Duck houses

[enriquec]

What kind of home have you guys built? Post your pics.

I've seen tons of awesome ideas, especially on youtube. I have a greenhouse I want to convert, and put a timer to open and close the sliding glass door each day for them. Of course, I want it to be the coolest duck house around Here it is:





The lake is right around the corner but its hard to see.

I asked here a while back if they would be okay living outside. Ducks I've had in the past have transitioned fine. It was pointed out that a non-flight domestic breed is unlikely to survive, especially w/ predators. Some additional information that helped confirm duck survivalbility in our area, was my neighbor.

Turns out before I moved here, there was one lone Mallard on the lake. Other birds, ducks and geese, did and still do come thru, but don't stay all year. The one lonely Mallard made them decide to get 12 baby Mallards. As they got older, they were introduced to the lake and the one lonely duck. They quickly became pack and lived many years. But eventually, its believed the problem was the racoons, over time taking them out. If Mallards couldn't survive completely on their own, my Rouens wont. But a place to sleep and be safe at night could make all the difference.

 

[Onlyducks]

With raccoons, you're going to need a bullet proof enclosure. They can stick their paws through very tiny holes, dig and pretty much cause mayhem day and night. I'm not sure I'd go for "coolest" but rather most indestructable.

Check out: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/908057/killer-raccoons

 

[JadeComputerGal]

With raccoons, you're going to need a bullet proof enclosure. They can stick their paws through very tiny holes, dig and pretty much cause mayhem day and night. I'm not sure I'd go for "coolest" but rather most indestructable.

Check out: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/908057/killer-raccoons

Enriquec, please take this advice. If you have raccoon issues, you're going to need something they can't dig under, climb over, climb into, claw into, pull open, pull apart, on and on. If your greenhouse isn't on a concrete pad, you're going to need to put it on one. Raccoons are smart beyond belief. I've rescued and raised numerous litters of them, and I always kept one out of each litter as a pet. They're one of the best pets possible, but it's worse than having a two-year old in the house. Their claws are very sharp if not trimmed, and they can dig faster than you'd think. It's a challenge to keep them out of things if they decide they're determined to get in. I had to put baby latches on all my cabinets, including the upper ones since they're great climbers as well. A couple of mine, once they matured, were able to work at the latches until they pulled them off the cabinets, and they were even able to open the refrigerator. They are much stronger than they appear just by their size, and they're very persistent critters. If a raccoon gets a taste of your ducks or your eggs, you're going to have a very hard time getting rid of him, and others won't be far behind him.

 

[enriquec]

Hmmm, thanks for the advice. It definitely didn't occur to me they could, and would try to open it. And they are smart. The bottom is wood, but not concrete. Besides opening the door, they would have to rip wood off to get in. It's slightly off the ground, but if they're smart, and persistent, over time I'm sure they could get in even if they're not strong... With tiny claws, it is definitely possible to open the sliding glass door. The roof may be another weakness. And there may be others.. Thanks for the advice! You probably saved a duck