Whether you are raising chickens in your backyard or raising ducks in your backyard, a safe and secure environment is essential to their well-being. Here are some basic considerations to help you design a home for your flock.
Picking the Perfect Ducks and Chickens for Your Small Backyard Farm
A good ventilation system is a must for ducks and chickens alike. A damp, enclosed space is a breeding ground for bacteria that can make your birds sick.
The Basics of Raising Chickens Chickens in Your Backyard
When it comes to creating a safe and secure environment for your ducks, there are many things you need to consider. This includes the size of the coop, the number of ducks you plan to keep, the amount of outdoor space you have available, and how much water your ducks have access to.
Keeping your ducks comfortable and happy requires giving them plenty of room to exercise, relax, and interact with other members of their flock. You should also take into account the age, breed, sex, health issues, and activity level of your residents to ensure they have the optimal living space for their needs.
Both ducks and chickens need a safe, predator-proof space to sleep at night. It’s especially important to create a coop with a high lock that is difficult for raccoons, foxes, or other predators to access.
If you choose to have your ducks run free outside in a separate area of your yard, you need to make sure that the space is predator-proof, too. This means fencing the entire area and making it so predators can’t break through the fence.
When creating a fence, choose a small wire mesh that will help keep your ducks in and predators out. You should also plan to have a completely secure location, such as a coop for the birds to sleep in at night to protect them from night predators. Our neighbor recently lost several chicks to a raccoon, and we lost one to an owl. You can never be too careful with predator safety.
Another way to protect your ducks is to create a safe and secure place for them to swim in the backyard. If your property isn’t big enough to have a pond, you can also set up a kiddie pool for your ducks to splash around in.
A fenced-off area for ducks and chickens will allow you to let them out in the morning but still keep them close to home in case of an emergency or a sudden urge to roam. This can also give you peace of mind when you go to bed at night, knowing that your animals are safely contained.
Setting Up the Coop & Run
Whether you’re building your first coop for raising chickens at home or adding a duck run to your existing coop, it’s essential to create a safe and secure environment for your chickens and ducks. Aside from protecting your poultry, it will also make their lives easier by providing an easy-to-access location for feeding and watering.
In addition, a chicken run is a great place to put items that provide enrichment for your hens, such as plants, rocks, and wood. These enrichment materials can be a big plus for your hens as they forage and roam in their run, which will help them to build social skills and develop their natural instincts to hunt.
A fenced run is essential to keep your chickens out of harm’s way from dogs, cats, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and other predators. It can also deter small animals such as snakes, rats, ermines and weasels from entering your yard and causing damage to your chickens and ducks.
The coop itself should be at least 12 inches tall. Coops can be raised or on the ground. Make sure it has a secure door that can be closed at night and no other access for predators. Cover all openings with small mesh wire.
Be sure to install the coop in a safe place with good drainage and sufficient wind protection. The ground around the coop should not be soft or muddy, as it can attract parasites and pests that could contaminate your flock’s food.
Ensure that the coop is well-ventilated to prevent excessive heat, especially if you live in an area with harsh weather. Hens are warm-blooded, and they can maintain a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit at rest, so make sure they can keep cool at all times is important.
Feeders and waterers are essential for your chickens to have access to during the day. You can use a variety of different feeder and water options, depending on the size of your flock and where you live.
In addition, a waterer is an excellent way to keep your hens cool during the hot summer months. You can use a bucket or a deep-water trough to hold water, and you can even set up a mister for added airflow.
Creating a Secure External Enclosure
When deciding how to design your duck or chicken housing, it is important to keep in mind their physical, behavioral, and social needs. This will help you design a space that is optimal for your residents, which in turn can improve their quality of life and enhance the health of the flock.
While it is tempting to place ducks and chickens in a coop or pen during the day, they will need a safe outdoor space for swimming, foraging, and exploring. This space should be predator-proof and include fencing that is at least 8 feet high.
Ducks are particularly vulnerable to predators in the evening when they need a secure night house or duck shelter that is closed in before dusk. These shelters should have solid doors, and some ventilation spaces cut high up on the sides of the shelter, covered with at least a half inch of welded wire (see below).
A duck shelter that is draft free and well-ventilated will provide a cozy and comfortable space for your ducks to sleep at night. This shelter should also be insulated to protect your ducks from the cold and prevent them from catching hypothermia, especially if you have older or molting ducks.
Another consideration is the location of the entrance to the duck shelter. It should be on the ground level or very near to it, as ducks are less nimble than chickens and may find it difficult to navigate an elevated doorway if there are sharp edges or rough areas on the ramp.
Finally, you should consider the placement of the shelter in your garden to minimize the risks of ducks and chickens destroying plants. While chickens are highly prone to pecking at young plants, ducks are more likely to leave them alone.
As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that chicken housing be set up at least 20 feet away from your garden’s perimeter, and duck housing should be at least 30 feet away. This will help to keep your garden clean and pest-free, as chickens can be a major nuisance to the local ecosystem by attracting flies and other insects.
Finalizing the Exterior Perimeter
Creating a safe and secure environment for raising chickens at home or raising ducks in your backyard will go a long way toward keeping them healthy and happy. You can accomplish this by maintaining a clean, sanitary environment, keeping predators at bay and providing your feathered friends with the best possible nutrition, potable water and housing.
A coop or run of sufficient size will be a boon to your birds’ health and happiness, as well as yours. Make sure the area you choose has a good drainage system to help keep things dry and free of debris. Using the correct type of coop litter is crucial, as fecal matter can act as an incubator for microorganisms such as salmonella and E. coli, which can cause serious illness and debilitating disease in poultry.
Getting good quality litter and maintaining a clean coop is the key to success. Other important components include the right kind of lighting to control glare and ventilation in a large enough number of directions to prevent overheating. A good coop will also be a breeze to clean and a delight to the eye. The best time to do a good job cleaning a coop is at night when the birds are resting.
