Got them a duck house

[TigerLilly]

Great idea & gorgeous, besides!

 

[Blooming chicks]

That is a really nice duck house! What is the breed of that beautiful white duck?

 

[TLWR]

They are not happy about their new digs tonight. So we put a screen in front of the door so they can still see the lights on in the house and the outside light is on for a little while longer. They are still on the deck penned up, so if they some how move the screen and get out, they are still closed in on the deck.

Hopefully they'll get used to it and realize it's where they sleep now instead of the kennel.
They came up from the pool and stood at the door yelling at us right before dark to get them kenneled up - the duck hut was not what they were expecting LOL

The white ducks is a blue runner LOL She has orangey blue feet and a blue bill and a couple of blue feathers, but she's white. We wanted a white runner at some point anyway, so we got blue and white covered in one!

 

[katharinad]

Ducks don't like changes, but they will get over it. Today I've build a wind break tunnel in the duck house. So far it was only the dog door without flap, but we are getting closer to winter and I want a wind break, so it stays warm inside of the duck house. It is basically a box inside of the duck house and it has a small opening to the side. They have to walk in and take a sharp right turn to get into the rest of the duck house. You should have seen the commotion about it. They were not happy, but eventually made it in. This is what they will have for the next 2 weeks and then I build another one for outside so they have to take another turn to get in. This is the best think I can do as a wind break, plus the outer one will also reflect the snow.

 

[tia]

They look very happy... and they are such pretty ducks!!!

 

[TLWR]

I got up and checked on them between midnight and 1 - after 2 horrible dreams about them

Of course they were fine.

I put their water in last night - the 1 gallon plastic waterer. I sit it in a 10" round cake pan to catch some of the water they make a mess with and it is now sitting on a 8" cake pan upside down to get it up a bit for them.
But the water makes a mess if I don't have a towel down for them.

Which leads to a soggy duck house that is easy to hose down, but then they are sleeping on soggy poop all night. I guess I'd rather have a drier house for them that requires more effort to hose out in the morning.
Any suggestions on how to set up the water so it's not a huge mess. Not a lot of space to work with, but plenty big for them for the nights.

For now, I may just get some hand towels to put under there, but I don't really want to keep doing duck laundry.

 

[katharinad]

Get a clear rubbermaid tub. Cut two holes in the side for them to stick their heads in and keep the water and food inside of the tub. You may want to raise this a little bit so they reach over the top or keep the lid on. The holes only need to be 4" in diameter and a utility knife should cut it nicely. For flooring get the vinyl left over flooring, and cover it with pine shavings. That they they don't get to grossed up with their poo etc. Simply sweep out the savings with the poo and replace daily. Works well for me. I dump the poo with the saving under my shrubs and trees.