Good place to buy a duck house...

[Quackers Mama]

I only have one duck as of right now. Most I'd go up to would probably be just one more. Quackers is an inside duck right now, but plan to house her outside. I live in Houston, TX so the weather is crazy here. Hot, humid, rainy, floods, half the year and a few months its cold, rainy, icy weather. Quackers is a Muscovy duck whose about 7-8 weeks old. What would be the ideal housing for her outdoors? We have a huge grassed yard so during the day she could free range. At night the only critters around are rats and huge roaches. I'm still up in the air about either making a small pond for her or just getting a kiddie pool. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I've searched Amazon for housing but there isn't much for ducks. I do know if I get a chicken coop that has a ramp that I'll have to get a wider one. Any help/ suggestions will be much appreciated.

 

[thomasboyle]

I raise both mallard and pekin ducks, and they are great pets. They follow my wife and I around, especially when we are working in the gardens. We toss the weeds, bugs, slugs etc and the love it. I've learned how to get my ducks in a row.

My first recommendation would be to get a companion or two for your duck. They are social creatures, and want to be part of a flock.

For housing, some sort of dog house type building would work well. Get one big enough for a large dog breed, so you have plenty of room for the ducks. Something 3'x4' would be good for 3 ducks. Since you live in a hot climate, you will want plenty of ventilation. If you have working windows on two sides, you can control the amount of fresh air easily. I would put a working door on it, so you can lock them up at night. While you think you have only rats and roaches, I can assure you that you have more that you don't see. I thought the same thing until I put out a couple of motion sensor camera's around the coop - I have pictures of all sorts of critters and predators that I never see during the day. You will need to clean the dog house / coop out every so often, so make sure you can access it easily. Trying to clean it through the duck door won't work! Make the roof removable or at least hinged so you have easy access. My ducks use a ramp without issue. I did add 4" sides to the ramp, and that helps them from falling off it. They waddle, so a straight line is a bit of a challenge for them!

Ducks are very messy. They need access to water, and turn everything around it to mud. So plan for that when you decide where to place your pool, pond or waterer. Bark makes a good ground cover to avoid mud, but you have to make sure it drys out to avoid mold. A kiddie pool or pre-formed pond can be perfect for the ducks. I have a 2 acre pond in my backyard, and my ducks prefer the kiddie pool instead! My mallards like to bath in a 2 gallon bowl.

Let us know how it goes. Take lots of pictures, we enjoy seeing them, and you can have your own album for quackers.

 

[Quackers Mama]

I raise both mallard and pekin ducks, and they are great pets. They follow my wife and I around, especially when we are working in the gardens. We toss the weeds, bugs, slugs etc and the love it. I've learned how to get my ducks in a row.

Lol Quackers use to follow me all the time. Since going through her rebellious teenage phase its only when she wants to Lol.

My first recommendation would be to get a companion or two for your duck. They are social creatures, and want to be part of a flock.

When Quackers is set up outside I'm hoping to get at least one more that'll be the same age and a Muscovy.

For housing, some sort of dog house type building would work well. Get one big enough for a large dog breed, so you have plenty of room for the ducks. Something 3'x4' would be good for 3 ducks.

Funny you mention that I was actually thinking about that lol.

Since you live in a hot climate, you will want plenty of ventilation. If you have working windows on two sides, you can control the amount of fresh air easily. I would put a working door on it, so you can lock them up at night.

If the door is open all day and only closed at night, do you think I'll still need window's? She'll be only in the house if she decides to during the day and only locked up at night. There's always at least one person home and her house will be in our front yard right in front of big living room window. Plus we have dogs who are in and out all day. So she'll always be kept an eye on.

While you think you have only rats and roaches, I can assure you that you have more that you don't see. I thought the same thing until I put out a couple of motion sensor camera's around the coop - I have pictures of all sorts of critters and predators that I never see during the day.

Do you think I should put window's and put the hardware cloth on it so when it is hot I can keep at least one window open at night?

You will need to clean the dog house / coop out every so often, so make sure you can access it easily. Trying to clean it through the duck door won't work! Make the roof removable or at least hinged so you have easy access.

Do you think having a bottomless dog house, ontop of a piece of plywood which would be ontop of a pallet would be a good idea? Or would the hinged roof be better? Also what would you suggest for bedding? I was thinking of using Timothy hay.

My ducks use a ramp without issue. I did add 4" sides to the ramp, and that helps them from falling off it. They waddle, so a straight line is a bit of a challenge for them!

If I go with the pallet idea I think it'll be easier for her to go up since it won't be a steep ramp.

Ducks are very messy. They need access to water, and turn everything around it to mud. So plan for that when you decide where to place your pool, pond or waterer. Bark makes a good ground cover to avoid mud, but you have to make sure it drys out to avoid mold.

