Thank you! They're my babies who give us joy and delicious eggs.

Me too. One of my ducks had bumblefoot so I had to keep it clean after the vet opened it. I put a large dog kennel in the pen and put down doggie pads so I could treat her foot and keep it clean. Since she was still, sort of, with the other ducks, she didn't mind.

Thank you!

Glad the video helps. Good luck!

I thought about that but it looks like it would be harder on their feet. The roof shingles usually work but they can get slippery when it's starts to get below freezing so maybe the wood slats would be better. Thanks!

thank you

I'm glad it was helpful.

Great idea! Thanks for sharing

Aw thanks..... Just trying to keep the animals who trust me safe

I'll do an updated video soon. I put the side panels up just for privacy from predators not for the wind but I'm sure it helped with the wind as well. They have several areas to keep warm. Their coop was nice and warm because I bedded it heavier with straw but they rarely slept in there.

Thank you. Yes it was expensive but worth every penny. My ducks are safe at night and the daily chores are much easier when you have an efficient set up. Good luck!

I didn't keep a record of the total cost. The most expensive part is all of the hardware cloth. I bought the koi pond 2nd hand so I think I paid $100 for it. I built it all myself so I'm sure I saved a lot of money on labor. Good luck!

Thank you. Yes, I did end up wrapping the pipes with foam pipe insulation and it kept the pipes from freezing. The problem was the ice in their pool. Every morning I would try to scoop it all out because I was afraid it would clog the pipes wen I drained it. That wasn't working well so I ended up closing their pool and they just had a heated water bowl all winter. During the day , they also had a small section of our real pond that never froze so it worked out.

Hi Jackie, I ended up closing their pool once temperatures dropped below freezing during the day. I couldn't keep their drinking water from freezing without electricity so I used a large heated dog drinking bowl. There is a little spot on our pond that doesn't freeze so they were able to bath there daily when free ranging. Here is a video of the adjustments kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aduKgMh9193XiYU.html

Yes, they lay their eggs in the coop all year but they prefer to sleep outside. 3/4 of the year they sleep in their pool. I closed their pool in the winter because there was always a layer of ice that I had to scoop out. Although I managed to keep the pipes from freezing by insulating them, I was afraid the pieces of ice would clog the pipes. I closed the pool by draingong it and covering it with plywood. I also covered the artificial grass area with straw so I could clean up since I wasn't hosing it off everyday in the winter. They slept in the straw huddled under the bench.

Thanks for the tips. I'm curious as to why you need to add a bowl of grit if they have grass and dirt in their pen. What do you put in the bowl? Here is their winter set up kzfaq.info/get/bejne/aduKgMh9193XiYU.html

@@joyr3236 i put grit in the bowl, and also I put crushed oyster shells in as well. It is just for the ducks to get all the calcium they need, and the grit for the digestion.

Thanks!

Their pool water would be great to use to fertilize my garden. This summer I plan to set it up so I can use it easily. I'm not sure what you mean by cleaning out the floor. The pen floor gets hosed daily so that dissolves through the turf and into the gravel then into the ground. Their coop has straw and they only go in there to lay eggs so I rake it out every 2 weeks.

Thank you! I did end up covering the pipes with pipe insulation and that worked. The problem I had was the layer of ice on the pool. I did my best to remove it with a skimmer every morning but I was afraid pieces of ice would clog the drain so I decided to close their pool for the winter. I drained it and covered it with plywood.

The only posts that are dug into the ground are the 2- 4x4 posts in the center. I didn't use cement, just dug it in a bit. The reason I didn't set any posts in cement is because I didn't want zoning to consider it a permanent structure. The rest of the posts are 2x4 which is attached to a 2x4 frame that lays on top of the ground.

Wow, sorry to hear about your hens. I wouldn't have thought of that. I will check the quality of the roof after a while. Thank you for Sharing

I always drain the water from the hose and pipes so it doesn't freeze. Once their pool and drinking water starts to freeze daily, I close it by putting plywood on top. Then the rest of the winter I just use the heated dog water bowl. They're lucky because a small portion of our pond doesn't freeze so they can still take a bath

I drain the pool every other day and I drain their drinking water everyday. I currently have 5 ducks

And, is your pool a pond liner? We are building our coop this weekend!

@@melissasvoboda8822 No I found a used koi pond on FB marketplace. It's a hard plastic form. I built the deck around it and put cynder blocks around it to make it stronger. I cut a hole in the bottom and installed a drain and pvc pipes to a valve leading outside the pen.

I did most of the work so I saved a lot on labor. The biggest expense was the hardware cloth. I used a lot of chicken wire on the floor, which someone gave me, so that saved a bit.

Thank you Sarah. The mink and raccoons are the biggest threat around here because they're nimble, smart and determined. If there's a weak spot, they'll find it.

Hmmm.... I'll look into it. Thanks!

Even if the pond is thawed in the winter, I have had friends who had a duck who was wet from swimming and a cold snap came before the duck could thoroughly dry, and passed away due to hypothermia.

Thank you

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. We should be okay because there's enough dirt and grass on top of the fencing but that is something for people to think about if they're just going to put the wire down and not cover it good enough. Thanks for pointing that out.

Yes, I rigged a bicycle pump by attaching a hose end to it so I can screw it onto the hose and I pump the air out. I do that in the beginning of the season when it still stays above freezing during the day. Once it gets below freezing during the day, I close up their pool and the hose all together

What do you do with a damp rag

@@joyr3236 The damp rag puts out any small flame and can help shape the edges if you want.

No chance. They can rip chicken wire but not hardware cloth, which is what the pen is made of

@@joyr3236 you underestimate the power of a hungry bear.