Ducks, help!

[Alan_L_Texas]

Here is the incomplete duck house, with the roof opened up.

[cchoate]

Alan,
I'm new to this forum and am planning excactly what you are doing now. Do you have dimensions for that duck house? Very nice job. (Is that a Kubota in the background?)

[Alan_L_Texas]

Yea, thats my B2710 in the background.

The duck house is 3' by 5', designed around the size of concrete board (Duroc) for the floor. I got 2 cedar 4 by 4 posts and cut each into thirds - about 32" long. I built a 2 by 4 frame around the 6 posts at the top and bottom, leaving 24 and 3/4 inches between the upper and lower frames to put hardware cloth that is 24 inches high, attaching to the posts from the outside. I left some of the posts at the bottom for "legs", but wish I had made the posts a little longer, as I only ended up with about an inch "leg" on each post.

After I had the"box" built, with the frames around the top and bottom of the 4 by 4s, I measured and cut notches for the six posts out of the Duroc, as the actual size of the floor covers the 2 by 4 frame, so the posts protruded into the interior. I used a saw blade turned backward to cut the notches in the concrete board. When I went to put the floor in, it wouldn't go, so I had to knock the end 2 by 4s off the top to get the floor in there and then put it back.

The lid is a piece of 3/4 CD plywood, cut to a length of 6 feet. This made a 6 inch or so overhang all the way around. I put a 1 by 2 cedar trim around the outside of the lid. The lid is lifted up on the front for drainage by two 2 by 4s laid flat on the front side. I put hinges on the back (low) side to allow for opening the lid for cleaning. It took just under one bundle ($8) of shingles to cover the roof. However, I had to cut shingles on every course, so there might be a more optimal size to make it easier. I used the rest of the plywood for a door, and a ramp for the ducks to climb into the house.

Since I took the pictures, I added hinged flaps on all four sides that are real easy to open up and are held in place by cables with hooks. The sides latch down using screen door hook latches. Not a real tight latch, but it works fine.

I used my forks to pick up the house and carry it about 250 feet to the pond where I set it up on 6 concrete blocks about 8 feet from the water.

The first night we couldn't get them in, but after some food training, the ducks can't wait to get it in house at night. They are impatient waiting for us to clean it out and put their food and water in it. We put hay in one end and the food and water in the other and they are right at home.

The design with the lid works out great, as it makes it real easy to clean out, first with a flat shovel, athen with a broom. The floor lends itself to easy cleaning because there are no sidewalls that block the sweeping of "debris", other than half-inch hardware cloth.

I will be happy to take some more detail pics and draw a design for you. Its no brilliant design, but I thought about it alot before I started. It took about 8 or 10 hours total to build probably, not counting painting. My SO primed it just yesterday and plans to paint it a shade of green sort of like the dark green background behind "CountryByNet.com" above.

The ducks are hilarious. We have a Kawaski mule that we drive out there with the food and water, broom, shovel, etc. As soon as leave leave the shop building they get out of the water and start waddling to the duck house waiting to be let in. If we don't come soon enough, they start heading our direction.

I'll have to post pics of the ducks again, they are huge. The 2 mallards are apparently females, as they are stil brown, but they have some blue or purple feathers in their wings. The other one is bright white. They are inseparable and do everything in tandem.

[Alan_L_Texas]

By the way, I put some extra floor joists under that Duroc board since it us doesn't have the give plywood has, and migh break if you step in the middle of an unsupported floor. I think I put joists against all posts on both sides, and then another one between those. Maybe excessive, but at least you can step on it without breaking through. Of course the ducks don't pose a problem on it.

[cchoate]

Thanks for the quick reply. I will be starting my duck house this week using many of your ideas. The only difference will be the floor. I'm going to use 3/4" PT plywood because I have the opposite problem you do, I live in Buffalo, NY so my winters are cold and snowy.
I would love to see some more pictures of your duck house and will post some of mine when finished.