Duck Houses

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BeckyBird- I love your duck yard and pool! Very practical and beautiful at the same time.

 

[BeckyBird]

Thanks everybody

 

[GoodEgg]

wow, great duck houses!

I am needing to build a new one. I would NEVER show pics of what I am using now, LOL.

I was given what looks like a rabbit coop on tall legs. I cleaned it up and laid it on one side, so the legs stick out behind it. The top (plywood) was the door before, so now it opens up from the bottom and makes a little overhanging "porch" during the daytime. I prop it up with a plastic shelf. The back was plywood too, and the ends, so now the roof is enclosed as well as 3 walls when it's closed.

The other wall is 1/4" hardware cloth, as is the floor. I fill it with pine shavings so they don't walk on the hardware cloth. I also had to put the whole thing up on a couple of wooden blocks to keep it off the ground in order to keep it drier.

In the wintertime, I put a tarp over the whole thing so the back wall would be covered too, when it was REALLY cold (as cold as it gets here anyway, just below freezing). The ducks probably could have cared less. They want to be outside anyway.

The price was right ... it was free! But it's a lot of work to maintain, and very ugly, and now it's warping and about to fall apart soon, so I'm going to replace it. Plus it was never really big enough, but they don't seem to mind.

Still trying to get a plan for a replacement, as well as one for my baby gooses (who are getting WAY too big to be carried inside to sleep in large cardboard boxes now, LOL) so ... who knows, maybe I can post a pic of something I'm not ashamed of soon.

trish

 

[RebelsHope]

Here is what I did with my pool.
I got an extra large one, but it is a pain to empty and make sure it is clean. So...

I bought a hose mending kit, washers, and a plastic hose end cap. I already had a kiddie pool, silicone aquarium sealer, and some old hose.

I drew a circle on the pool the size of the connector and used a hot poker to make the hole.

Then I put the connector through the hole and added the washers on to both sides. Next I sealed it with the aquarium sealant. That had cure for two days. I actually have to redo this part as mine is leaking just a little, but it has not been too big of a problem.

Put the clamp on the hose and then I put a hose piece on the inside of the pool because I didn't put mine as close to the bottoms as I should have. Really check when you make the hole how low it is.

Then I put the other clamp on the other hose piece and attach on the outside. This piece has a male end on it- the cut end attaches to the connector thing . I think this might be a good place to use the sealant again.

Once that dries attach the clamps inside and out. Put the end cap on the male end of the hose.

I hope that makes sense. I attached pics that hopefully help.

 

[dixygirl]

Quote:
Beckybird,
How deep did you make your pit please? The more I think about it i really like that idea. it is like a natural septic system for your duck's pool. It is actually even more discrete than the drain hose i was thinking of.

 

[BeckyBird]

Rebelshope, that is a wonderful idea! It is tough and messy to dump over the pool every day, and you have thought of a great way to do the cleaning!

For my pond, I originally had the pool in the ground. So the pit is about as deep as the pool, about 1 foot deep. You can dig your pit as wide and deep as you'd like. Just put several flat boards over the pit for the pool to sit on. If you ever wanted to clean out the pit, just pick up the pool and dump some bleach into the pit.

Also, found out the hard way, the ducks can pull out the drain plug, and accidentally drain the whole pool. So put a heavy stone over the plug, and it's good to have a backup dish of water in case the pool ever leaks.

Good luck
Becky

 

[dixygirl]

Thanks Beckybird, how long does it take for the soil to absorb all that water usually? Does it often stay there backed up underneath the pool for long periods of time?


My kiddie pool is the larger one from Walmart, and already comes with its own plug. It fits very securely so it probably wont leak much. In fact it is hard to get out. They have a new spray paint now that works on plastic. So I am thinking about painting my pool black so it is more like the permanent pond liners in Lowes and Home Depot. Put it in the ground and line the edges with river rocks and pebbes or field stones like a real pond.

I am thinking about making the pit at least 2 feet deep and filling it with gravel then put a layer of sand on top to rest the pool on with the pool below ground (1 ft deeper).

That is a lot of digging... at least 3 feet deep and my pool is at least 5 feet wide . Better get my garden pick/ mattock.

A few good men wouldn't hurt too. Who would have thought getting a few chicks and ducks would have turned into all out hardcore construction?

 

[Frosty]

There are some great ideas here!

I think it's really important to consider our convenience whichever way you do it. If it's a pain to clean, it might not get done as often. One thing that I would like to mention, I definitely don't advise the larger kiddie pools if they don't have a drain, they are a pain to empty. Once they are full, a lot of the water has to be manually scooped out before they can be dumped and cleaned.

I don't think there is one answer to how long it will take it to drain from a pit. A lot would depend on soil type, existing ground moisture levels, etc... It would drain faster in sandy soil than it would in clay, and if the surrounding soil is relatively dry it will suck up more water than soil that is already saturated. I don't think I would dump bleach in the pit, that would kill bacteria needed for the waste to decompose (basically like a compost). Might be better to add bacteria to get it to compost faster, or if it drains pretty quick you might be able to just drop in some earth worms.

 

[professor-yellow]

I dont have drains in the kiddie pools but after they splash and play there is not much water by the end of the day anyway. What is left i scoop out ( with a homemade bailer from a plastic milk jug) and put in 5 gal buckets. This I use to water the bamboo grove, apple trees, and perrenials.

 

[Elfy]

I really need to put a pit and drain in my kiddy pool. What kind stairs/ramps are you using? I have one really smart bird and one not so smart.