BackYard Chickens

Advanced Search

BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Other BackYard Poultry › Ducks › any detailed plans you can buy for duckhouse/runs?

Recent Reviews

Brabanter
Reviewed by mtmimi777

With several comments about finding it hard to obtain good quality Brabanters, has anyone purchased from Sandhill? Where have you found good quality stock? If our town changes it's regs, this is...

Full Review
Orpington (Buff)-319
Reviewed by marvun22

I like everything about it except how it looks right now. I know it lays decently. It is a great part of my great waterfowl flock.

Full Review
Indian Runner
Reviewed by marvun22

First, watching a runner duck run is awesome. They can find their own food. They aren't like pekins in water. Mine haven't started laying but I heard their decent.

Full Review
Rouen
Reviewed by marvun22

Its not as fat and slow as a pekin, but its not frail either. I want a mallard but I don't want a flying bird. The rouen is great for that.

Full Review
Khaki Campbell
Reviewed by marvun22

They are my calmest birds and are easiest to catch. They eat less than Pekins. I heard they also lay well, but mine are younger.

Full Review

New Posts All Forums:Forum Nav:

any detailed plans you can buy for duckhouse/runs?

Subscribe Search This Thread

Start a New Thread

post #1 of 5

3/26/12 at 3:39pm

Thread Starter

ambrose

Joined: 3/2012
Posts: 58
offline

Select All Posts By This User

When i was still thinking chickens my plan was to buy the Garden Coop pdf plans. Any equivalent for ducks?

I'm not very experienced building stuff. I'm the sort who needs pdf instructions telling me exactly what to do.

I think what I'm looking for is how to make a 8' x 10' run (covered, 6' high) with a 3' x 4' house. I'd like to be able to access the house w/out walking into the pen. I'm thinking this would be for 3-6 bantam sized birds. In theory I'd like to let them out a lot, but the pen might be full time. (I only really plan on three, but want to leave open the possibility for more. (i might either start w/6 ducklings or two adults -- a either give away or use the extras as meat birds).

It would need to be super-safe. I've seen a racoon on the neighbor's fence in broad daylight.

anything out there? Think i could just duck-modify the Garden Coop one? I really like the clear roof above the mesh top -- in a perfect world I'd grow grapes or something up going above the wire, but below the roof)

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

Have you ever wondered how a hen can lay an egg every day?

Uncle Sam Expects You To Keep Hens and Raise Chickens!!

The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101

post #2 of 5

3/26/12 at 6:45pm

Amiga
Overrun with Runners

Location: Southern New England
Joined: 1/2010
Posts: 7,616
offline

Select All Posts By This User

I got my ideas from Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. There is a drawing there. I decided to go with four sides and a sliding door from something I saw on BYC.

My setup is largely based on site limitations. There is not much open, flat space at my place. So the 4'x8' house is end to end with the 4'x8' porch, which attaches to the 10'x16' day pen.

It's simple, too, as I did not know anything about building such things when I began. A drill and a circular saw became my closest friends that summer. My neighbor did most of the construction of the house, from designs I drew up (very basic, nothing professional). I did the rest.

I have the polycarbonate panels for roofing and love them! I also use hardware cloth between the top of the duck house wall and the supports for the roof panels to keep the 'coons out.

I know this isn't a link to designs, but I hope there is something useful in here for you.

eta: ya know, there was a web site with a simple dog house design for free, and that is what I used to get started on my design. . . let me see if I can find that again.

found it: http://www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_build_a_custom_insulated_dog_house

It gave me enough detail that I could translate it into a simple 4'x8' double walled box, then I added the slanted roof.

Edited by Amiga - 3/26/12 at 6:52pm

Nine beautiful Runners, four beautiful Buffs, thousands of beautiful memories and counting.

Looking for ducks? Please consider adopting rescued ducks. There are many places and people who do rescues, but we are not allowed to post the links due to BYC regs. So fire up your web browsers and find some sweet, grateful duckies.

Nine beautiful Runners, four beautiful Buffs, thousands of beautiful memories and counting.