Raising Ducks
Five Magpie ducks, one backyard, and a habitat built on one rule: if it's not easy, you won't do it.
Price of eggs? No problem.
You don't need acres of land to raise happy, healthy ducks.
We're living proof. Our girls live in two coops we ordered off Amazon, built and hooked together. Ken (with a little help from our friends) reinforced it with fence mesh, aviary mesh, then chicken wire, custom-built a snake- and raccoon-proof gate, and built in a beautiful pond. This is where you'll find our practical guides for keeping ducks wherever you are: urban, rural, or somewhere in between.
Ducktopia: Where the Good Ducks Live
Start here: Ken's one-minute tour of Ducktopia.
Where the good ducks live
Welcome to Ducktopia
Ken built the whole habitat on a terraced hillside so every part of it cleans in minutes, not a morning. Here's the tour, one piece at a time.
The duck house
Hand-built with five laying stalls. The front and the lid open all the way, so cleaning it out is a two-minute job.
The pond
Close it off, open a two-inch drain at the bottom of the terrace, rinse the muck away without scrubbing, refill. It's where the slogan came from.
The run
Cement blocks under the straw, wire panels, and mesh over everything. Snake- and raccoon-proof, and easy to walk in and hose out.
The water
A 36-inch water heater drain pan, a stainless grill and a floor drain. The girls splash all they want and the water stays where it belongs.
The one everybody asks about
The biggest copperhead we've ever seen.
"On my way to open the pond drain for cleaning, I was stunned to spot the biggest copperhead I've ever seen. It had climbed the retaining wall to search for an access point, but became hopelessly tangled in the aviary mesh. Sorry to say, it didn't go well for this bad boy. Rat snakes welcome here. Venomous vipers, not so much." — Ken
He wasn't the first to try. The snake videos below follow the rat snake that came before him, start to finish.
Watch the snake videosFrom the duck run
The Ducktopia Video Library
Short videos from our duck run, sorted so you can find what you came for. Building a coop? Start with The Setup. Snake trouble? Predator-Proofing. Just here for the ducks? Skip to Treats and Everyday Duck Life.
The Setup: Coop, Pond & Enclosure
Ken built Ducktopia on a terraced hillside with one rule: if it is not easy, you will not do it. Here is the duck house, the drain-and-refill pond, and the run, and why each one cleans in minutes.
Ducktopia: Where the Good Ducks Live
A quick tour of the habitat: hand-built duck house with five laying stalls, a pond with a view of the woods, auto watering, and seven heaters.
Watch on YouTubeThe Easy-Clean Duck Enclosure
Cement blocks under the straw, a pond that drains with a valve, and a duck house with a lid and front that open all the way. Cleaning takes minutes, not a morning.
Watch on YouTubeDuck Pond Design: Drain, Rinse, Refill
How the pond uses the slope of the lot: close it off, open a 2-inch drain at the bottom of the terrace, rinse the muck out, refill. No scrubbing.
Watch on YouTubeQuick tour of Ducktopia
A fresh walk through the whole habitat: house, pond, run and all.
Watch on YouTubeWater & Drinkers
Ducks are hard on water. These are the drinker setups that keep the water in the dish and the mess out of the run, plus the one that did not work.
The Easy-Clean Duck Drinker
A 36-inch water heater drain pan, a stainless grill, and a floor drain. Ducks drink and splash, and the water stays where it belongs.
Watch on YouTubeDrinker Fail
The Little Giant drinker, and the moment it stopped doing its job. Watch this one before the upgrade.
Watch on YouTubeDrinker Upgrade
The fix for the failed drinker, with the fitting that made it work: 3/4-inch FH by 1/2-inch FIP. (Ken says 1 1/2 in the video and means 1/2.)
Watch on YouTubePredator-Proofing
First a rat snake, then a copperhead in the aviary mesh. Everything that has tried to get in, and how the run keeps winning.
Snake Threat: Before
A nearly five-foot rat snake is working the duck run. This is what we were up against.
Watch on YouTubeWe Left One Gap Open and Waited
One access point stayed open on purpose so we could catch the snake using it. He showed up. He survived. The gap is sealed.
Watch on YouTubeSomething Upset the Ducks
The girls were making noise, so we went looking for the reason. Ducks are a good alarm system if you listen.
Watch on YouTubeSafe Habitat Design
How the run is framed and meshed so predators stay on the outside looking in.
Watch on YouTubeWinter, Ice & Heat
Our seasons swing from ice storms to hundred-degree Julys. Here is how the flock got through both, including eleven days in the guest bathroom.
Ducks in the Bathroom
Ice and snow made the enclosure a hazard, so the ducks moved into the guest bathroom for eleven days. They were not thrilled.
Watch on YouTubeDucks in the Snow and Ice
The flock out in the snow. Ducks are tougher than they look.
Watch on YouTubeThe Heater Pod
One duck kept getting pushed out of the warm coop into the cold. Ken cut a door in a plastic bin, set it over an infrared heater, and now nobody sleeps in the cold.
Watch on YouTubeDucks Eating Ice
Waiting on the pond to fill after the freeze, the girls discovered ice. They love it.
Watch on YouTubeBack in the Pond After the Ice Storm
After a long ice storm, the ducks finally get their pond back. The joy is real.
Watch on YouTubeTreats & Everyday Duck Life
Snack time, pond time, bedtime. The everyday stuff that makes ducks worth the mess.
Treat Time
Ken visits the ducks for treat time. What is their favorite? Watch and see.
Watch on YouTubeSleepy Ducks After a Hot Day
Evening snack, then everybody picks a nesting spot after a long hot day in the pond.
Watch on YouTubeNew videos land here as we post them. Want them first? Subscribe on YouTube.
Feathers, flaps, and fowl wisdom
Dispatches from the Duck Coop
From brooding and bonding to mud pits and mischief, here's where we share the real stories and useful how-tos from life with our backyard flock. Whether you're wondering what ducks actually eat, how to build a predator-safe coop, or just need reassurance that yes, ducks are that messy: this is for you.
DYI DuckhouseThe duckhouse was designed for easy cleaning. Open the top and front doors and quick-rake the straw! 5 nesting boxes,…Read the guide ›
DUCKSDucktopia From pond to grubs and back again. Busy, happy ducks! They are magpies, not so common these days as more and…Read the guide ›
What to Do with All the Duck Eggs?We woke up on New Year's Day to find 60 duck eggs in our…Read the guide ›Straight from the backyard
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