Topic of the Week - Duck Housing

[Conan]

That's brilliant! I was wondering how to go about building something like that, so you're giving me lots of inspiration!

The enclosure they refuse to use is about 6' x 12' but isn't enclosed at the top, so they can actually fly out if we leave them locked in. I've got plans to secure the top with cat enclosure netting or wire. I thought it would be big enough for 3 muscovies? Excuse the mess, they and the kids have no respect for a tidy yard!View attachment 1243387

Tidy and ducks just don't go together
The tarp is completely unnecessary, I just use it to keep the rain from taking all the nutrients out of the poop (that garden gold is mine!) You could completely go without it as I do in the dry months and it they may go in even easier. The pen is 8 feet wide by 16 feet long. It fits our group of 13 with lots of room to spare. There is a trap door on the far end that has a small latch and opens from the outside for when we want them in the other pen. The door is small, but they will use it.
Its worked out really well for us and was a good affordable option seeing as we did not use much wood.
Best of luck in your endeavor!

 

[Patrick McKee]

Anyhow, the topic at hand - went down for evening chores and remembered my ancient cell phone. Apologies for the photo quality, but I think you can get the gist. Oh, and an action shot of the turds fleeing.

A hoop house. Thank you, I think you may have saved me lots of work.

I had looked at pvc hoop structures for a greenhouse but never connected it to the duck house. I like how you framed all around with 4x4 post it to give more stability and a solid nailing strip for the welded wire.

Thank you for posting pics.

 

[Conan]

A hoop house. Thank you, I think you may have saved me lots of work.

I had looked at pvc hoop structures for a greenhouse but never connected it to the duck house. I like how you framed all around with 4x4 post it to give more stability and a solid nailing strip for the welded wire.

Thank you for posting pics.

Glad our little hoop house can offer some ideas! Once we go the frame done, and the area leveled out, it went up pretty darn quick. The stretching and weaving of the chicken wire over the hoops took longer than anything else and provided quite the arm work out. Overall, we had it up in a single weekend with just the two of us.
I'd love to see what you come up with - folks are so creative when it comes to coops/runs. Lots of great ideas out there!

 

[LoverOfPeeps]

How many people here actually have foxes attacking their ducks? I have seen foxes trot less than ten feet from the ducks and neither of them paid any attention to each other. They eat the eggs, but have never attacked a duck. The ducks and foxes are about the same size, so I don't know if they're even capable of killing the ducks.

Do you just have a larger variety of foxes or what?

I have seen a red fox trot off with a pekin that was twice his size, holding him horizontally with his teeth clenched, & prancing away effortlessly. I walked out just in time, chased him, screamed, & he dropped the duck.

 

[quackingdom]

I have seen a red fox trot off with a pekin that was twice his size, holding him horizontally with his teeth clenched, & prancing away effortlessly. I walked out just in time, chased him, screamed, & he dropped the duck.

Hmmm...Well, I am very thankful I don't have problems, because the foxes are everywhere, and the ducks are free range. (I've even had day-old ducklings out free range with their mom and they were fine.)

 

[LoverOfPeeps]

Hmmm...Well, I am very thankful I don't have problems, because the foxes are everywhere, and the ducks are free range. (I've even had day-old ducklings out free range with their mom and they were fine.)

How I wish! Hawks are my biggest problem. But I have had coyote walk right up on us & then the fox incident. I wish mine could free range

 

[Lou LaRue]

Wow that's a large flock to start out with! Bless you!! Duckling will become fully feathered around the 6 week mark, so I suggest that you keep them in doors until then because they won't be able to retain the heat they need until feathered.

I use a combo of pine shavings 3-5 inches thick then straw 1-2 inches thick on top of that. I change the straw twice daily (just picking out poop and water down straw that is). I use heated water bucks. I use a heat lamp when the wind chill is less then 10 degrees

Post some pictures of your ducks!!

Thank you. Here is my duck house, it's almost finished. We finally moved them outside and life is so much better. We will put a heat lamp up if it freezes again. I will take more pics of the finished house. I don't have the most recent update yet.

 

[Lou LaRue]

 

[Lou LaRue]

They are used to the house already and starting to spread out. When we first put them in there they were afraid and stayed huddled in a corner. Now they put themselves up at night by going into the house and nest boxes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's a mess of ducklings and so adorable.
Good looking house, Great use of hardware cloth.

I give it a 10