My Love Affair With Ducks...

[WannaBeHillBilly]

We have about 4 week old Pekins that are starting to outgrow the tub I have them in. Our pen is being custom made and prob won’t be ready till June. Any ideas of what I can move them too in the interim? Such a mess lol. But we love them dearly and they are my daughters babies for sure!!!View attachment 2129134

If you have a garage, all you need are a lot of old cardboard boxes and a large tarp. Just follow the pictures, starting with this one

Self-made brooder: Cardbord boxes, Strofoam covered with a Tarp

• WannaBeHillBilly
• Feb 13, 2019

As it is warmer outside and your duckies are already larger, the styrofoam insulation under the tarp is no longer necessary.

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

For a second, I thought that that was a very squat coffin without the lid on... that's what I get for glancing at pictures.

 

[Mimi13]

We have about 4 week old Pekins that are starting to outgrow the tub I have them in. Our pen is being custom made and prob won’t be ready till June. Any ideas of what I can move them too in the interim? Such a mess lol. But we love them dearly and they are my daughters babies for sure!!!View attachment 2129134

Oh my dear lord! That is the most precious picture EVER!!!!!

You, my friend, have gotten your cart before the horse! But hopefully you will get some good ideas here to make that old horse push that cart!

I just have learned one thing myself and that is that ducklings grow much faster and bigger than chicks ever will. My 5 outgrew their 5’ pool brooder one night when my Pekin hybrid climbed over the wall and came splat, splat, splatting her way into the bathroom where I was with the rest of them, drying each, one at a time after their bath. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have NOT put the largest one in there first!

Anyway, I know you want them out of the house because of the smell. Do you have a garage or a secure out building, by chance? Anywhere you could put them outside of your house, but still safe enough from predators.

You will need to fix a space large enough to house them for 3 or 4 more weeks until your ‘cart’ gets back behind that dang horse. Preferably, get a tarp and fold it so that you have about a 10’x10’ space. Place a border of cardboard (or whatever will stand when taped together) around the area and then fill it with pine shavings and/or wheat straw. The border doesn’t have to be as strong as one for puppies would need to be or as high as one for chicks. But it will need to be about 12” high and taped together because these crazy ducks will try to find a crack, anything to fit their bill in.

I think you will be fine with a set up like that for the next few weeks. You will need to pick up or pick out the poops daily (and lessen your sense of smell a bit) in order to hold the stink down until your coop arrives.

However, I know this will seem like it’s never gonna end and when it seems to get the best of you, just look at the precious picture you shared with us. It will no doubt lift your spirits and make you ‘fuhgettaboutit’!

And my last little bit of info is this: you need to have that picture blown up on a canvas and one company I’ve had good results with is https://canvasprints.com/.

Best of luck with those precious babies. Oh, and please keep us updated on your situation.

 

[Mimi13]

If you have a garage, all you need are a lot of old cardboard boxes and a large tarp. Just follow the pictures, starting with this one

Self-made brooder: Cardbord boxes, Strofoam covered with a Tarp

• WannaBeHillBilly
• Feb 13, 2019

As it is warmer outside and your duckies are already larger, the styrofoam insulation under the tarp is no longer necessary.

Bwahahahaha, if only I’d have read your post before I typed mine up. But, at least we agree!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

For a second, I thought that that was a very squat coffin without the lid on... that's what I get for glancing at pictures.

Ralphie, here are the instructions for answering on BYC:

1. Switch on brain
2. Wait until brain has booted and is ready to think
3. Read the message you want to answer again
4. Think before starting to type
5. Type your answer
6. Read again what you've just typed
7. Press the Post reply button
8. Prepare for incoming answers.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie, here are the instructions for answering on BYC:

1. Switch on brain
2. Wait until brain has booted and is ready to think
3. Read the message you want to answer again
4. Think before starting to type
5. Type your answer
6. Read again what you've just typed
7. Press the Post reply button
8. Prepare for incoming answers.

?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

?

Uff! I must read my own instructions, especially that part "Switch on brain"!
Sorry about that Ralphie!

 

[Sapphire Sebright]

I mean, I see what it is -- my brain just didn't properly comprehend the visuals the first time because I was going too fast. Looked again, saw what it was, stopped being confused.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Uff! I must read my own instructions, especially that part "Switch on brain"!
Sorry about that Ralphie!

Practice What You preach hillbilly

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Practice What You preach hillbilly

Had a bad time today: I got trapped in the duck-house by incline weather for 30 minutes and realized that it isn't the cozy place i thought it is. - Still too much draft to begin with…
Can't wait for the HfH-store to reopen here, i do need to buy some windows for my ducks.