Hottentot and Ringed Teal Ducks

[HottentotTeal]

I was really amazed at all the ads in the Pheasant and Waterfowl Gazette. (Which is a good thing)

Someone was selling bleeding heart doves. My wife likes those and i was telling her maybe they might go well with the ducks, because they sometimes have them with the hottentot and ringed teals at the zoo in the multi-bird 14x14' exhibits.

We will have our hands full with just 2 ducks and I don't even want to figure out how to feed each set of the birds, but it's nice to know that they are available.

When i looked at both sites, something tells me I am really going to like the APWS magazine.

 

[HottentotTeal]

Ok, here is what we got accomplished yesterday: (3 posts)

I took this pic at noon today, so you can get an idea of the sun/shade mix they will be getting in there:

Here is what we got accomplished today: (2 more posts, 5 total)

When we were about to start today, we were still kicking ourselves about using the 4x4 where the 2x4 was supposed to go in the middle. (We were supposed to alternate 4x4 and 2x4s in the middle) So we went to grab the 2"x4"s and continue on...

Welp, instead of 2"x4"x10' boards, we managed to buy 2"x4"x8', which were too short.

So now, we said, "ok let's just put in the rest of the 4x4x10's and we will just go buy some more 4x4x10s and just use them all the way around so it will completely match. After much debating and head scratching we put in 2 of the remaining 4x4 posts. Took us a bit longer today because I had to redig both holes and one of them had a thick tree root that i had to chop with the shovel.

I was hoping to have the posts all up this weekend and then maybe the entire thing done this weekend, but I guess it will take another week (weather permitting).

 

[L0rraine]

guess i can't fast forward into the future and see this thing finished -- it's looking like it should be really nice and sounds like, whatever you decide, you'll have some pretty neat little ducks as well -- and, in a pitch for your wife, there is almost nothing more soothing that the cooing of doves -- keep those pics and updates coming!

 

[HottentotTeal]

Sadly, it's been raining 2 times a week for the past 3 weeks, so it's prevented us from putting in anything after those 5 posts i took a pic of.

On the good side, all the rain is eroding the dirt/sandpiles so it's a bit more level and requires less work for me to relevel it, but I'd rather have that to deal with than having to wait a week for the ground to dry up so i can keep working.

It's supposed to be a 40/50% chance of rain for the next 3 days, so I am doubting i can do anything until next weekend yet again.

 

[HottentotTeal]

Ok, thankfully, after a heavy Low pressure system rolled through here last week that brought a ton of rain and wind, like a tropical storm, a nice drought has come along and dried up the area, so we began putting in the rest of the posts.

We put in 3 more today and I think we can get the remaining 4 in tomorrow.

That leaves the door, sight barrier, wire mesh, pond burial, rock placement, and some other plants and decorations. (sounds like i haven't even started yet)

I also wanted to make a little 3-walled roofed shed for extra shade and protection.

I am trying to think of a list of what else i need to get, like food and horse stall pellets and i was thinking of getting Stall Dry or something with Diatomaceus Earth to go with the Horse pellets for their bedding area. Let me know if that is a good idea.



I got an email saying my ducks are ready! I am quite excited and want to hurry the construction as soon as possible so i can go get them, but i want to make sure everything is ready for them.



EDIT:

Here are the 2 products I am looking at:

Stall Dry Equine Bedding Pellets (looks like it is only available in canada from the site)
http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com/stalldryequinepellets.htm

Stall Dry Plus - US
http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com/stalldryplus.htm

I thought i bookmarked a place that sold them, but i can't find it yet.

I also saw a recommendation for Sweet PDZ
http://www.sweetpdz.com/our-products.html


I am going to find a place that sells the Stall Dry or Sweet PDZ locally, but if anyone has a suggestion on stores, let me know.


EDIT 2:

Ok, I found 2 retailers that sell a 25 pound bag of Sweet PDZ so i ordered that.

I also found a brand of the Equine bedding at TSC, so it looks like i gotta make a short road trip back to TSC this weekend for that.

 

[HottentotTeal]

Welp, finally an update:

We are supposed to pick up the ducks this coming Wednesday.

We are finally finishing up on my duck palace.


We plan to put some painted boards over the wire mesh seams on the outside on the 4x4 posts and on the top and ceiling as well, but that isn't really critical to complete the duck housing.


Also, we are finishing up the door tomorrow. We need to put some more hinges in the middle, door handle, and locks, and also finish the framing of it as well as putting boards and mesh on it.

I didn't buy enough of the flat rocks, so i will end up getting some more next week, so i can finish the little area by the door.


I haven't gone through the receipts, but we went way over budget i am pretty sure, although technically there never really was one.

Had to go back and buy about 800 pounds of rock today because i didn't have enough for the outside of the duck housing. i put about 2-3 inches of river pebbles around it. Also put some larger pineapple rocks in the back part and along the pen in areas that would be possible for digging. I have boards buried there as well, but i am trying to take all of the precautions i can.



On to the pics:

Here is a picture as to what it will look like from the outside, except for the missing boards i will use to cover the seams on the posts and top:

A shot of the inside with 1 of the second level of sight barrier boards up with the wire mesh:

Can't really see them that well(by design, since we painted them), but we have a ton of angled brackets inside holding the boards together. You can see a few on the outside on the top which will be covered eventually.

We had to put in a gutter above the area as well, because rain was dripping in and eroding the dirt. I'll post a few more pics once it is done.

 

[HottentotTeal]

I finally picked them up!

They are very shy and a little scared right now. They went into the pond a few times and seem to mostly like to sit near it on the rocks or under the large bush by it.

I don't think they have eaten anything yet, but i think it's because they are still a little scared.

 

[love_a_duck]

i read every post in this thread, and i admire your attention to detail.
wow, it is amazing.

and those birds.
just fantastic!
thank you for sharing them and the process.

for the birds:

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep, proud of you!
You did a great job, think I see two spoiled rotten ducks already,
were you surprised by just how small hottentots were or did you judge it right?

 

[love_a_duck]

how small are they?
they are absolutely perfect.
i cannot sense the scale there in the pics.