"Central Quack" - Phoebe and Rachel's Duck Run

[michellers]

We've been making progress on our duck run for our two Blue Swedish girls - Phoebe and Rachel. They will be two months old tomorrow.



Rachel




Supplies!



Roof and walls built



Awesome FREE pond I picked up. Brand new!



Paint!



Adding the screen.



Foundation (poultry netting, landscape fabric, and gravel)





Dogs checking it out.



Now for what I need help with - designing a ramp/steps for access to the pond. It's about 21" high. The pond is elevated because I have a drain underneath that exits outside of the run.





Happy ducks!

 

[JanetS]

Love this!! Your ducks look so happy! My DH made this ramp for our chickens. Don't see why this wouldn't work for your ducks. My daughter wants to get some ducks but I'm not sure. How are you enjoying them? I've heard they are very messy. We have a lot of predators here. Do you keep them in their cage 24/7?

 

[michellers]

I love my ducks. They are my first experience with anything other than dogs, cats, and small animals, but I agree that they are messy. I've been learning and reading different methods to help - mainly it's the water!

I have had them hang out in the run the last two days, but that's only during the day. At night I have been bringing them back inside. I just picked up a wood dog house last night that I will modify with a door so they can go in there at night and I can lock it.

 

[michellers]

Updates!






Happy Ducks!

 

[aart]

Nice! Glad to see you supported the pond edges.

 

[michellers]

Oh definitely, especially since the edges are all shallower then in the middle of the pond, so they hang out along the edge often throughout the day. The drain on the bottom works awesome. I simply turn a valve outside of the run and let it drain out a hose into the grass (which is super green and healthy now) and check back later to it empty - clean, clean, clean and fill it back up!

Also have had an egg every day for the last 4 days. Their first eggs!

 

[JanetS]

Your ducks look very happy with their home. My daughter is still trying to talk me into getting some. You make it look easy.
We've never had ducks just chickens.

 

[michellers]

The girls enjoyed some "free range" time after a big storm came through.