Backyard ponds in Britain often feature floating duck houses. Commercially available floating duck houses are usually decorative, octagonal pagodas. Conservation workers prefer a design known as a "hen house" that has proven effective for mallard duck breeding. A hen house is a tube of wire mesh lined with hay and attached to a post in shallow water. It provides mallards a safe place to nest, away from such predators as raccoons and foxes. A decorative floating duck house with a hen house feature suits a growing mallard family.
- Skill level:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things you need
- 4 boards, 2 inches by 6 inches, 8 feet long (untreated)
- Circular saw
- Cedar pole, 8 inches in diameter, 12 feet long
- Hammer
- 3-inch galvanized nails
- Wire mesh, 7 feet by 3 feet (16-gauge wire, 1-inch holes or 2-inch by 1-inch holes)
- Wire snips
- 12 strips of stainless steel wire, 2-inch
- 1/4 bale flax straw, Bermuda hay or timothy grass
- 1 two-by-four, 6 feet long
- 1 sheet untreated plywood, 1/2 inch
- 1/8 bale brome hay, grass hay or other soft, leafy hay
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1
Saw the 2-inch-by-6-inch boards into eight boards, 4 feet long, using a circular saw.
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2
Saw the 8-inch-diameter cedar pole into three 4-foot sections.
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3
Lay the three poles on the ground parallel to each other and 12 inches apart.
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4
Nail the boards on top of the poles using 3-inch galvanized nails. Space the boards 1/2 inch apart. This will create a platform 4 feet square.
Build the Platform
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1
Cut the wire mesh into two pieces with wire snips to create one 3-foot and one 4- foot length of mesh.
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2
Roll the smaller piece of wire mesh to form a cylinder with a diameter of 11 to 12 inches. This is the inside surface of the hen house.
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3
Tie the cylinder in place using four 2-inch strips of stainless steel wire.
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4
Spread a 2-inch-deep layer of flax straw on the remaining 4 feet of wire mesh.
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5
Roll the straw-covered mesh around the cylinder, trapping the straw between the layers.
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6
Tie the outer cylinder with four strips of stainless steel wire. You should have a straw-filled roll 3 feet long and 11 to 12 inches in diameter.
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7
Build the Hen House
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1
Cut two pieces of two-by-four, 3 feet long. These will form the support beams for the hen house tube.
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2
Nail the two-by-four support beams flat to the platform, parallel to each other 4 inches apart across the center of the platform, forming a cradle.
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3
Hammer four 3-inch galvanized nails halfway into support beams, one at each end, forming mounting nails for the hen house tube.
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4
Place the tube onto the support beam cradle, between the mounting nails. The tube should be suspended slightly above the surface of the platform so water will not enter it.
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5
Tie the tube to the mounting nails with 2-inch strips of stainless steel wire.
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6
Cut two pieces of 1/2-inch plywood, each 3 feet by 3 feet.
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7
Nail the plywood together in a tent shape over the nest tube. This optional step forms a roof for additional weather protection.
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8
Cut a piece of 1/2-inch plywood, 6 inches by 18 inches. This will form an entry ramp from the water.
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9
Nail the entry ramp to the entrance of tube house with galvanized nails into the support beams. Angle the ramp down into the water.
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10
Fill the tube house with soft grass up to 2/3 full for nesting material. Do not block the entrance.
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11
Anchor the duck house with a chain and a weight in 3 to 4 feet of water at least 4 feet away from shore.
Assemble the Floating House
Tips and warnings
- Alternatively, use cedar or redwood planks, which will be more durable than untreated lumber.
- If your platform is not floating high enough out of the water to keep the hen house dry, place layers of rigid foam insulation sheets underneath.
- Replace the flax straw each year as hens may pull it out for their nest.
- Male mallards are called "drakes" and females are called "hens," hence the name "hen house."
- Use untreated plywood. Pressure-treated plywood contains chemicals like arsenic that are poisonous for wildlife.
- Don't make your tube wider than 12 inches in diameter. Otherwise, Canada geese may nest in it.
