Duckhouse extension

[DoubleDogFarm]

I lost another duckling a couple days ago. Just vanished during the day. I'm thinking bird of prey of some type. So I'm building this addition onto the duckhouse. It will have netting over the top. The ducklings will be raised in this enclosure until true feather age.









Eric

[neil17]

That stinks something killed the baby,I know its nature and all. Thats an awesome extension too! At least now they'll be safe from whatever it is that got the last one.

[jennsim]

Sorry to hear that Eric

Glad your able to fix something up for them, so cute.

My Grandma told me about when she finally got rid of all here ducks...
so she thought! In the Spring after, she saw one day a duck and her
babies walk out from under the house!

jenn

[DoubleDogFarm]

My Grandma told me about when she finally got rid of all here ducks...
so she thought! In the Spring after, she saw one day a duck and her
babies walk out from under the house

My dad tells me similar stories, about chickens, growing up on the family farm in North Dakota.



Eric

[garden5]

Sounds like it may have been a hawk. They come out of nowhere.

At least it only one and now that you enclosure is up, that will hopefully put a stop to anymore losses.

Are those the Muscovy ducks?

[applestar]

Eric, here's my DD's rendition of a duck family in Modeling Beeswax

[sciencegal]

Eric, we had to do the same for our hens. We have a large inside coop for inclement weather and feed/water, and an outside one for "recreation". We put double chicken wire on the top to deter hawks, and secured the chicken wire with battens on the frame so feral cats, possums, skunks, etc. couldn't walk in. We also set it on buried bricks which hold down the wire underground. My husband calls it "Alcatraz"!

I'm going to have to do something like this for my chickens. They have a large coop with a giant yard surrounded by a 5 foot fence. There are lots of pine trees in the yard which the chickens (and ducks and a pair of geese) enjoy hanging out under during the day.

Hawks aren't the problem, but it's the ravens which go right inside the coop and steal the eggs. Amongst other things such as scarecrows which only work for a week or so, I tried a trick of putting golf balls in the nests which the ravens also steal but the hope was that they would decide my "eggs" weren't worth stealing. They've stolen all the golf balls now and have gone back to stealing eggs. If I come outside with a .22 rifle the ravens disappear. So, I guess I'll have to build a covered pen around the front of the coop to keep the ravens out.

On the other hand the presence of the ravens deters hawks. I have a free-flying loft of homing pigeons which have not experienced a hawk attack at least near the loft. I often see ravens flying with the flock.

[jal_ut]

Nice enclosure. Is that 2x4 mesh on the screen?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Jim,
Thank you
No its small hole wire for rabbit cages. It's 1/2 x 1" openings. We have minks and weasels that would slip through large hole fencing.


G5, Yes, Muscovy ducklings

Applestar, To funny. Looks like one has fallen and can't get up.

Time to go weld up the door for the coop.

Eric

[DoubleDogFarm]

So the duck coop is basicly finished.

The simple rebar framed door is installed.


I transplanted some Rosa Rugosa around the outside.



Cut a doorway through the side of the duckhouse.


Waterer and happy safe Muscovies.


Jal_ut , The wire fence is 1" x 2" not 1/2"x 1"

I'm thinking a carport frame to greenhouse is the next project.

Eric

[soil]

we had the same problem with hawks here, built sort of the same type of thing until they reached full age.

what kind of ducks do you have?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Soil,

Egg laying ducks: White Layer, Khaki Campbell and Cayuga.

Meat: Muscovy (South American perching bird).


Eric

[jal_ut]

Jal_ut , The wire fence is 1" x 2" not 1/2"x 1"

OK, that should keep little ducklings in and for sure, hawks out. Do you ever have trouble with skunks or other critters digging into your enclosures?

[DoubleDogFarm]

Jal,

The eight plus years with ducks, I haven't seen any digging.

The base of the coop has a treated 2x6. I will probably lay down some chicken wire before filling to top of this board.

Eric

[jal_ut]

I have a small chicken coop that just sits on the ground. It is anchored against the wind with a couple of cement blocks dug into the ground. I have twice had skunks dig under the walls. They will rob eggs and kill chickens. I ended up taking some 1 inch chicken wire and cut 18 inch wide strips and nailed them to the coop just above the ground and laid it flat on the ground and put some rocks or boards on it to hold it down. The skunks might try to dig, but they will start at the wall, not able to figure out they need to start back at the edge of the wire. So far nothing else has dug into the coop.

[tedln]

Eric,

You said the Muscovy ducks are the "meat" ducks. Do you prepare and consume them in the same way you would a chicken? Do you roast them? Will duck fry up like chicken? How do you consume them? Do they have a lot of fat? Many restaurants are deep frying in duck fat now. It is supposed to create a unique flavor in fried foods.

I noticed you called the Muscovy ducks "South American Perching Birds". When we lived in East Texas, We had an eight acre pond with a lot of Muscovy ducks. We didn't raise them, they were just there. My wife would put bird feeders on tall poles to prevent the squirrels from getting to the feeders. The Muscovy's would fly up to the feeders and perch to eat the bird food. Their weight would bend the feeders to the ground or break them off. The only thing that controlled the Muscovy population were the alligators in the pond. We had at least one twelve foot gator and a duck was just a snack.

Ted

Ted

[garden5]

Eric,

You said the Muscovy ducks are the "meat" ducks. Do you prepare and consume them in the same way you would a chicken? Do you roast them? Will duck fry up like chicken? How do you consume them? Do they have a lot of fat? Many restaurants are deep frying in duck fat now. It is supposed to create a unique flavor in fried foods.

I noticed you called the Muscovy ducks "South American Perching Birds". When we lived in East Texas, We had an eight acre pond with a lot of Muscovy ducks. We didn't raise them, they were just there. My wife would put bird feeders on tall poles to prevent the squirrels from getting to the feeders. The Muscovy's would fly up to the feeders and perch to eat the bird food. Their weight would bend the feeders to the ground or break them off. The only thing that controlled the Muscovy population were the alligators in the pond. We had at least one twelve foot gator and a duck was just a snack.

Ted

Ted

Jal, great tip about laying the wire on the ground. I've always heard to bury it, but your system sounds just as effective and a lot less labor intensive.


Ted, were you ever concerned that you had an alligator on you property . Maybe you southerners are just used to them. From what I hear, alligator really does taste like chicken.

That's the first time I've heard of ducks flying up to a bird feeder and perching on it.

This thread is proving to be quite interesting..

[DoubleDogFarm]

You said the Muscovy ducks are the "meat" ducks. Do you prepare and consume them in the same way you would a chicken? Do you roast them? Will duck fry up like chicken? How do you consume them? Do they have a lot of fat? Many restaurants are deep frying in duck fat now. It is supposed to create a unique flavor in fried foods.

Ted,

I roast duck just like chicken. I usually just rub a little salt and pepper on the skin. Then roast in a cast iron dutch oven. Sometimes I roast the bird alone or cubed potato, parsnip, carrot, sweet potato, etc ... Your favorite root vegetables.

The drakes of the egg laying ducks have / had quite a bit of fat, about 1/4" in the bottom of the dutch oven. This is my first attempt at Muscovy "duck"? I will have to get back to you on preparation and taste. I've read it's much leaner and is compared to roast beaf or veal.

I've read that there are wild muscovies in South, Central America and Mexico. Not sure if they have made it up into the States or not. The ducks you had were probably feral.

Here are some pictures and a videos of my ducks flying and perching.

Above the rabbit hutch


Left corner of my shop


Greenhouse roof


Eric

[DoubleDogFarm]

and video.

http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/ ... 2173-1.mp4

Eric