My Call Ducks, Mandarins, and Duck Pen (Photos)

[Scott]

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Thanks.

 

[Hoosiermomma]

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Yeah, it shouldn't be too difficult.

Yo so whaddaya waitin for Rocky? LOL

 

[Scott]

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Yeah, it shouldn't be too difficult.

Yo so whaddaya waitin for Rocky? LOL

At this point, warmer weather... ;-)

 

[Scott]

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Yo so whaddaya waitin for Rocky? LOL

At this point, warmer weather... ;-)

I've re-designed my mandarin duck pen. Instead of an aviary, it will be similar to the pen pictured here. However, I am going to divide the house into 4 1ft compartments. Three of those will be mandarin nestboxes with doorways up high, whereas the forth one will have doorway down low like this pen and will house their feeder. The feeder compartment will open from the side for filling up food. The three nestbox compartments will open from the back for cleaning out nestboxes and gathering unhatched eggs.

 

[duckluck]

I know you'll think I'm a nut for asking, but any way you could work up a materials list (and maybe instructions?) for a pen like this one? I would like one just like this.

 

[Scott]

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Well, I really can't take entire credit for the design... I modified the design of the Giffs Farm duck pen. Do a search on google for "Giffs Farm", and you should find some basic instructions for building a similar (but smaller) duck pen on their web site. Giffy is a member of this board.

With that being said, I used 6ft 4x4s for the corner posts. At the 3ft mark on each 4x4 I notched out a place for 2x4s which created the floor frame. In the floor, I framed out a place for the pond. Then the floor was covered in hardware wire, with the exception of the place the pond was to be set in. I then framed out the house section (its 4ft wide with a 2.5ft depth) and covered that, the roof, and house floor with exterior plywood. The entire top of the pen was topped with deck boards just for appearance. The house will painted barn red to match the chicken house. And the roof will be covered in black shingles. My materials (if I remember correctly) were as follows:

2 - 4x8 Pieces of Exterior Plywood (for the house)
4 - 8ft 4x4s (for the corner posts)
8 - 8ft 2x4s (for framing out the pen)
About 24ft of 3ft wide hardware wire
About 6ft of livestock fencing (for covering the top). You could also used clear corrugated roofing of something similar
Hinges and lock for the door into the house


If you go to my website www.ozarkbantams.com , you can see more information about the duck pen under the "our coop" section.

 

[CityChicker]

I'm working on some just like yours. I started them like over a month ago and they have set with no further progress for multiple reasons. I worked on them for a couple long days straight and then felt like I was gonna die for about two weeks. Who knew wood is so heavy? LOL, I definitely will avoid ever framing out with 2 x 4's again if possible. I can't imagine how heavy 4 x 4's are! I don't know how I am going to move these things when I am done, other than to bribe my brother and nephews to come over and move them.

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

How much did it cost (roughly) to build the Call Duck pen?

 

[usschicago1]

Nice pen scott!

 

[Scott]

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Oh, I'd say about $125-150 but I already had two of the 4x4s here from a previous project.