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Okay need ideas on how to make a simple duck house.

We have loads of good clean pallets, and roofing materials.

It needs to be a simple design and easy to make as it will be made by my 14 year old son.

What kind of predators are we building for?

How many ducks are you housing?

Is it just for night-time or is this their "house-house"?

Does the 14 year old have access to power tools?

and is this on land, or over water?

I was going to ask this exact question

I am currently attempting to hatch 4 ailsbury ducks. they will be sharing the same run with my chickens. on land (with access to a pool)

Here's a couple of links.

http://www.newagrarian.com/homestead/ducks/house.html

http://www.henhouses.co.uk/

There are books and booklets you can buy for actual plans if you're that way inclined. The reason I ask about the water is that if you can have your entrance ramp over deepish water you don't need to close it up against Mr Fox every night. Mind you, if they're hungry enough they'll swim!

Ducks are very cheap to house. They need daytime shelter from sun by planting trees and shrubs in their run, but otherwise all they need is a dry well-ventilated house giving them 4 to 5 sq feet (0.5 sq metres) floor space each. Ducks don't need a window like hens do, and they don't perch so the house can be lower - say 4 feet high at the front and 3 feet at the back. The floor should be slatted to keep the litter dry, and raised a couple of inches off the base. For ventilation's sake leave the top foot of the front open - just cover it with strong wire mesh and protect it with a weatherboard. The whole of one side should hinge or come off the frame completely for ease of cleaning. There should be a sloping run-up board to the door because ducks are pretty clumsy.

Nestboxes can be just that - low boxes with some straw in. A square frame of board will do, or even just a cut-down cardboard box (or four bricks with their corners touching)! If your ducks are free-range face their house to the southern quadrant and give them a bit of an enclosed run. Egg-collecting is much easier if you can confine them until about 10am, after egg-laying time.

Ta to the late Katie Thear for info.

Thanks everyone,

Dear Son managed to make a house with only a little help from anybody else, really pleased with it, can't wait to get the ducks now.

Wow that was quick! What have you given them for water access? Let us know how you get on (been trying to convince my OH to have a duck for ages)!

They have a pond (dug by my son a couple of weeks ago), I also have a baby bath for them if they need it.

The only slight problem with the house is the door is too small, but I can fix that with a saw.

I'll put some photos on my blog.

the pekin bantam.com website has plans for a pallet hen house - you could adapt that!

My friend up the road made one and its better than a bought house!

Can I borrow your son, Tensing? I reckon mine is defective as he never digs ponds or makes chicken houses.

He loves being out side and making things. He is currently living in the garden, in an old army tent, with tent pegs he made himself.

He also digs my allotment for me, goes to the wood yard for me, he's brilliant (most of the time)