I don't plan on feeding her in her house. I'll probably feed her on our front porch so she won't make a muddy mess with her food lol. As for the pool/pond it'll be on the opposite side of the yard.

A kiddie pool or pre-formed pond can be perfect for the ducks. I have a 2 acre pond in my backyard, and my ducks prefer the kiddie pool instead! My mallards like to bath in a 2 gallon bowl.

Knowing my luck, if I do a pond Quackers will probably prefer a kiddie pool too lol.

Let us know how it goes. Take lots of pictures, we enjoy seeing them, and you can have your own album for quackers.

Thanks for your help and sorry for all the questions Lol. There's a lot of information for setups for a multitude of ducks or people who are short on space. I'm in neither of those situations Lol. I will definitely post pictures when she's all set up.

 

[thomasboyle]

Glad to hear Quackers is going to get a companion. I would have windows on the duck house covered with hardware wire - my coop has the same setup. I keep 1 window at least 50% open, even when we have 30" of snow in January. Ventilation is important, even in cold weather. Having the windows will also let light in so she is not in the dark if for some reason you can't let her out at sunrise each morning!

I would have a floor on the duck house, as some predators will dig under a wall to get their prey, so a floor should stop them and keep Quackers safer. I use hay for my ducks, and it works well assuming you keep the waterer outside. If you have food and water inside, ducks make a huge mess, and you will need to clean the house out every day or every couple of days. So that would mean a hinged roof would make cleaning access the easiest. I like the idea of having the house off the ground on a pallet or something similar, so if it rains, the floor won't flood (Quackers won't mind, but the wood will rot much quicker!)

How do you keep Quackers from pooping all over the house? I know my ducks just make a mess everywhere, so I would not trust them inside! I did have 1 time when I was raising 24 mallard that they were in the front yard, and it was raining hard, and started hailing. I heard a tap tap tap on the sliding glass door to our front porch, and I went out and the ducks were all huddled under the roof overhang by the door to stay out of the hail. I opened the door to talk to them, and next thing I knew, all 24 ducks were inside the porch. I did have to shampoo the carpet when the storm passed and the ducks went back outside.

 

[Quackers Mama]

Glad to hear Quackers is going to get a companion. I would have windows on the duck house covered with hardware wire - my coop has the same setup. I keep 1 window at least 50% open, even when we have 30" of snow in January. Ventilation is important, even in cold weather. Having the windows will also let light in so she is not in the dark if for some reason you can't let her out at sunrise each morning!

O ok, the only thing that worries me is when it does storm (which is often) the winds kick up so I'm afraid that she'll get flooded with the rain. You think she'll be ok? This is my first duck and I feel like I'm being an over protective mother lol. I get up every morning at 6 am right before the sun rises to get my daughter ready for school. So Quackers will be the first thing on my list to do in the mornings. Even though she doesn't wake up til about 9am. Crazy duck gets more sleep than I do lol.

I would have a floor on the duck house, as some predators will dig under a wall to get their prey, so a floor should stop them and keep Quackers safer. I use hay for my ducks, and it works well assuming you keep the waterer outside. If you have food and water inside, ducks make a huge mess, and you will need to clean the house out every day or every couple of days. So that would mean a hinged roof would make cleaning access the easiest.

Yeah no food or water in her housing. Right now she eats in the kitchen with my cats.

This picture is from a while ago when she first started eating with them.

I like the idea of having the house off the ground on a pallet or something similar, so if it rains, the floor won't flood (Quackers won't mind, but the wood will rot much quicker!)

I plan to put a waterproof sealer on the wood as it floods easy here. She's going to have a blast in the backyard. As it'll be really muddy and she'll be able to splash in "mini lakes" lol.

How do you keep Quackers from pooping all over the house? I know my ducks just make a mess everywhere, so I would not trust them inside! I did have 1 time when I was raising 24 mallard that they were in the front yard, and it was raining hard, and started hailing. I heard a tap tap tap on the sliding glass door to our front porch, and I went out and the ducks were all huddled under the roof overhang by the door to stay out of the hail. I opened the door to talk to them, and next thing I knew, all 24 ducks were inside the porch. I did have to shampoo the carpet when the storm passed and the ducks went back outside.

Well I have hardwood floors throughout the house. With the exception of tile in the kitchen and bathroom. My bedroom is the only room that's carpeted. She has her own mop and bucket for the splats and her own roll of toilet paper for the solids Lol. She's hardly ever in my room during the day. She sleeps in a big storage bucket turned on its side. I put the lid on it at night. For some reason it won't let me upload a picture of her bed. I'll try again in a little bit. Sometimes she does poop on my carpet which is why I always have a bottle of carpet cleaner on hand. A lot of people diaper their ducks. I choose not to because I'd rather clean it up than her sit in it. I can already see Quackers tapping at the front door Lol. I got such a visual of 24 ducks waddling in lol so cute.