Pen almost finished

[Djgm]

@DuckyDonna I am soooo jealous of your run!! I wish I had space like that!

 

[DuckyDonna]

Ha may take you up on that! Might help my wife see that I’m not so strange for being as duck obsessed as she thinks I am

no seriously, I'd be glad to have you come for a visit. If I can give you some ideas it would totally be worth it. We are only 3 hours from Huntsville. We've right off I-20.

 

[DuckyDonna]

@DuckyDonna I am soooo jealous of your run!! I wish I had space like that!

We are so fortunate. We found almost 10 acres in the country with good neighbors and we love it so much. We're only about 30 miles from the Alabama state line. Got a good-sized garden and pretty self-sufficient for the most part.

 

[RJKnott]

no seriously, I'd be glad to have you come for a visit. If I can give you some ideas it would totally be worth it. We are only 3 hours from Huntsville. We've right off I-20.

cool will talk to my wife and see when we can make a trip of it!

 

[RJKnott]

It’s right next to the pond, the pvc covered galvanized chicken wire buried a foot down along all sides and layer 4 feet out. Once I get my hardware cloth will put that down on top of the chicken wire

those tin sheets, have 4 of them. They will cover the back 3rd of the pen roof to keep out rain.
That coop is where they will sleep. They like being in there

need to find or make one for Rio and Rudi in a few weeks

hoping to be done with it this weekend, at least enough for them to move in permanently

 

[DuckyDonna]

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It’s right next to the pond, the pvc covered galvanized chicken wire buried a foot down along all sides and layer 4 feet out. Once I get my hardware cloth will put that down on top of the chicken wire

those tin sheets, have 4 of them. They will cover the back 3rd of the pen roof to keep out rain.
That coop is where they will sleep. They like being in there

need to find or make one for Rio and Rudi in a few weeks

hoping to be done with it this weekend, at least enough for them to move in permanently

NIce, it's a lot different than the first picture you posted. It looks a lot like ours! We did the sides with HWC but the top is welded wire. The hwc is horrible to work with. Lots of bloody arms and legs. The welded wire on the top is great. A lot easier to work with and much cheaper.

You guys can come over any time. We're retired and always home.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I know when you set those posts it tore up the grass. We had to use an auger and set so many 4 x 4's and it tore up every blade of grass we had in the run. So, early this spring I blocked off one area and planted grass. When that grew out and sturdy I let the vandals in there. Then I blocked off another area. Same drill and all is well. I've got the 3rd and last area seeded and it's close to being ready. I figure another 2 weeks and it will be ready.

That area behind the ducks is the last and look how good it's doing. I put the seed down just over a week ago, put duck poop hay over it and it's doing really well! Where the ducks are has a tin roof over it so I'm not even going to try seeding that. It's fine, it stays dry and why bother? That box on the post on the left is an oyster shell box and I love it. I made it myself from an idea that someone posted on BYC.

 

[RJKnott]

NIce, it's a lot different than the first picture you posted. It looks a lot like ours! We did the sides with HWC but the top is welded wire. The hwc is horrible to work with. Lots of bloody arms and legs. The welded wire on the top is great. A lot easier to work with and much cheaper.

You guys can come over any time. We're retired and always home.

yeah right now on top is bird netting. This weekend my daughters BF is coming over to help out the tin on the back part and then I have some wire to put over the rest of the top

yeah it’s much more a finished product now. My goal is once I get some HWC to put it on the walls and free up some boards to place on the back for more cover for them

I have a small kiddie pool I’m gonna put in there for them to hang out in when they want. Once that is I. And the roof is done I will try moving them out.
I love the way yours is set up. I’m gonna have to convince my wife to let us expand ours heh

 

[mailmamm]

I was thinking I’d keep the wall along the back towards the fence at the end of the yard, that way if a coyote or raccoon comes up they won’t easily see the ducks. We will be putting privacy fencing up in place of the chain fence there now, but that may not be for a while so want to put as many deterrents as possible up

good point about needing to replace the chicken wire eventually. May just put some gravel over it to hide the fencing laid on the ground. Want to deter plants from growing through it since it can’t be mowed due to the fence and I don’t have a trimmer to use over it

Research and plant some chicken friendly plants. It will help keep the wire in place and provide nibbles for the chickens. I'm planning on putting plants in the cinderblocks I have lining the outside of their run.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Research and plant some chicken friendly plants. It will help keep the wire in place and provide nibbles for the chickens. I'm planning on putting plants in the cinderblocks I have lining the outside of their run.

thats a really good idea which I am researching for my run now. You have to be really careful because there are so many plants and shrubs that are poison for poultry! I just put a big potted lemongrass plant in my run and they seem to like to use it for cover and to pick at it but so far so good on them not destroying it.