Hi all,
OK, I have a pen with boxes built for my 12 ducks but need some advice on how to finish it. First, I want to admit that although I have wanted to get ducks and/or chickens for the last couple of years, it was a hasty decision to order some early this summer. Therefore, I dropped the ball on duck house planning (hey, it will take a few weeks before they'll need a house..LOL, well those early weeks go by pretty fast!).
What I have is a rectangular box, 16' x 12' completely caged in pen. There is heavy 1/2" x 1/2" fencing on the sides and chicken wire across the top opening. There are also raised wood boxes across the back wall of the pen which I plan to close in and provide 2 ramps on either end. They are not closed in yet, but I saw a couple of ducks were already sitting up in the boxes which is good, I was afraid they would not use the ramps.
My primary concern , is it really necessary to have the pen covered over with a watertight roof? I already ordered shade cloth to put over top the pen to provide shade but its not waterproof. I am using straw and had planned to use the deep bedding method but now am worried about mold developing because it will get wet (and is currently wet from last night rain). I live in eastern Pennsylvania, we get rain, not necessarily excessive rain but its not dry here either. I have also read some people's pens are not covered over, so, I'm not sure how necessary it is. The reason I was going with the shade cloth to begin with is that in my haste to make the pen, I did not make provisions to roof it. I am afraid I am not in a position budget much more money for this project. Because the roof is flat, I'm afraid that any plastic or metal panels will cause the structure to collapse if it has to hold snow weight on top of it. Now I realize I should have made it so that I could put a pitched roof on it, but don't know how to modify it cheaply to do so. Maybe I could do a roof in the spring, but for now, should I be worried about the wet straw? or does someone have a cheap roofing solution? I tried to put a tarp over top, but water just pooled up on it weighing down the chicken wire, so that's not going to work.
Some other info, the ducks are free range during the day and I only put them in the pen at night.
Also, what should I use to seal the wood on the boxes, they are as yet, untreated, but I can already see they need waterproofing.
Thanks for your help!
Susie
Limeport, PA
OK, I have a pen with boxes built for my 12 ducks but need some advice on how to finish it. First, I want to admit that although I have wanted to get ducks and/or chickens for the last couple of years, it was a hasty decision to order some early this summer. Therefore, I dropped the ball on duck house planning (hey, it will take a few weeks before they'll need a house..LOL, well those early weeks go by pretty fast!).
What I have is a rectangular box, 16' x 12' completely caged in pen. There is heavy 1/2" x 1/2" fencing on the sides and chicken wire across the top opening. There are also raised wood boxes across the back wall of the pen which I plan to close in and provide 2 ramps on either end. They are not closed in yet, but I saw a couple of ducks were already sitting up in the boxes which is good, I was afraid they would not use the ramps.
My primary concern , is it really necessary to have the pen covered over with a watertight roof? I already ordered shade cloth to put over top the pen to provide shade but its not waterproof. I am using straw and had planned to use the deep bedding method but now am worried about mold developing because it will get wet (and is currently wet from last night rain). I live in eastern Pennsylvania, we get rain, not necessarily excessive rain but its not dry here either. I have also read some people's pens are not covered over, so, I'm not sure how necessary it is. The reason I was going with the shade cloth to begin with is that in my haste to make the pen, I did not make provisions to roof it. I am afraid I am not in a position budget much more money for this project. Because the roof is flat, I'm afraid that any plastic or metal panels will cause the structure to collapse if it has to hold snow weight on top of it. Now I realize I should have made it so that I could put a pitched roof on it, but don't know how to modify it cheaply to do so. Maybe I could do a roof in the spring, but for now, should I be worried about the wet straw? or does someone have a cheap roofing solution? I tried to put a tarp over top, but water just pooled up on it weighing down the chicken wire, so that's not going to work.
Some other info, the ducks are free range during the day and I only put them in the pen at night.
Also, what should I use to seal the wood on the boxes, they are as yet, untreated, but I can already see they need waterproofing.
Thanks for your help!
Susie
Limeport, PA
