Loves

Duck coop build  (06/2003)

For some reason traditional pets like cats and dogs don't do it for me. So we decided to have pet ducks. Mallard ducks to be exact and we have four for them. Of course you can't have ducks running around your house so I built a coop in the back yard for them.

Waaay in the back yard by the woods line we decided was the best place. It's out of the way and kind of woodsy which the ducks like.

Like all of my projects this turned out to be more work and money than I anticipated. It also was unusually hot as I remember which wasn't fun.

Supplies and more supplies. I made probably a dozen trips to home deport for this project.

Things are coming along by this point but taking longer than expected. I think the ducks were living in our basement right here. We hatched them in an incubator which was different. they grow FAST so I was under a little pressure to get this thing done.

Here are those newly hatched ducks pooping all over the place and eating my crumbs off the floor. No, they didn't walk all over the house, I'm just taking a picture here so that's why they're not in their box.

I know this is all too cute and wussy for my web site but live with it.

I build the walls double think with 2" foam insulation. Ducks fly south for the winter so this thing had to be warm. I also ran electricity out here so we have light and heat lamps if necessary.

Here you can see the little doors the ducks will use to go outside and the nice big window. The window faces south so it gets sun most of the day. I got the 1/2" Plexiglas from my grandfather which you can't just get at your local hardware store. Nice stuff.

The end is in sight. Two big doors are being installed here.

All finished finally. The pole sticking up near the back right is a light. A motion sensor so when I go to feed them at night I can see. That helps during the short winter days.

The fowl even have a swimming pool which they're in constantly. Ducks do like water.

Here is Howard and Killer. The wood you can sorta see all came from up near the Wisconsin Dells from the Petenwell Flowage. It's driftwood.

Here's Mandie's favorite duck "Howard" all grown up and liking her duck coop. Another project scratched off my list.