will need to plan the pens carefully keeping in view some difference in their housing requirements as discussed above and allow the chickens and ducks ample space. Do keep in mind that in rough environmental conditions chickens love to spend their time indoors.