Another source of free materials is your neighbors! Contact them through NextDoor. I am amazed at how generous folks are when I have advertised for duck related needs. I was just gifted a third robust sand pit as a wading pool for my ducks [My first was at home, then one for my son's ducks as he had sandpit envy when he saw mine; my third is for my ducks that are currently on an extended stay with me away from home.] My own coop was made entirely with free/gifted lumber, and gifted chicken wire, I bought hardware cloth for the underneath and the first 2 feet of the walls -- over the chicken wire. And I bought masons ladders -- aluminium wire ladders that are used to reinforce concrete drains. I hooped them and covered them in chicken wire. Best of all, a neighbor on whom I was only on nodding acquaintance as I drove past his home, came and helped me build my coop.
Looks amazing! Please share the finished pic!
I am currently using an old concrete kennel. I plan on installing some nest box so the chickens can have individual space for themselves
I saw somebody else suggest a movable covered walk in. I heartily second the idea! Housing ducks in a single pen never works well. It turns into a horrific stinking fly filled nightmare. If you use gravel, it causes Bumblefoot. We've used the kits you can buy but we pitch the chicken wire and cheap zip ties and use hardware cloth and heav y duty zip ties. We have a lot of dogs, and move their pens in an open area several hundred feet from any wooded area. All the open area and grass cut, with the dogs helps deter predators. You can do predator aprons that you could clip up onto the sides to move the pen. I've heard people do that. As long as you move it every day, and have 8-10 spots for the pen, you should be able to keep grass growing. I throw down some ryegrass in the Fall and Spring in any bare spots. With these movable pens we have no flies, no smell, the ducks get fresh grass and bugs daily, and they are truly happy and protected. It's not a waste to have a pen that is more for bad weather use. I've thought about making a few like that for when it's just too wet or muddy to put them out.
Looking real good
