Duck House

[Jpat]

alright guys i really appreciate the help. I am going to go back to the drawing board here and hopefully get some frame work done here soon. I am sure ill have more questions when the time comes but the house outside but attached to the run 100% seems like the way to go. What do you guys recommend for bedding inside the house and in the run ?

Pine shavings, most places call it horse bedding, Smells good and very absorbant, i hated hay but some love hay, Up to you again!

And ask anything and everything. Everyone starts off new at some point

 

[Bill83]

So pine shavings for the house as well as the run ? and do you maintain the run and the house differently ? from the sounds of it the run becomes a lot messier than the house ?

 

[Lwooster]

I built a duckhouse and runs modifying the excellent plans available from The Garden Coop:

http://www.thegardencoop.com/large-chicken-coop-plans.html

The materials were expensive (>$1000) but, as an inexperienced carpenter, to say the least, I ended up with a really nice set-up because of the extremely easy to follow instructions. I will try and upload a photo of my modification

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I agree with what has been said and would add that if you do not have too cold of winters, make the house small and short and the pen large. Ducks do not need a lot of head room. I use pine shavings in plastic bins in my house. Daily I remove large clumps of poo and weekly I dump the old shavings into the pen. Covering the pen helps keep it a little better when it rains.

 

[Animal family]

I’m no expert and am learning as I go, However, I’ve found that a separate night time house works well. My duck house is predator proof. It sets on 2x4s and has a ramp. They just sleep on the ground with grass or straw. Make sure it has a ton of ventilation that is protected by hardware cloth. No one thinks they have mink until the worst happens.
My 2 get the run of the yard when I’m able to watch them, otherwise they’re in an enclosure that we built from chicken wire. It’s meant to keep hawks out and the random stray predator, we live in the city so hawks are the main worry.
Your enclosure needs to have a simple shelter for when it hails or snows, maybe something you can stuff straw into in the winter. It also needs to have a wind proof spot, and perhaps a tarp for deep shade.
Lastly, it needs to be big enough for a baby pool, especially in the summer.
I’ve learned most of this stuff on this forum, it’s a great resource.
Congrats on your duck babies! Mine make me happy everyday with their little dramas.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I’m no expert and am learning as I go, However, I’ve found that a separate night time house works well. My duck house is predator proof. It sets on 2x4s and has a ramp. They just sleep on the ground with grass or straw. Make sure it has a ton of ventilation that is protected by hardware cloth. No one thinks they have mink until the worst happens.
My 2 get the run of the yard when I’m able to watch them, otherwise they’re in an enclosure that we built from chicken wire. It’s meant to keep hawks out and the random stray predator, we live in the city so hawks are the main worry.
Your enclosure needs to have a simple shelter for when it hails or snows, maybe something you can stuff straw into in the winter. It also needs to have a wind proof spot, and perhaps a tarp for deep shade.
Lastly, it needs to be big enough for a baby pool, especially in the summer.
I’ve learned most of this stuff on this forum, it’s a great resource.
Congrats on your duck babies! Mine make me happy everyday with their little dramas.

I agree with you. The thing I noticed in that video was that there didn't seem to be hardly any ventilation in that pen except for the little duck door. I might have missed it but ventilation is important and that duck house didn't seem to have enough. I do love how he covered that run with all the hardware cloth and even made a "skirt" along the ground.

I have a "short" pen and a taller pen and for my own comfort, I really enjoy not hitting my head every time I go in the taller pen! Just something to consider when building! I made a little partition in both my pens that the ducks really seem to love. I think it gives them a sense of security. It wasn't for nesting or anything, just something I decided to do and they love it. I have 7 runners in this pen.

 

[Bill83]

Thanks for everyone's advice. This weekend i put down a stone slab and picked up some lumber and put together a little 4x4 duck house. The large cutout is for the door so we can get in there to clean it out. On the opposite side i will have a small duck door leading to an 8x10 ish pen with a pool for them. We have about an acre of property that is fenced in which they will have access too as long we we are home and outside with them.

For ventilation I was thinking about cutting some windows in the walls and putting hinges on them so i can shut them during the winter and keep them open in the summer. I will also have electricity out there so i could even put in an exhaust fan.