JAVELINA RANGE
A micro-farming adventure.
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THE COOP
To the right you will find our duck coop. You can check out our blog post on  the duck coop and lot build.
Our coop was built out of mostly left over materials.You coop does not need to be this tall, but we wanted to be able to walk inside.Â
Ducks prefer to have something airy and open, so be sure you consider this when building. Ducks usually take 4-6 sq ft. per duck in the coop and 8-10 sq. ft per duck in the lot. This often varies though depending on breed. Often, many people use a re-purposed dog house.
Common Questions
Below you will find some basic questions that many people ask when they are considering ducks. I would suggest looking at several resources before investing in any project. For example, you can join a message board, buy books, or there are various websites you can use.
Why Ducks?
Ducks are a wonderful farm animal for both meat and egg production. They are a nice, easy addition to the farm and in some ways are actually better than chickens. Their overall production life expectancy is longer than chickens, they are hardier and more disease resistant than chickens, and they are also have a higher feed conversion ratio, meaning that they take less food for the weight gain. They are also better foragers than chickens. So the real question is, why chickens?
What do you do with the eggs?
You can eat the eggs just like chicken eggs. They do have a larger yolk and higher protein yield than chicken eggs, this makes them great for bakers as well as eaters.
Can I use my chicken coop for my ducks?
You can, but you will need to do some minor conversions. Ducks have a harder time getting up than chickens do, so you will need to either lower the door or make a wide ramp for them to get into the coop. Also, ducks do not require roosts, so don't worry about that. They also tend to not use nesting boxes. My ducks have a corner in the floor of the coop that they use, or they tend to lay sporadically in the lot. Ducks do require more space than chickens, since they are a bigger bird, so you may need to widen the doors a bit too.
Where do I get my ducks?
You can purchase ducks online via mail-order, from a local farmer, or from a feed store like Tractor Supply. There are pros and cons to all the above. With the mail-order, you can get the exact breeds you want, however most websites require a minimum number of birds which can be as high as 25. I would do a lot of searching before choosing a mail-order venue. At the feed store, sometimes you are not able to get the specific breeds you want. For example, we got our ducklings from the Tractor Supply, and they are a "farm mix", meaning the employees had no idea what breeds there were. And let me tell you, all the ducklings tend to be yellow, brown, or black. So sometimes it can be hard to tell for first-time buyers.Â
I always prefer to buy from local farmers. This way you can support other fowl enthusiasts, and they often will stand behind their products. Meaning, you will often get information along with the birds!
Do you have to have a pond?
You do not have to have a pond, many people raise them without it. I like to offer a small pond so that they can play around and it reduces the smell. The pond doesn't have to be too elaborate. We used small kiddie pools that you can purchase from wal-mart for about $10. Dig a hole in the ground and place the pool inside. If it is sitting on the ground, often the ducks will have a hard time getting in.
What do I feed my ducks?
You can feed your ducks the same layer crumble that you feed your chickens. They are also excellent foragers, so if you allow your ducks to roam, you will find that they don't require as much feed. Just beware of the predator risk, as domestic ducks are much more prone to predator than chickens.
