[Womble]

OK, could somebody put me out of my misery please?   I searched google images for "duck house", and all I came up with was a load of photos of a certain MP, and a few freaky pictures like the one below!:



So, we're thinking of getting two or three ducks, to help with slug control. We have a decent sized area available, currently fenced to 1m high, mostly grass, with some soft fruit bushes along one side, and a couple of apple trees. Since this area borders the veg plot, my hope is that the ducks will keep the slugs at bay, and can also be given the run of the veg patch at certain times of the year.

My plan is to have a moveable house, with a small fox-proof run attached. The ducks could then roam around the fenced area during the day, and would be coaxed into the run at night with food, before being locked in there and left to their own devices until morning. They wouldn't have a pond as such, but I've read on here that a child's paddling pool filled with water will suffice, as long as the water is changed frequently.

I have two questions though: 

1) Can anybody see any problems with this set-up?
2) Does the house need to have a floor?  (If grass is OK, I could just move the house every few days and put fresh straw in, before composting the heap of dirty bedding left behind in the old location).
3) Should I go for any breed in particular? (leaning towards Indian Runners at the moment, just because they make me laugh!  )

Any other comments?

Thanks! 
Womble.

[sheardale]

I have my hens in the type of house that you are planning.  Its easily maintained.  I have 3 geese and 1 duck in a converted shed.  Lino on the floor.  Easy cleaned too.  the compost heap is nearby.  I have similar layout to what you are planning and have no problems, so far.  Good luck
Helen

[northfifeduckling]

Sounds good , Womble. Remember Victorian Farm? I so loved that converted caravan. I feel any bird house should have a floor, just because predators can't dig their way in. Mine are in a hen house above floor but a shed would do.
Love Indian Runners and my KCampbells. Favourites are Call duckes, but they might fly. Paddling pool works for us.
They can learn to go to bed at night but do get easily confused by any small changes in their surroundings. To coax them into their run you need a good set-up (like a funnel  or a trained sheep/duck dog if you change the location of their bed!

[ballingall]

I think a floor is better for them too- you may be in a dry area, but suppose you get torrential rain. Water could come up inside the shed and make their straw wet cold and muddy. As northfifeduckling it also helpe against predators.

Sounds like a great area you have for them to go into. Indian runners are my favourite ducks, and they lay really well.


Beth

[doganjo]

I have an old wooden dog kennel for mine, wooden floor has a sheet of vinyl on it then straw.

[princesspiggy]

indian runner ducks are really nice, wev got them, also muscovies are nice too, they eat more grass, though the males are twice the size of the females, our boy used to fly, and u could hear his wings from across the way, very powerful but lovely and quiet mannered. we had khazi campbells once too but i prefer the runners. id def have a floor. something got into our duck house once when the duck was broody, killed the duck and opened the nearly hatched eggs, very sad, not a fox im sure but dont know what it was. didnt seem to take anything just killed em, and the way the duck was found, she'd put up  good fight to protect the nest. very sad.

[doganjo]

khazi campbells

  Yeah, that's what mine are too.  They don't fly so the dogs catch them easily, I have Khazi hens too 

[Hermit]

I think you need to google 'duck housing', loads on there.

[Womble]

we had khazi campbells

Aren't they [img=http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk59/Nevidge20/TOILETDUCK.jpg]http://Toilet Ducks[/img]? 

I think you need to google 'duck housing', loads on there.

Yes, have done, but I couldn't find anything out about not having a floor. Anyhow, thanks all for your help once again. Given the comments above, I'm going to go with the basic idea, but will incorporate a lino lined floor for easy cleaning, and some sort of duck funnel to help with the bedtime herding!

Cheers!