Need help from frugal-minded duck keepers.

[froggie71]

Not sure if anyone posted this, but if you need to fence the ducks in and they are larger ducks, they can't fly. (We have runners, Swedes, Khaki campbells and mixed breeds). so the fence need not be too high. They can jump (for instance when put in a rubbermaid tote that can jump out of it.)

 

[Sweetfolly]

Here are some of my pens - none of these pictures are very recent - I'm going to take new ones and write up a coop page on them once all this darned Wisconsin snow melts!

My 4x8 pens cost me about $200, and the 4x4 pen cost me about $100 to build (buying all the materials new). You could do them much cheaper if you already have the materials lying around!

Very first duck pen I built - 4x8, houses all my Campbells (and one Pekin). This was before we put a proper, overhanging roof on it:

New 4x8 "Drake Pen" that I built this past fall for my "bachelor" drakes not being used for breeding. These pictures show the front, and the "duckie door" in the back:

And, of course, each of the pens has its own respective fenced-in "run" area to the side. They spend all day in the run, and sleep in their pens at night. My runs are all 3' chicken wire right now, but I'm planning on replacing them all this summer with something sturdier.

 

[neverbdone]

OK, I have to appologize. I'm very sorry I learned this song as a kid. I swear, I didn't have a duck addiction at the time.

Banana slug! Banana slug! I like them, they're beautiful! Banana slug! Banana slug!
They're part of the circle!

Sticky as peanut butter, shade of yellow, Look like banana, but oh, so mellow!
Sitting in trees as leaves it the ground, Just munchin' on the leaves as they fall down!

(Repeat chorus)

They've got one eye on their head, and an all-purpose hole, They've got one foot, but plenty of soul!
They make the earth greener, Doncha know?
They're rather slow, so, go, slug, go!

(repeat chorus)

So when you're walkin' on down, and you see a slug, You can bend on down, you can give it a hug.
You can pick it up, it won't scream or kick, You can show it that you like it, just give it a lick!

 

[PineappleMama]

Quote:

Urk!

I still recall bits of the Ladybug Song... "That's no way to treat a ladybug, no no way at all" but I can't for the life of me recall the glowbug song... makes no sense since I got stuck being a glowbug and not a ladybug. Ahh memories.

You guys have given me some more to chew on for duck ideas... thank you!

Edit... looked up mixing bins... are you guys talking about something like this

http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Specs say it's
* Assembled Depth (In Inches) : 26 in (really meaning length)
* Assembled Height (In Inches) : 6 in (meaning the depth of the pool)
* Assembled Width (In Inches) : 20 in
* Assembled Weight (In LBS) : 2.17 lb (water weighs 7lbs/gallon so need to make sure it's supported enough)

Would this size be big enough for two ducks? Campbells in particular? Is it deep enough for swimming?

That one is only $4.98! If that would do then that's awesome!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Quote:
You might want to pick up some 2x4x10's. We notched them out so they sit on the end rails and run from side to side. We put the tarp over it and it doesn't sag from the snow. You'd probably only need 2 or 3 and they're only a couple bucks each.

 

[LAMchop]

Quote:
We have a huge pile of salvaged lumber, so thats a great idea... I've been planning on covering the pen with a tarp to minimize the muck this spring and that would be much more supportive.

 

[Birdcrazy]

Here are my ideas:

Pond:

-old bath tub, plastic large tubs, ect. pretty easy to get (should check out a garage sale for old stuff laying around that proves useful) drain is a very good idea to clean out ur duckie pond as they get very dirty

Roof:

-depending on ur predators you may not need a roof if you clip your ducks wings (if they are flying ducks). simple and easy to do and doesnt effect the duck.

Coop:

-have you ever seen those flash large drums with secure lids? they are used as storage for mouse poisens/ feeds/ ect. where i am they easily give them away after use. take off the lide or maybe cut a hole in the side?

-at the second hand shop they sell all sorts of stuff (i was trying to find a little coop because the pen was still being built and there was a lot of good stuff there) things like a small, knee high yaught cabin was for sail with little windows on the side and curtins. nice space and all.

Fencing:

-it doesnt take much to secure a duck, i've found, because its not like they are repeatedly attacking the sides for a way out

maybe scrap meterials like wood/steel sides half way up and then buy wire to go the rest of the way up to the top?

Anyway good luck with you ducks and pen!

 

[1lpoock]

Just remember if you use a tub for your pond to have an easy access out...like a small ramp or something.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Ask around at local smaller outlets that sell these pools. They may have a few in storage that they would love to sell CHEAP ($2-3) they take up a lot of storage space and otherwise they are going to sit there until it gets hot again (if it ever will LOL) The reason I say local smaller stores is that the Big Boxes like Wal-mart have Computer controls that tell them to dump them cheap before it cools off. Around the end of August I start watching the prices and the supplys of these pools at the big boxes and swoop when the supply and prices are low. If I can find the department manager on a cool day I can usually swing a cool deal to take the last 4-6 off his hands at very nice (to me) prices. Often I will tell him that I don't want the top one in the stack because it is dirty/sun faded sometimes he will throw that one in for free. If he got stuck with a big pile of them this doesn't work as he can return them to the warehouse for credit as the trucks have lots of room when they go back to the warehouse. How frugal-minded is that?

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I use plastic "parson's tables" (small square side tables) or plastic kiddy tables or even plastic patio tables to keep the food dishes dry out of the rain. You can find them cheap at stores or free in discard piles. You can install a hanging feeder by drilling a hole in the middle of the top & putting a hook or ring bolt through.

You may be able to find customers to buy your ducks' eggs but don't count on a commercial baker to be a steady customer. Often they need to keep their costs down and prefer to buy less costly ingredients. Unless they have customers of their own who will pay more for the baked goods made with duck eggs they will probably continue to use the $.99/dozen factory eggs instead.