BackYardChickens Forum

I'd like to see the pics also! We have been wondering how to have a house by our pond that the ducks can use while keeping our dog away from them - this sounds great.

Silly ducks? Don't they know how hard you worked?? What breed(s) are they?

You just have to wait until they get curious enough to check it out.  Better yet, give them the impression that you don't want them to go near it UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.  That'll do it. 

OK here are 3 pics.  I have more of the construction process but didn't want to overload the site too much.  I'll also describe it's dimensions.

The base is 4'x5' (20ft square).  The actual duck shelter is 3'x5' (15ft square).  The front of the shelter is about 34" at the front 24" at the rear.  The base is made of pressure treated 1"x6" since it's in the water.  The floor and all sides are made of 7/16" OSB, and the wall studs are of 2"x2" pine, untreated.   I wanted to shingle the roof, but didn't have enough shingles on hand, not to mention the additional weight.  The whole thing stays afloat using, here it comes, nine 5 gallon buckets with lids screwed to the bottom of the floor.  The roof is painted with interior/exterior paint, which I had around, and the walls and artwork paint is interior wall paint my Dad and I had sitting around doing nothing.  Which leads to me to say if it hadn't been for my Dad this thing wouldn't have been completed in a month and wouldn't have stayed afloat.  He is also the artist who painted the cat tail leaves.  I basically designed it, which is to say I drew it on paper and recorded measurements, and screwed boards together where he told me to.  It sits in a row of cat tails which are just now emerging so by June it should be well hidden in the cat tails.



To be fair it is only staying afloat with six buckets here not nine.  I weigh (at last check) 212 lbs.



This is my kid (sporting his new Crocs) for scale, he's about 36" tall.



This is it in its final position.

This pond is a bit under a 1/4 acre, and I have 6 Blue Swedish ducks.  It's occasionally visited by 2 wild Mallards, but they aren't permanent residents.  A Blue Heron also pulls out the occasional Bluegill.  If anyone has any questions or constructive criticsm let me know.