Duck House made from pallets - estimated $100

[ChickInDelight]

I figured the math by using Microsoft's Visio. I used it like a huge piece of graph paper. I literally cut-out a paper octogon and triangle to cut wood with the correct angles and compute lengths.

I had some flux by sinking the post into the ground, and also, I had a couple inches to spare on roof boards, but I amazed myself at how nicely everything fit into place.

Yes, that pressed wood panel stuff is MUCH cheaper than the plywood I should have used. I have a bucket of cheap paint from Restore. I hope it does 2 coats, otherwise, I may be choosing a new color! I only bought 4 pressed wood panels because they exactly fit the pallets, so yes, I am going to use the scraps to fill the corners. These pieces will have to be custom cut as the shape is a bit irregular. I plan to attach the corner strips to the panels with hinges.

I have lots of green plastic 'chickenwire', so I am going to staple that to the finished roof skeleton before stringing the tarp on top.

I worked in the pouring rain on Sunday and stayed very dry because of the big canopy of pine branches that protect this location. I believe wind and falling branches will be a greater threat than rain and snow. I believe the roof will have enough structure to keep branches from coming down on duckheads.

Do I need to attach the ends of the boards that are resting in the Vs of the pallets? I have not figured out a great trick for that yet.

Thank you all for your great suggestions and encouragement!

I exhaust myself, but determination keeps me saying, "I think I can, I think I can..."

 

[Hawkeye95]

WOW!! that roof is really impressive! I wasn't sure what you were going to to when you first posted this- but coming back and seeing what you have now- I'm so darned impressed! Good job!! Can't wait to see what you do with it- post more pics!

 

[ChickInDelight]

Hawkeye - I just checked out your BYC page where you are building a real coop. Marvelous! Quite a contrast to my construction of non-plans and re-used refuse - Quackmire Downs.

You have inspired me. Since cement is cheap, I think I shall put some around my centerpost. With the centerpost in cement, I think I won't have to worry so much about securing the outer ends of the roof rails.

I sunk some of my yard fenceposts in cement, and they have held beautifully. The dogs, chickens, and Mallards fly right over my 4 foot chickenwire, but the Pekin drakes, Captain Hook and Ping, cannot. Also, it seems to deter predators since we have never yet had a fence infiltration.

So, you found a turkey, and now you are building a chicken coop. Oh yeah - you so understand chicken math!

 

[ChickInDelight]

The roof is framed and center post sunk in concrete. I believe the hardest of the work is finished. Now, tis time for the finishing work.

The following image is not so clear, but it shows a pond in the background. I laughed as I shot this because the Mallards are in a kiddie pool above the truck bed in this shot. The Pekins are inside the fenced backyard in the tiny kiddie pool because they are afraid after being harassed by dogs. None of the ducks will go in the 23 acres of water we have here after a snapping turtle took down Pink, my only female Pekin. (Since then, we have seriously reduced the number of HUGE snappers.)

I am now questioning my decision to build the duck house outside of the fence. It may be, I will have to provide a separate house for the Pekins inside the fence. (They already rejected the igloo doghouse in which they started - in my dining room.)

Ducks are nothing like I expected. They slop like hogs. They are frightened like chickens. They have the memory of an elephant. What's not to love?

This front view shows that nothing is level or plumb. That is for Type A planners that don't like to rip stuff out and do it over and over again.

I was actually trying to capture the Xmas lights on the garden at my neighbor's - one of the reasons I love this farm - Xmas lights any time of year are appreciated. Part of my home is a 1760 Quaker Stone house. In the background of this shot, you see the deck off of the converted cattle barn that contains 6 lovely housing units in addition to farm operations.

Strangely, with hundreds of acres, the ducks and chickens stay in the 3 acres that I mow, and typically stay in the fenced yard or side yard (where we humans also hang out). They are all over the back porch where we walk in and out from the parking lot, but never hit the brick patio or front porch.

 

[Kaelinstorm]

Quote:
Hahaha! True!

 

[zookeeper15133]

Do I need to attach the ends of the boards that are resting in the Vs of the pallets? I have not figured out a great trick for that yet.

Try Hurricane tiedowns. I think they are about 50 cents each at HD.

Great job so far!​

 

[ChickInDelight]

Ah yes. I think some sort of hurricate tiedown will work. I use 2 to secure each board to the post. I think a slightly different style will be perfect.

Thanks again, Zookeeper!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
Thank you!

My coop is taking a while to build since it's so hot and I'm mostly working on it alone. Hoping to get more done this weekend. I think that is great that you put your center post in cement- it will really be sturdy! That will help with the rest of the roof. I can't believe your roof! I don't think I could handle anything that complicated! It looks really good. Oh- and I may have bought all of my supplies, but I don't have a real plan either.

Just sort of eye balled everyone else's coops and went for it! My DH keeps asking... 'now what are you doing again?'. I hate to tell him that sometimes I don't know! LOL! Yes, chicken math caught up with me the moment I found my turkey. She is the inspiration for this entire project and me coming to BYC! Craziness how a bird can change your life! Funny about your ducks. I hope they love their new home!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Look'in Good!

Aspen

 

[ChickInDelight]

I could not get hurricane tie-downs to fit. I think I "toenailed" some screws - thanks Hawkeye. We will have the hurricane test on the structure this weekend!

Progress:

Dial wanted to be in all the pictures:

Dial has come a long way since I caught her with a young duck in her mouth!

Next, I have to cut those tricky, non-standard 'corner' pieces. I have been dreading this. Then paint.

The shutter doors are painted and on the porch. They pose great terror to my big, brave Pekin drakes who have refused to walk onto the porch to go outside the fence - where I feed them and where the bigger baby pool is. I have food dishes all around the shutter doors, but no duck or chicken dares touch that food. The cat food bowls, just a few feet away on the porch rail, however, are over-run with cats and birds (and the occasional sneaky dog).

I moved the bigger pool up by the new duck house today in hopes that at least the Mallards would fly up there and start to feel at home.

The ducks are sleeping in the fenced yard by the chicken hutch - just a few feet away from the spot I chose NOT to build a house becuase I feared it would look too much like the doggy foyer and my home would become over-run. The doggy foyer is also a pallet structure, and once we get the stones properly set and the tools hidden, I will share pictures of it too.