The Quack Shack

[Luv Ducks]

Here are some pictures from the inside of the now water-proofed duck-run, i made a little bench for my weak bones:

Of course they fight for the spot under the bench every evening...

For today, i just tilled the compost floor and Sunny Sunshine got busy foraging for worms:

This is what the roof looks from below:

It looks really dark in there on the picture because my phone was focusing on the background. Here's another picture:

Looks Great Frank, I am sure they will enjoy it. I have a stool I sit on in my ducks area while I give them their cucumbers. It's fun to watch them chase all over trying to beat my big Mule Duck from getting all of it. She is such a PIG even though she looks like a DUCK!!! lol

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

They also were in a dog pet gazebo with plenty of wood shavings and also tarps covering all sides except for the door to the front. I am sure keeping the wind and weather off of them helped them a lot.

Very true! - All that a duck needs is a roof to stay dry and protection from the wind. According to my ducks the ideal house should have solid walls about 120cm (4') tall, another 90cm (3') of hardware cloth and a roof with an overhang of 90cm on each side at least to keep the rain out…

 

[Luv Ducks]

Very true! - All that a duck needs is a roof to stay dry and protection from the wind. According to my ducks the ideal house should have solid walls about 120cm (4') tall, another 90cm (3') of hardware cloth and a roof with an overhang of 90cm on each side at least to keep the rain out…

Your Ducks sound pretty smart Frank.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Your Ducks sound pretty smart Frank.

They are way smarter than their humon servant…

 

[Supercow]

That is a very good idea, if combined with a rain-water collection system for the roof(s) of your building(s) to avoid a huge water bill. (Unless you have a well)
And think biiiiiig! - Otherwise be prepared to replace the water every second day during the summer.

Rain water from the roof would be somewhat tricky, although not 100% impossible, because of the distance from the house to the duck kingdom.

However we do have a well, and it's about to become solar powered in the new season.

As to big, yes I understand the need for it but I probably don't have the room to go much over 4 x 4 or 5 x 5 m which is still very little for 16 ducks (half a cubic meter per duck, they can mess that up just to start their day) -- so yes I'm ready to replace the water often.

Since the water would be reincarnated as irrigation this is actually not entirely bad. I'm even thinking about a continuous slow inflow-outflow.

Do you have any strong feelings about duck weed? Not using weed for ducks (also an option I guess: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-11799303 ) but rather this stuff https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/duckweed .

 

[Canadian Wind]

Do you have any strong feelings about duck weed? Not using weed for ducks (also an option I guess: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-11799303 ) but rather this stuff https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/duckweed .

It won't last! It will get gobbled up!

 

[Jenbirdee]

It won't last! It will get gobbled up!

the only thing i’ve found that ducks don’t gobble up is plantains. however, chickens do and did last year. For several years, my duck pen was always green with plantains in spring summer and fall, until I had my chickens in with my ducks and all the green was gone. This year they are separated again. I really miss the plantains in the duck area. It helps with erosion. The ducks are on a slope.

 

[Supercow]

It won't last! It will get gobbled up!

OK, with ducks each being the ruler of 1 m2 of surface... I guess it really hasn't got much to look forward to. So I better grow it in a separate tank yeah?

 

[Canadian Wind]

OK, with ducks each being the ruler of 1 m2 of surface... I guess it really hasn't got much to look forward to. So I better grow it in a separate tank yeah?

If you intend to feed it to them as a snack, yes. It does great in guppy tanks!

It would be a good enrichment for the ducks too, to forage it out of their pool.

 

[Jenbirdee]

here’s an old video i made of the ducks when their yard was “plantain land”