Pics of Possible Duck Houses Need Advice!

[DuckDuckSook]

Hello there Ducky Friends!

As posted earlier, I'm super new to ducks. We have two different structures on our new property that we could convert into duck houses. I am not very handy, but I am willing to learn and make the most of what we have. The first one is a dilapidated old shed. It's not in the best shape and would need more work than the other structure. The one big advantage for the shed is that it's closer to our house. It is roughly 8ft by 12 ft.

The other structure on our property is a barn. The previous owners had horses a long time ago so there are two stalls and an area for feed, tools, etc. Each stall is 9ft x 11ft. We were thinking of using one stall for ducks and then on the other side we'd eventually like to have alpaca and use the other side as their interior shelter. I know it's also in rough shape, but I feel that it looks better than the shed. My biggest concerns with the barn at this point are the floor (is is dirt floor so we'd have to fix that somehow - any suggestions would be most helpful; I was thinking of putting palettes down and then plywood or vinyl? This is all very new to me!) and the back exterior wall. It's pretty rotted. Would I just buy new wood, plywood, or siding? I know that it needs a lot of predator proofing and I plan on getting oodles of hardware cloth. Just wanted to get some early impressions and ideas from people. Thanks in advance!

 

[BReeder!]

Hello there Ducky Friends!

As posted earlier, I'm super new to ducks. We have two different structures on our new property that we could convert into duck houses. I am not very handy, but I am willing to learn and make the most of what we have. The first one is a dilapidated old shed. It's not in the best shape and would need more work than the other structure. The one big advantage for the shed is that it's closer to our house. It is roughly 8ft by 12 ft.
View attachment 2010133View attachment 2010134View attachment 2010136
The other structure on our property is a barn. The previous owners had horses a long time ago so there are two stalls and an area for feed, tools, etc. Each stall is 9ft x 11ft. We were thinking of using one stall for ducks and then on the other side we'd eventually like to have alpaca and use the other side as their interior shelter. I know it's also in rough shape, but I feel that it looks better than the shed. My biggest concerns with the barn at this point are the floor (is is dirt floor so we'd have to fix that somehow - any suggestions would be most helpful; I was thinking of putting palettes down and then plywood or vinyl? This is all very new to me!) and the back exterior wall. It's pretty rotted. Would I just buy new wood, plywood, or siding? I know that it needs a lot of predator proofing and I plan on getting oodles of hardware cloth. Just wanted to get some early impressions and ideas from people. Thanks in advance!
View attachment 2010141 View attachment 2010142
View attachment 2010146 View attachment 2010147

I like the barn a lot. There's nothing wrong with a dirt floor IMO. I would just put straw down. You could create a deep litter bed (DLB) over time by just adding more straw and flipping it occasionally with a fork. That's what I would do.
Also, our ducks here in IL don't hang out inside much. We have just 4 rouens and their duck house is just 4ftx2ft sectioned off in our coop (built into a shed). They really don't need a ton of space in their duck house. They only sleep there and come in to eat when we fill their feeder. The spend their days outdoors in the duck run, pond, and foraging around our yard - even in winter.

 

[Beaglegal]

I like the barn a lot. There's nothing wrong with a dirt floor IMO. I would just put straw down. You could create a deep litter bed (DLB) over time by just adding more straw and flipping it occasionally with a fork. That's what I would do.
Also, our ducks here in IL don't hang out inside much. We have just 4 rouens and their duck house is just 4ftx2ft sectioned off in our coop (built into a shed). They really don't need a ton of space in their duck house. They only sleep there and come in to eat when we fill their feeder. The spend their days outdoors in the duck run, pond, and foraging around our yard - even in winter.

Our ducks live in a former sheep/goat barn stall. Unlike my chicken coop that has a wood floor the duck barn doesn’t need as frequent cleaning and I think that is due to the dirt floor. My husband dug a trench around the outside and attached hardware cloth around the outside and then filled it back in. The ducks lay their eggs in the corners. He buried an 6x4 to make a threshold for the door. It works fine, ducks like it. I use hay for bedding and sweet PZD. I would like a smaller duck sized hatch to add extra protection against deer eating feed.

 

[chickens really]

The barn would be good because then all your chores are in one building.

 

[Ratchnick]

Either would work, just be sure to predator proof.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I like the barn because it looks like less work getting it set up. Just be sure to somehow put skirting down around the bottom to keep out diggers and keep in mind weasels, minks can get through 1” openings. Maybe get the barn set up and then work on the other building because sooner or later duck/poultry math is going to hit and you’ll be ready! When it does.

 

[Beaglegal]

I like the barn because it looks like less work getting it set up. Just be sure to somehow put skirting down around the bottom to keep out diggers and keep in mind weasels, minks can get through 1” openings. Maybe get the barn set up and then work on the other building because sooner or later duck/poultry math is going to hit and you’ll be ready! When it does.

Yes prepare for duck math

 

[DuckyDonna]

I love that barn! There looks to be plenty of scrap wood in that shed that you could use to replace those rotten barn boards and make other repairs.

I would also say get the barn situated and really secure before you jump off the curb and get the ducks. They grow so fast that they will need to be in the barn before you know it and you'll want them to be safe.