Mobile Duck House?

[Alabama ee]

Do any of you hae a mobile house for you ducks that you can move around? I have a chicken tractor and was thinking of doing something like that for ducks.

In our area, we have a ton of predators. Fox, raccoons, stray dogs, all would love to have chicken and ducks on their menu. To keep them safe, I was thinking about making a small movable ducks house..maybe 4 ft by 4ft, that I can close in at night. Then, have a dog pen as a run.

On the duck house, I am not sure about the flooring. I was thinking about about letting them have ground contact, but I am worried about something digging under. However, if I put wire, it might hurt their feet. Perhaps, put a plastic mesh on top of that would help? Also, I am not sure how to add the nest box.

I would LOVE to have some suggestions.

 

[Kevin565]

1. Go with the wire. Too many people have lost ducks in tractor style houses from something digging underneath.

2. The plastic would just get overly pooped on. I would just let them have contact to the ground.

3. Not all ducks will use a nest box.

 

[Alabama ee]

thanks Kevin!

Does anyone have pictures of their mobile duck houses they would like to share?

 

[Alabama ee]

Anyone with pictures of their mobile duck house?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

here are a couple we will be putting to use for 2013
This one shows a chicken ramp, easily switched to steps hinged at the top to flip up when moving to a new spot, or a wider ramp



This is my favorite. Next boxes for chickens, for ducks we dont build the nest boxes

 

[harriedhomemaker]

This is not my duck house - I ended up building a larger, stationary house - but I considered building something like this. It is based on the mobile duck house discussed in one of my favorite gardening books, Four Season Harvest.

http://todoentiempo.wordpress.com/2009/05/31/building-duckingham-palace/

 

[ChristineR]

I use mobile duck houses. They are so messy and I am lazy. It works out great! I never have to clean a pen, they get a clean area every night and they fertilize my grass and eat the weeds.

I use chain link dog kennels, then wrap the bottom and cover the top with wire so nothing can reach or climb in and the ducks can't stick their heads out. I also have a 10' x 20' tarp that goes over the top and partially covers the sides. It's worked out well for me. It's not pretty, though. My husband calls it my duck shanty town. I have to keep them either on the property behind the house or over behind the trees.

I've never had anything dig under. I do have dogs, though, that seem to keep the racoons and foxes away. I went on vacation for a week earlier this month, so two of my dogs for at my parents' house and the other one was kept locked up except when he was let out to go potty. I had what I assume was a racoon try to get in then. They tried to tear through the wire. Luckily they weren't successful. That's the only time in the 7 years that I've lived here that it's happened. I've lost one duck to an eagle and that's it.

So, it probably depends on where you live and how many racoons, etc. you have in your area.

 

[ChristineR]

I use mobile duck houses. They are so messy and I am lazy. It works out great! I never have to clean a pen, they get a clean area every night and they fertilize my grass and eat the weeds.

I use chain link dog kennels, then wrap the bottom and cover the top with wire so nothing can reach or climb in and the ducks can't stick their heads out. I also have a 10' x 20' tarp that goes over the top and partially covers the sides. It's worked out well for me. It's not pretty, though. My husband calls it my duck shanty town. I have to keep them either on the property behind the house or over behind the trees.

I've never had anything dig under. I do have dogs, though, that seem to keep the racoons and foxes away. I went on vacation for a week earlier this month, so two of my dogs for at my parents' house and the other one was kept locked up except when he was let out to go potty. I had what I assume was a racoon try to get in then. They tried to tear through the wire. Luckily they weren't successful. That's the only time in the 7 years that I've lived here that it's happened. I've lost one duck to an eagle and that's it.

So, it probably depends on where you live and how many racoons, etc. you have in your area.

I want to add that I have a really large yard on our property, so I don't run out of space. You have to keep moving it to a fresh area every day and let that spot rest or they will kill the grass.

 

[ChristineR]

Also, waterfowl don't do well on hard surfaces. I would hesitate to house them on wire. It might be OK, but it seems like you'd be asking for bumblefoot problems. I've never used wire on the floor, though, so maybe someone that has can chime in about that.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We have raised wire bottom cages we used for call ducks when we kept them. They are used for broody cages, grow outs ect now. Worked fine as they had pools and solid floors to rest on as well.

Tarps here wouldnt hold up to add any shelter at all. Sun and wind would destroy them in no time.