How to Predator-Proof a Duck House and Run

Ducks face the same predator list as chickens, but they can't fly for cover the way a startled hen sometimes can — most common duck breeds are flightless. This guide covers the same exclusion principles used for chickens, adapted for what's different about keeping ducks safe.

The same predator list, the same weak points in fencing

University of Kentucky poultry extension guidance covers poultry generally, not chickens specifically, so its findings apply equally to ducks: a least weasel can squeeze through a gap as small as 1/4 inch and “typically can get through chicken wire,” and the same threshold applies to snakes able to both enter and exit an enclosure. Foxes, raccoons, dogs, skunks, opossums, hawks and owls are all named predators of backyard poultry flocks generally, with no duck-specific exception listed.

Flightlessness removes an escape option chickens sometimes have

We haven't found a source directly comparing predation risk between chickens and ducks, so we're not claiming ducks are more vulnerable overall — but it's a reasonable, observable difference worth planning around: most common duck breeds, including Pekin, can't fly, which removes one reaction option a startled chicken has. Ducks also tend to cluster together on open water at night if they have access to it, which is a genuinely exposed position if a predator can reach the water's edge, since there's no cover nearby the way there is in vegetation or a coop.

Bury the fence, especially around any water feature

University of Kentucky poultry extension guidance gives 30.5cm (12 inches) as the minimum burial depth for hardware cloth against diggers — the same figure for poultry generally, with no separate duck figure given. This matters as much or more for ducks, since a pond or water feature often sits at the lowest point of a run, exactly where standing water can make buried fencing harder to install properly and easier for a determined digger to find a gap.

A secure night house matters more without flight as a backup

University of Kentucky poultry extension guidance's core recommendation — house the flock indoors at night, since most predator activity happens after dark — carries more weight for ducks specifically, given they can't fly up to escape a ground predator the way some chicken breeds can. See our space guide for house sizing, and make sure the house itself, not just the run, meets the same 1/4-1/2 inch gap standard as the run fencing.

What this means for your setup

• Use welded wire or hardware cloth with 1/4-1/2 inch gaps for the run and house, not standard chicken wire — the same standard as chickens, since the predators are the same.
• Bury the fence line at least 12 inches, paying particular attention to the ground around any pond or water feature.
• Lock ducks into a secure night house rather than relying on a covered run alone — without flight as an escape option, containment has to do more of the work.
• Budget predator-proofing as a real cost with our cost guide, alongside the water-access setup itself.

Source: University of Kentucky, Small and Backyard Poultry Extension (Dr. Jacquie Jacob), “Predator Management for Small and Backyard Poultry Flocks”: poultry.extension.org. Sources checked: September 2026.

Common questions

Does chicken wire keep predators away from ducks?

Not reliably — University of Kentucky poultry extension guidance (covering poultry generally, ducks included) notes a least weasel can squeeze through a 1/4-inch gap and "typically can get through chicken wire." The same predator list and exclusion principles that apply to chickens apply to ducks, since the source doesn't distinguish by poultry species.

Are ducks more or less vulnerable to predators than chickens?

We haven't found a source directly comparing the two, but most common duck breeds (Pekin, most heritage breeds) can't fly, unlike chickens, which removes one escape option a chicken has that a duck doesn't. Ducks also tend to cluster on open water at night, which is a vulnerable position if a predator can reach the pond edge.

How deep should fencing be buried around a duck run?

University of Kentucky poultry extension guidance gives 30.5cm (12 inches) as the minimum depth to bury hardware cloth against diggers — the same figure given for poultry generally, and there's no duck-specific adjustment in the source.

How do I protect ducks from hawks and owls?

University of Kentucky poultry extension guidance recommends removing nearby perch sites, housing the flock at night, and a covered run with orange netting for persistent problems — hawks and owls see orange well and are more likely to avoid it. Since ducks generally can't fly for cover the way chickens sometimes can, a secure night house matters even more.