Converting coop to duck house

[igorsMistress]

Thanks! I think they are pretty too.....but I am a bit biased.

Mine is a 50 gallon stock tank with a ball valve at the drain port and pvc pipe directing water away. The deck was to keep anyone freaking out and popping out of the pool from having a hard landing. Well....and to cut down on muck around the pool. You hey splash an astounding amount out when bathing.

I was wondering about size, I’ve been looking at stock tanks since pools aren’t available. Can all of your ducks get in at once?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I was wondering about size, I’ve been looking at stock tanks since pools aren’t available. Can all of your ducks get in at once?

They can....but it is tight. My ducks aren't even a large breed. If I could have put a bigger one it would have been nice for them.
Their space was already fenced when I finally got to the pool.

A thing to consider is how often it will need changed (they muck it up quick) and water cost/availability. I change it every other day in summer. Winter....no pool cause I am carrying jugs of water since the hose freezes for weeks on end.

The rubbermaid tanks are floating deicers only. I don't think that will work for a small pool and active ducks. If I had to have a deicer I want a sinking one and a bigger tank.

At 50 gallons my seven ducks get less than 10 gallons per duck to muck up. That is a really small amount of water really.

Go bigger if possible. While mine don't complain I know bigger would have been nicer.

 

[igorsMistress]

They can....but it is tight. My ducks aren't even a large breed. If I could have put a bigger one it would have been nice for them.
Their space was already fenced when I finally got to the pool.

A thing to consider is how often it will need changed (they muck it up quick) and water cost/availability. I change it every other day in summer. Winter....no pool cause I am carrying jugs of water since the hose freezes for weeks on end.

The rubbermaid tanks are floating deicers only. I don't think that will work for a small pool and active ducks. If I had to have a deicer I want a sinking one and a bigger tank.

At 50 gallons my seven ducks get less than 10 gallons per duck to muck up. That is a really small amount of water really.

Go bigger if possible. While mine don't complain I know bigger would have been nicer.

Good to know thank you! I was just picking my husbands brain about it and I think that changes things quite a bit. I’ve also changed my mind about making the pool house. I think that would be a disaster and I don’t want to deal with that. It would be a year round task as it really doesn’t freeze often.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Good to know thank you! I was just picking my husbands brain about it and I think that changes things quite a bit. I’ve also changed my mind about making the pool house. I think that would be a disaster and I don’t want to deal with that. It would be a year round task as it really doesn’t freeze often.

Yeah they splash A LOT. I have to top it off after they have had a good bath session. I swear they deplete at least 5-8 gallons from it each round.
A bigger diameter would mean less hits the ground.

You will want the bathing water controlled as much as possible to keep the mud down.

 

[igorsMistress]

Yeah they splash A LOT. I have to top it off after they have had a good bath session. I swear they deplete at least 5-8 gallons from it each round.
A bigger diameter would mean less hits the ground.

You will want the bathing water controlled as much as possible to keep the mud down.

I still just want to keep a few ducks, three or fou max with no drake.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I still just want to keep a few ducks, three or fou max with no drake.

They are very comical creatures.

I wouldn't say they are more difficult to keep than chickens....they are just different to keep than chickens.

I really love my silly quackers and while I still work on controlling water mess I wouldn't give them up.

The red dish next to the fence in the picture.....yea that is the winter water. As soon as we go above single digit temps I am going to build a short platform around that cause icy mud is unpleasant. They will also need to be able to take a dip in that tiny tub while the pool is closed for winter.

 

[igorsMistress]

They are very comical creatures.

I wouldn't say they are more difficult to keep than chickens....they are just different to keep than chickens.

I really love my silly quackers and while I still work on controlling water mess I wouldn't give them up.

The red dish next to the fence in the picture.....yea that is the winter water. As soon as we go above single digit temps I am going to build a short platform around that cause icy mud is unpleasant. They will also need to be able to take a dip in that tiny tub while the pool is closed for winter.

I’m really looking forward to having them! I am thinking about options and controlling mess for sure, thank goodness I have a while to think about it!