Duck House by Urban Coop Company
This story began a long time ago. Monty Twining, the owner of the company, has drawn creative ideas from everywhere – those who know him are not surprised at this! His family raises and rears ducks as well as chickens, so Monty wanted to build a house for them. He turned to me, as he knew that I also dealt with ducks, and asked if I would like to participate in the development of a new home for these birds. Of course I took the opportunity! The idea seemed to me excellent, and most importantly – useful and very attractive. When Monty told me that he wanted to make a duck house out of an ordinary chicken coop, I was delighted! And although the chickens shared the chicken coop with the ducks, I have always believed that the ducks should have their own home, which is designed specifically for them. Our first conversation with Monty led us to visit the Urban Coop Company in Texas this April..
I was shown a lot of interesting things – and it was truly exciting. It turns out that all of their chicken coops are made right here in America – MANUAL! This kind of work done using common tools is worthy of respect. And the duck house, according to blueprints and other drawings, will be a real spa treat for ducks..
After a little visual training, they pointed me to my workplace, they gave me tools and a glue gun, as well as the first task – to cut out the necessary elements for the future structure. Monty helped me out by drawing the blueprint for the duck house. We went back and forth, discussing all the important nuances: what will be outside, how will be inside, since all the proportions of the house must be taken into account, right down to the measurement of the ducks. Finally, we came up with a design and were ready to start the main work. From Monty’s scribble on paper, we were able to build a real 3D drawing on a computer.
After a couple of months, Monty finally reported that the first assembly of the duck house was successful. And after a week I had a duck house, which I had to test and express my own opinion. The workmanship of the Urban Coop Company is excellent. All items are packed in separate boxes to prevent any damage during delivery. All drills and other hardware are in reliable packages.
All you need to assemble a duck house is a cordless drill, which you need to purchase yourself.
The rest of the tools are already included, including drills.
It will take about 4 hours to assemble, and all this together with interruptions. All instructions are written in an accessible and understandable language, they are very easy to follow, since there are color sketches and photographs everywhere in order to correctly connect the parts. Two people can easily cope with the assembly of the house in 2 hours..
Of course, there are differences between the size of the duck and the chicken. The former, as a rule, do not sleep on the roost, and also need an additional birdhouse and a place for breeding chicks. It is enough for ducks to be at ground level. Monty and I were convinced that they needed a swimming area and a sunny side.
Here’s what some of the duck house assembly features include.
Safe locks on all doors and gates that must be securely closed. Any open latch, even for a raccoon, can be an easy way to get into the house. Even snakes cannot get inside, since the wire is 1×2. The only vulnerable area is the perimeter. So that no predatory animal can get to the ducks, you need to fence the house with paving stones or stones to make a decent fence. It will look like a barrier to prevent other animals from digging out and getting inside. And for ducks, such protection will become 100% safe..
Hidden nesting place, where ducks can lay their eggs. Make a small door that is easy to reach to collect the eggs. In order for the ducks to feel comfortable, it is best to fill the space with straws or shavings – let them make the nest themselves, however they want..
Grass yard – here ducks will be able to nibble grass, walk, eat. By the way, you can feed them using an automatic food dispenser. Here you can also make a small pool for ducks by installing a ramp to the side railing to help the birds not roll over and keep their balance. The duck house is light enough, you can move it to any other place – in the shade or in the sun.
Undoubtedly, birdbath and the sunny side (bathing platform) is a very interesting addition to the duck house. For example, a pool can be filled with 20 gallons of water using a regular garden hose. The platform is needed so that ducks can easily enter and exit the platform for swimming. Install a drain pan under the platform, which will drain water from the pool into the sewer through a hose.
For those who want to do it themselves
If you want to make a duck house yourself, then the following tools will come in handy:
- reciprocating saw (or any other that can cut wood);
- drill;
- self-tapping screw, nails;
- measuring tape;
- pallets (3 pieces);
- any box of 8×6 size;
- roof plastic;
- plywood;
- door hinges, hooks, locks;
- any decorative elements for decoration.
Building a house for ducks
It is enough to take a sturdy 8×6 box and cut it in half to get 2 identical sides for the left and right sides of the house. Thick plastic will serve as a roof, which must be attached to the top.
It is better to use pallets as a supporting platform to keep the balance of the house..
The front will be the duck door, which should be easy to open. Attach the back with hooks or a good lock. Inside the duck house, you can make a floor or simply add straw. To prevent the birds from getting cold, insulate the inside with plastic, so you can prevent ducks from getting sick even with strong gusts of wind..
Necessary tools for decoration
- spray paint;
- carved knife;
- stencils (to nail to the house).
Such decor can be an excellent decoration for the house, and the birds will be pleased to be in it..
