Ducks finally have a home!

We have been struggling with the ducks this year, trying to give them a free ranging containment system that protects them and yet allows them freedom, access to water, nesting boxes, and plenty of forage.  Today we set the girls into a test patch to see how they do.

It is 2 poultry nets strung together, with a fancy pallet and 2x4 door, out in the back of the pasture.  inside is a 4 hole nesting box setup with shade, and a sprinkler for misting and "puddling". That should provide them enough coolness for the summer while giving some water play but not creating soaked eggs nor killing the ground. We will move the sprinkler every day or two to keep it wet but not soggy enough to kill the grass from little trampling feet.

If this works out, we will have duck eggs available

You can see the pallet gate in this shot, and the test girls posing in their new home. If you look very closely you might see the sprinkler spray to the right of the gate. 

Here is the other half, where the nesting boxes are. 

And here is the nesting box setup, made from 4 5 gallon buckets and an old steel table with a roofing panel piece nailed to it. 

again!