Would it work...?

[eggsrcool]

I'm thinking about getting ducks in the spring (as some of you may already know) and im thinking about housing for them. Whilst surfing the net, I saw a picture, and it gave me an idea. You know the corrugated iron/tin found on pigsty's? Why not use that to make a house. So using my computer skills- aka none

- I made a virtual image:

Would it work? Here is a virtual image of the run I'm planning of making for them:

Any ideas or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

ETA- The height will be around 3-4 feet, enough for me to bend down and go inside. The length in 7.5ft and the width will be 8ft

 

[chicknjane]

It sort of looks like a quonset or nissen hut. I actually love the idea, but would be concerned about heating and cooling. I would think it might be difficult to maintain a good temperature unless insulated.

Good luck with it. I'd love to see pictures of it when its done.

 

[patandchickens]

Using corrugated metal roofing panels for sure works. Using them "the wrong way" like that, with the corrugations running horizontally, tends to leak somewhat but may be tolerable.

However I think you should really, REALLY mock up the size with scrap wood before actually cutting or building anything... 3-4' high in the middle of an 8' triangle is going to be nearly impossible for you to work in. Even 4' is surprisingly low when you find yourself having to turn around or move suddenly, and the outer half or so of each side will be essentially inaccessible to you except for getting down on hands and knees in all that chicken poo.

Not saying don't do it, but make real sure you've *tried it out* first and don't build something you end up hating or not being able to manage well

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[eggsrcool]

Thanks for both of your comments. We keep pigs, and their sty is about 3-4ft high and I can get in and out of it quite easily, thanks for your comments.

It sort of looks like a quonset or nissen hut. I actually love the idea, but would be concerned about heating and cooling. I would think it might be difficult to maintain a good temperature unless insulated.

Good luck with it. I'd love to see pictures of it when its done.

Its for ducks, and i've heard that they can regulate their own temperature.

The house can be insulated, bit this is not really necessary. The houses in use at Mink Hollow are uninsulated, and we have never lost a healthy bird to the cold, even in -40o weather

from http://www.minkhollow.ca/HatchingProgram/Ducks-Incubation/As-Pets.html
It says insulation is not necessary.

We aren't planning on building it until early next year. We will consider making the door/ building itself higher.

Thanks,

eggsrcool

ETA- Any ideas how we could make it higher?​

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

YOu have a great idea, although new to you, it may not be original!
we used to have a lot of builings like that here, they were built back in the 50's, and are called "quonset huts". I believe it was originally a military design that many farmers took to due to the ease of builing, affordability and weather shedding abilities. You can still see many of them in use here in our farming communites.
here's a link about them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quonset_hut

 

[eggsrcool]

Thanks for the link

Maybe I should call it, The Chicken Quonset Hut. Thanks once again. Any ideas on how I can make it higher? Wood etc...

Thanks,

eggsrcool

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

well you could give it a foundation wall . . .?

 

[eggsrcool]

As in with bricks? We will need to be able to move if if necessary.

eggsrcool

 

[patandchickens]

I thought you said the height was not a problem, based on experience with your existing units???

But if you somehow do want to make it taller after all, make a knee wall on which the part you illustrate will sit. (Built together, as part of the same structure, that is). 12-18" might be sufficient - again, mock it up before committing to a design. So you would build a frame that is 8 x 8 x 12-18" (the sides could be small-sized wire mesh or plywood, or even metal roofing panels if you want) and the structure you illustrate would 'sprout' out of the top of that base. Does that make sense?

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[eggsrcool]

Thanks

Height is not a problem, just if it is necessary to have it higher, then I can have a back up plan

Thanks,

eggsrcool