new enclosure! new inventions to make things easier.

[cooprunbuilder]

Currently working on new pens for my pink footed geese and black-bellied whistling, They will be low maintence pens, Roof will be slanted collecting rain water from roof into the gutters which flows straight back into their ponds, when the ponds are full all the rain water then flows into water butts, all mess made by them is hosed down then brushed off floor into the drain system which is then mixed with 3/4 water 1/4 duck waste to produce lovely fertiliser to be drained into the vinevard, plants grass etc.

Feeding and watering;

both feeders and waters are attathed to the fence, so they will never be tipped, imagine a basketball net with a bowl where the hoop it, very good invention, get them off the internet,

once feeders are empty, they will refill with turn of 2 handles which fills up from a compartment at the back which slide across to create a gap which the water and feed comes through and are cleaned every 2 days,

The pond is a huge water trough 6ft by 3ft, which has a bung on the bottom and is drained once a week, and treated with duck friendly water cleaning solution (dfwcs) cleaning is quick and easy and refills are quick just use the water that filled up from the water butts.

I have a small veggie patch just for the ducks which over grows so they can get to the odd bit or 2, I grow lots of water plants for the ducks too.

working on an auto door without using anything electronic, I have a few ideas will post them soon, Ive been extremly busy with omelet and my other work with various wildlife trusts.


I Have plenty more ideas to go into this pen, anyone else think of any ?

 

[sherylreno]

Can you post pics? I would love to see what you are saying.

 

[animalsRawesome]

Sounds awsome. Pics Please!

 

[Amiga]

You have the engineering gift, goodness!

Something I've done you may be able to improve on is incorporating a compost pile into the day pen that I turn to provide worm treats during warmer months. Once it has broken down enough, I then port that over to a garden or the larger compost pile. The idea is to attract worms into their area for foraging in a relatively confined space.

Railing planters can hold edible flowering vines that grow into the pen and alongside. I used nasturtiums last summer. Not a big hit, but it was the first time I tried.

 

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
x2

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[KansasKid]

What is the duck friendly water cleaner? I am running a skimmer filter on my ornamental pond, sifts out feathers, hay, and even collects a good quantity of silt but the water still remains somewhat cloudy.

 

[Roxy1989]

would love to see pics

sounds awesome ... and i saw those feeders online not long ago,theyre great

 

[cooprunbuilder]

Great response everyone!

Pics will be on ASAP!

The duck friendly water cleaner, is just a treatment added to the water to clear it up, I get it from a mate of mine who works at a london zoo, if anyone is intrested I can ship it to them just let me know the details etc.

Im building a duck enclosure at glasgow zoo in the new year so I have to think of a few inventions for that, will create another post about my venture up to glasgow.

how is everyone anyway ? everyone ready for christmas?

 

[duckdad]

I wanted to compliment you on your design and innovative low maint approach to what Mike Rowe would call a "Dirty Job". Cleaning and maintaining duck pens..

I had an idea the other day as I prowled the hardware store...
I saw a pan for a water heater and wondered IF I could somehow incorporate something like that, with a drain, and build a "shower stall" for the ducks to play in...They would love that and I know it.

One of those big shower heads, hung over the pan with a little pond pump to circulate water thats been filtered, and I'd have a couple ducks that would be tickled to death...mine love the water hose and the spray nozzel. I guess the shower massage got them hooked when they were little and getting baths in the bathroom tub. Ever done anything like that ?

I swear, these ducks have me searching for projects just as bad as when I was into car projects. It seems that when you love something you just want to "do" things for them to make them happy. All the joy the birds have given me, its a small thing to build stuff for them.